From 1973 to 1982, Richard Washington was employed as a preschool teacher in Oakland, California. He worked with runaways and abused teens at the Malabar Receiving Home in Castro Valley from 1983 to 1992. He received his B.A. in Studio Art and Art History from California State University, Hayward.

In1992, Richard joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula (BGCP). He has been the Academic Director, Art Director, and for the last thirteen years, Unit Director of the McNeil Family Clubhouse in Menlo Park.

For the past nine years, Richard has been involved with Scholarship America National Advisory Board in Minnesota, which is one of the leading scholarship providers in the United States. He is also a member of the Menlo Park Rotary Club.

For his outside interests, Richard enjoys playing and collecting guitars in which he has been playing for over 44 years. He also collects and refinishes antiques, enjoys gardening, cooking, and rebuilding his toys which include a 1966 442 Oldsmobile and a 1955  Cries Craft boat.  When finding time between various hobbies, he relaxes by going fishing.

Richard has a strong passion for the welfare of young people's education, from teaching at a preschool to now working at BGCP.

Beatriz Espinoza joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula in 2007 and currently works the front desk at the McNeil Family Clubhouse in Menlo Park. She was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in the Bay Area. 

Beatriz has four daughters ages 11, 9, 6 and the baby. Before joining the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, she worked at Costaño Elementary School as a tutor, helping students with their homework. She enjoys working with young people, spending time with her three girls, reading, writing, and walks in the park.

Darlene Pizano has been with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula since 2006 as an Academic Assistant. A 2005 graduate from Sequoia High School, Darlene currently attends Foothill College and plans to transfer to San Jose State University to earn her B.A. in Criminal Justice.

Darlene really loves shoes, make-up, purses, kids and her dog Bella-Honey. She also likes to play soccer and volleyball and has a phobia of spiders and reptiles.

Berenice Navarro was born in Dos Aguas, Michoacan, Mexico. She was raised in California since the age of two. Her first summer job was in 1994 at the Mervin G. Morris Clubhouse in Redwood City, California working as a Tech Assistant. She has been with the McNeil Family Clubhouse since 2001 as an Academic Assistant and is currently the Art Director.

Berenice is also attending school and pursuing a career in child counseling and nursing to eventually further help children of all needs. She has lived in this community since 1994.

Marcus Jackson has been working for BGCP since January 2004 and has been in the Boys & Girls Club movement for ten years. He enjoys coming to work each day knowing that there are 100 plus kids who he can empower and help change. His main focus is to help promote positive social interaction. Working in the games room, he is able to come in contact with all young people. Being a club member himself, Marcus enjoys all the games the club has to offer and he shows the youngsters how to play them as well. He also encourages the pre-teens to engage in leadership-based clubs like Torch Club where they are able to give back to their club in a positive manner. Marcus has a strong commitment and passion to young people and his community.

Maribel Guzman has been with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula since September 2000. She is the Social Education Director for the McNeil Family Clubhouse in Menlo Park. Maribel has lived in the Belle Haven community since 1991 and was previously a club member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula from 1991-1995. She is a graduate of the University of California, Riverside where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics.

Cory Hoehn recently joined the McNeil Family Clubhouse as the Social Educational Assistant. He was born and raised in Truckee, California and recently moved to the Bay Area. He is currently attending the College of San Mateo and working towards a degree in recreation.

Cory loves sports; his favorites being football and basketball. He aspired to be a professional athlete but decided on a different goal gearing towards becoming a sports coach.

Jason Norman is a 2005 graduate of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. At Harvard, Jason was an African American Studies concentrator in one of the most esteemed departments in the country. During college, Jason volunteered at after school programs through the Phillips Brooks House Association at Harvard, where he tutored and assisted students with their schoolwork.

Prior to college, Jason attended Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, California. During his junior and senior years, Jason volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula in East Palo Alto. Upon graduating from Bellarmine, Jason joined the BGCP staff for the summer of 2001, where he was a Teen Program Assistant. During the same year, Jason received a Civic Leadership Award from the Santa Clara County Alliance of Black Educators.

Throughout high school and college, Jason remained a disciplined student athlete. After receiving numerous accolades at Bellarmine, Jason went on to play four years at Harvard, where he became the first two-year captain in over a decade. Jason is enthusiastic about working with the College Bound Program where he can fully utilize his organizational, communication and leadership skills.

Miki Foster is an Oakland based artist and the first Technology Director at the McNeil Family Clubhouse. Originally from Seattle, Washington, Miki studied Film and Sociology at Evergreen State College before receiving her MFA degree in Digital Arts and New Media at the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2009.

When she's not creating interactive sculptures and video installations or riding her bike she spends her time knitting, sewing and playing her viola.

Gerald began his DJing career in 1998, but fell in love with the hip hop culture of the early 1980's. He learned how to produce and master the art of mix music in 2000, learning from the masterminds of 17hertz Music Studios. Since 1998, Gerald had the great opportunity to be one of the original online radio station DJ's. From 2004-2006 he was part of Spinatiks Online Radio where he was a sound engineer, DJ and radio personality.

Gerald also has a talent for martial arts. He is a 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has been involved in martial arts since the age of 4, learning from his father and other relatives.

Gerald began his career with BGCP in 2007 as Teen Assistant in Menlo Park, SuccessMaker Manager, and recently promoted to Technical Assistant. Gerald is extremely excited to have the opportunity to be working for the McNeil Family Clubhouse and wants to one day show members his knowledge in music and martial arts.

Born and raised in San Jose, California, Ashley was a club member from 1992 to 2000 at the South Side San Jose Boys & Girls Club. After graduating from Oak Grove High School in 2004, Ashley attended California State University, Fullerton where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology in 2008. Upon returning to San Jose, Ashley worked with FIRST 5 Santa Clara for a year before finding her place with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula's McNeil Family Clubhouse in October 2009. Ashley enjoys working with youth and their families and plans on becoming a family therapist.

Edgar has been part of the McNeil Family Clubhouse for almost three years. He is currently a Teen Staffer and is involved in Keystone. When it comes to the Boys & Girls Club, Edgar is everywhere. He is always there to help by tutoring younger members with their homework, helping out with snack time, and playing foosball (table soccer) with the kids. Edgar has volunteered countless hours of service, not only to the Club and its several events, but to his entire community.

Edgar is currently a senior at Carlmont High School. At school, he is an active member of the community group called, Young Latino Leaders; a program that has allowed him to help his community by cleaning highways, helping out at soup kitchens, canned food drives, and passing out gifts to low-income kids during Christmas time. He enjoys giving back to his community and knows that he can make a difference in the lives of the people around him.

Currently, Edgar is focusing much of his attention on improving his grades in school so that he can accomplish his dream of getting into a good college. In January 2010, Edgar won 2010 Youth of the Year for the McNeil Family Clubhouse.

Antonisha is a vibrant 17-year old junior at Menlo-Atherton High School. She is a Teen Staffer at the McNeil Family Clubhouse and is anxious to start earning her own money so she can begin saving for her future.

Antonisha participates in College Bound, Keystone, Girls for a Change, and Money Matters. She was also our 2010 Youth of the Year candidate. She loves to sing, dance, write poetry, watch movies and enjoys the beach.

Antonisha aspires in working hard in school so she can attend UC Davis or UCLA.