United Boys & Girls Clubs Lays Off Two Longtime Employees

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By Giana Magnoli, Noozhawk Staff Writer | @magnoli

Longtime staff member Bernard Hicks, left, seen here with a group of youths in April, has been laid off from his job at the Santa Barbara West Club of the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County as part of a consolidation effort. (Nancy Shobe / Noozhawk file photo)

Westside Club’s Bernard Hicks and Carpinteria’s Alan Pottkotter lose jobs in consolidation effort

The United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County has been consolidating its services and laid off two full-time employees at South Coast clubs, CEO Michael Rattray said Thursday.

The organization serves about 5,000 young people per year and has clubs in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta and Lompoc.

A 60-day fundraising campaign in the spring exceeded its goal and brought in $323,000, but that money mostly went to paying back short-term loans and starting a rainy-day fund.

Two positions were eliminated within the past few weeks: the Westside Club’s Bernard Hicks, the teen outreach and athletics director who has worked there for at least 15 years; and Carpinteria’s Alan Pottkotter, the athletics director and gym coordinator.

Rattray said the cuts were out of a 100-person-or-so staff, and employees at other club sites will absorb their duties.

“Every dollar in our business counts. If there’s a way to be more efficient and productive in the way we manage costs and still provide resources, then balances have to be made,” he said. “It’s not something I relish or want to do.”

He insisted that the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County won’t show a difference in service because of the consolidation efforts.

“Nothing’s diminished,” he said

Goleta’s Robert Thompson will be taking on the sports director role for the Westside Club in addition to his own, and Pottkotter’s responsibilities will be absorbed by Goleta’s director, Joe Roderick.

Rattray added that there isn’t as much demand for organized sports on the Westside right now, as opposed to 10 or 15 years ago. 

— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.

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