Boys & Girls Club Names Replacement for Sobel

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the West Valley has appointed a new president and chief executive, the Canoga Park nonprofit announced Friday. Tim Blaylock, who most recently served as interim chief executive of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Deep East Texas, began his tenure as head of the West Valley chapter on March 1. He replaces departing chief executive Jan Sobel, who announced her retirement in September after running the organization for more than 10 years. More than 250 candidates applied for the chief executive post, Chairman Martin Cooper said. The club was impressed by Blaylock’s accomplishments as leader of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oxnard & Port Hueneme, where he expanded membership from 1,500 children and teenagers to more than 9,000 in 12 years, as well as his contributions to clubs in Santa Monica and Washington state. “From the beginning, Tim stood out as one of the top applicants to be the person who could continue to build upon our successes and help us strike out in new directions,” Cooper said in a prepared statement. Sobel, a civic leader who previously headed local chambers of commerce, will remain with the Boys & Girls Club until the end of March to ensure a smooth transition and introduce Blaylock to local business and civic leaders, the club said.