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Date: 4/4/2023
LUDLOW — Mechilia “Chile” Salazar is stepping down as the president and CEO of the Ludlow Boys and Girls club after five years.
The move comes as a shock to her after her conversation with Robert Bolduc who is starting Hope for Youth and Families Foundation in Springfield.
“I am still at a loss for words explaining how it all came to be,” Salazar said. “It was a whirlwind. What I am really trying to be explicit about is this is not a typical planned transition, and I am not leaving because of any negative experiences or feelings about the club or community.”
She did not expect to leave the position and mentioned how much she has enjoyed her time at the Ludlow Boys and Girls Club but added she was moved by her new opportunity.
“It is a leap of faith. I am so bought in to Mr. Bolduc’s vision and his extraordinary heart and vision and what he wants to do to bring positive change and to have the opportunity to be a part of that. That is why I don’t feel like I am leaving the Boys and Girls Club or the community. My hope is I am taking a different path to make a larger impact for our children and families,” Salazar said.
Salazar has spent almost two decades in corporate and nonprofit sectors including executive director of the Middlesex Boys and Girls Club and chief development officer at The Base, an urban academy that leverages sports as a vehicle to engage youth in a positive, success-driven culture.
Salazar said that Boys and Girls Clubs programs can be pivotal in a young person’s life.
“Looking back, I know what I wished and probably needed when I was younger and didn’t have that and I want to do everything in my power to prevent other young people from that path and having more positive memories in Boys and Girls Club,” Salazar said.
Although Salazar is stepping down as president of the Ludlow Boys and Girls Club, she will still be helping those in need.
Her current last day is April 14 but she said she is excited for what the future of the Ludlow Boys and Girls Club can accomplish.
Salazar took over in 2018 and was dealt with maneuvering around the coronavirus pandemic a couple years later. During this time, Salazar and the club provided a place for families to drop off their children to do remote learning while they went to work.
She said, “I am extremely, extremely proud of having opportunity to work through that with our staff and all the credit goes to the staff because it was scary and hard. That certainly is one proud moment in time that I was grateful to be a part of.”
Salazar said that the club has been working on projects to improve areas of learning and fun.
Recently the Boys and Girls Club renovated a space to create makerspace, upgrading a technology room for 3D printing. The club also broke ground on their new outdoor sports court, have plans in place to enhance their baseball field and building a commercial teaching kitchen.
Salazar added, “We were able to innovate and enhance the programming and experiences that we offered to our community. Those are some of the memories that I will be taking with me. We were able to accomplish a lot. Innovate, elevate, enhance all in the spirit of evolving with our children and families.”
Salazar said that the decision did not come easy but added she will still be doing all she can to help families in communities.
She added, “I am following my heart and the true belief that this is going to be a win for many nonprofit organizations and entities that exist to serve and strengthen children and families.”