Boys & Girls Club Plans Bright Future Submitted by Valerie Waddle The Boys & Girls Club, like most other organizations, looks very different than it did this time last year, and even the year before. While challenging, some of these changes have only enhanced The Club’s mission to serve the youth of our community. Thanks to some incredible community partners, esthetically, The Club has never looked better! In addition to a complete electrical overhaul, including new energy efficient lighting in the entire building, updated air conditioning, and a set of brand new bathrooms. These improvements have also made The Club more functional, safer, and more cost effective. Another change is the shift in leadership, including a new CEO, Assistant Executive Director, and Board Members. While some things (and people) remained constant, the new composition of our Club family brings us one step closer to achieving our goal of providing our members with a world-class club experience! CEO Ekta Bhakta Patel joined The Club in February 2021. Although she grew up in a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio, Ekta has always considered Carlsbad, her birthplace, “home.” After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, she resided in Houston for 3 years before moving back to Carlsbad to join the family business in Hotel Management. Ekta’s passion to serve the Community of Carlsbad was ignited long before she joined The Club. With 13 years of experience in Hospitality Management, Ekta devoted her service to the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. Her dedication has been recognized by achieving the honor of Ambassador of the Year in 2018, a member of Carlsbad’s 40 Under 40 in 2019 and the honor of receiving the President’s Award in 2019. Ekta is currently the Vice President of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Ekta has played integral roles in numerous other organizations. She is currently the Vice President of Carlsbad Rotary Club, serves on the Carlsbad Community Foundation Board of Directors, and on the Carlsbad Mainstreet Board of Directors. She is also a proud graduate of Leadership Eddy County and Leadership New Mexico. Ekta’s service with the Assistance League of Carlsbad as the Recording Secretary and the Denim & Diamonds Chair, helped identify her desire to help the most vulnerable youth in our community. Ekta does everything with a full heart of love and passion, focused on harmony. She enjoys spending time with her daughter, Ariana, and son, Aryan. She hopes to inspire their young minds by providing endless opportunities to live courageously, learn open mindedly and to serve with compassion and generosity.
“I want to be a beacon of hope and a bright light for the Members of the Boys & Girls Club of Carlsbad. Our youth will have a sense of belonging in a fun, positive, safe and nurturing environment. Every youth who enters our doors will know that success is within reach and will have a plan for a great future ahead!” The summer program at The Club started June 14th. Upcoming events include a golf tournament on June 19th and a skeet shoot tournament, in partnership with the Cavemen Soccer team, on July 31st. For more information on these events, or to find out how you can become involved in our pursuit of leading our community’s youth toward a path to success, call (575)885-8449, visit our Facebook page @BGCCarlsbadNM, or email us at bgcarlsbad@gmail.com.
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