MEET RON THORNTON
AS THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, HE BELIEVES IN MAKING CHANGES, MENTORING THE YOUTH AND SERVING THE COMMUNITY
Name: Ron Thornton
Age: 35
Position: President and CEO of the Golden Triangle Boys and Girls Club
Starting date: December 30, 2019
Birthplace: Kosciuszko, Mississippi
Hobbies: Spending time with family, fishing, cooking
Spouse: Contessa Thornton
Children: Christian (7), Trinity (5) and Ava (9-months-old)
What brought you to Columbus?
Back in August I had this potential job opening at the Boys and Girls Club, and I’ve been through every level of the organization. My last tenure was five years as the VP of Operations for the Central Mississippi Boys and Girls Club. I also feel that Columbus, West Point and Starkville are areas where we can really make a great impact on the youth.
I’m looking at the data that surrounds this community — poverty level, crime rate with youth and juvenile system. And that’s near dear to my heart because I believe in working with the youth and mentoring them. You can’t save everybody, but some.
How do you like the communities so far?
All three communities have been receptive so far. I’m just trying to get them to buy in and get a true understanding of what Boys and Girls Club is. I feel that the communities know our name, but the understanding is lacking in a sense of what programs we offer. We are not a swimming gym, we are not a school and we are not a day care. We are an out-of-school program and a summer full-time youth development agency. We are geared toward the whole child model. We not only treat the child, we treat the family as well. We have programs for parents.
We collaborate with a lot of organizations. I think the more the community understands that, the buy-in will be greater, whether it’s financial or in-kind resources. We can partner together. Because we serve the same kids.
What part of your personal experience better connects you with your role at the Boys and Girls Club?
I come from a large family. There were eight of us. My older brother going to Ole Miss had a car wreck that made me numb for several years. The realization hadn’t ever set in. When I lost him, I was going to leave my life and go after his dreams. I was going to go to the law school at Ole Miss, but I missed about one point twice. That was a life-changing detour for me, which added to a bad car accident that happened to me, which put me in rehab for over three years. The Boys and Girls Club stepped in and made an impressionable moment in my life. It allowed me the opportunity to continue school and get my education. It also allowed me to mentor youth.
In your new position, what progress have you made?
For the first few months, I’ve been analyzing the system and setup we have in place and think of ways to improve it. We’ve been processing our internal data to make sure the technology is advanced and upgraded.
We’ve gotten permits to serve hot meals during the summer in West Point and Starkville, on top of the Columbus location. We’re establishing meetings with universities and colleges to collaborate with us. The East Mississippi Community College offers workforce development training, but a lot of parents don’t take advantage of the dual enrollment system, so the kids still go without. We want our kids to at least have a certificate or a two-year degree out of high school, which would allow them to enter the workforce and start making money without acquiring a lot of debt. We will host a “Lunch and Learn” in every community at the end of March.
In rural areas, there aren’t a lot of corporations, so we are also reaching out to nonprofits for resources and help them understand that, for sustainability, we need your help. And it’s not about if you have a large or small pocket book. It’s wherever you can fit to help us stay in the loop.
What are some of the values you hope to implement while serving as the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club?
Our club and team members should display integrity at all times and be good stewards of donors’ dollars. We do need dollars to operate, but we believe that the greatest gift that you can give is of time. When a child comes up to you, you may be too consumed by what you are doing at the moment and can’t get to the child. But at that very moment it could be something precious to the child that they want to tell you. We try to train our members to pause and listen. We teach children that pattern that it’s okay to express yourself and whatever you have to say does matter.
The club should also be a safe haven. Earn the community’s trust that the Boys and Girls Club is a place where you can leave your child, your grandchild, your niece and nephew.
In the future, what do you hope the Boys and Girls Club will become to the community? What sort of cooperation do you want to see with the community?
I envision that our kids have state-of-the-art facilities with the help of the community. What you desire for your own child is what I want the community to desire for the kids we serve. I want a diverse population of the members at the club. It’s not for one race; it’s for all races. We want to make sure that’s understood across the demographics. We serve all youths, regardless of poverty levels or financial stability. The community should understand that we are open to all members. Membership for the club is free, and we just expect the communities to buy into it, whether in dollars or in-kind gives.
I also envision that the churches provide more support for the Boys and Girls Club. I believe that a picture of them tied into out-of-school cares could help sustain the club. The churches are a pillar of the community as well as the club.
I want the community to understand what a change agent is. Everybody in the community is exactly that. They are a difference maker for youth, and I hope they’ll be willing to do whatever it takes to make sure these kids are safe, comfortable, educated and prepared for secondary plans in their life.
STORY BY STELLA YU
PHOTOS BY LEDRICO ISAAC
