Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The Boys and Girls Club of Sweet Home announced on July 15 that Bridget Horlacher will replace longtime Program Director Bob Teter.
“Bridget brings a wealth of experience and professionalism gained at the Albany Boys and Girls Club,” said Kevin McLaughlin, executive director Boys and Girls Club of Sweet Home. “Sometimes it’s better to draw on the success from other communities to see what’s working.”
Teter resigned to take a job as executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Florence.
“Aside from our executive director, no one in our existing club brings this level of education in the Boys and Girls Club to the table,” Boys and Girls Club President Ron Moore said. “Bridget is a graduate of a symposium on delinquency and gang prevention, has completed the Strom Thurmond Advanced Leadership Program at Clemson University and is a McCabe fellow, which is a training program for future executive directors.”
“Although some people that have the philosophy lived within the community, Bridget will add a much-needed shot in the arm to the programs of the club with her level of experience,” said vice president Mike Adams, a local attorney.
“The board feels by hiring Bridget, we’re on the right track to offering quality programs for the kids of Sweet Home,” Moore said.
“The overall job is going to be expanding of my experiences and giving me new challenges,” Horlacher said. “The job is just kind of like a new experience, a new challenge.”
She said she is a little familiar with Sweet Home programs and helped with the auction last year.
“It seems like a nice community, tight-knit,” Horlacher said, adding that that’s part of what drew her to the area.
Horlacher has been the teen director at Albany for 5 1/2 years, she said. “I think that’s part of why they were attracted to me,” and she believes she will work on getting more teens involved in the Sweet Home club.
Horlacher will start on Aug. 1. She finishes working at Albany on July 29. She plans to move to Sweet Home.
She graduated from Oregon State University in 1998. She holds a bachelor of science degree in human development and family sciences.
She was part of Albany’s program staff in 1998 and worked as a residential care counselor at the Bob Belloni Boys Ranch in Coos Bay in 1999 and 2000 before going to work as teen director at Albany.