Less than two years after its founding executive left amid controversy, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler Counties have not only survived but recently moved into new headquarters with a renewed sense of purpose.
The clubs’ headquarters moved from DeLand to 800 South Street, Daytona Beach, according to CEO Camesha Whittaker-Samuel. The building formerly housed Turie T. Small Elementary School, which moved into a replacement in 2024.
“This new headquarters marks an exciting new chapter in our organization’s history,” Whittaker-Samuel said in a news release. “It’s the direct result of the partnership and support of Volusia County Schools and the Volusia County African American Leadership Council, and it gives us the capacity to serve even more of the nearly 2,000 young people we reach each year across Volusia and Flagler counties.”
Rebounding from Boys & Girls Clubs leader departure
In January 2025, Whittaker-Samuel became just the second CEO in the clubs’ history, dating to 1992, when Joe Sullivan started the organization in Deltona.
Sullivan left in 2024 after he had terminated a whistleblower who had raised concerns about his use of grant money and accused him of harassment. The Volusia County Council temporarily held up a $575,00 grant, but the Boys & Girls Clubs board endured. The hiring of Whittaker-Samuel has led to new partnerships and a different outlook.
Rufus Johnson, board president of the Volusia County African American Leadership Council, said Whittaker-Samuel has been doing “amazing” work.
“I think this partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs is life-changing for these kids,” Johnson said. ” It represents an opportunity for us to empower our young people, to strengthen the community that they live in, and also build a brighter future for those kids, and also for the community.”
New Boys & Girls Clubs HQ is former elementary school
Jamie Haynes, a Volusia County School Board member, said it makes sense to partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs.
“These our our children in the community that, you know, attend Turie T. Small or Campbell Middle, and then they go to the Boys & Girls Clubs after school,” Haynes said.
“They’ve been an invaluable partner in supporting our students beyond our classrooms for years,” she said. “And so this, to me, this new headquarters represents an investment in the future, you know, of our children and our community.”
Move to Daytona, but clubs remain open in West Volusia
The organization operates Boys & Girls Clubs in eight locations: Deltona, Edgewater, Daytona Beach, DeLand, Lake Helen, New Smyrna Beach, Holly Hill, and Palm Coast.
Whittaker-Samuel said the building has been renovated through private donations, foundations, and community sponsors, not the school district or leadership council.
“We are planning to launch an AgriTech program that will expose young people to agriculture, sustainability, and emerging technologies, while expanding our Boeing Future U workforce development initiative to prepare youth for careers in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, STEM, and other high-demand industries,” she said.
− Mark Harper covers politics, government, and education for The News-Journal, with a focus on Florida, mostly in Volusia County. He can be reached at mark.harper@news-jrnl.com
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Boys & Girls Clubs open new HQ in Daytona Beach
Reporting by Mark Harper, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mark Harper, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
