Tina Bernard has been involved in Youth Clubs of Park County since the beginning. 

In fact, the founder of what was originally the Boys and Girls Club of Park County, Victor Riley, brought her on as the bookkeeper for the organization. She then took over the Powell club, which she ran until 2005, when she took over as executive director. 

On Monday, Bernard handed the reins over to Tiffany Wutzke, another longtime Youth Clubs staff member who, Bernard said, has been learning how to do the job since she took over as director of programming and training.

The club is holding a retirement celebration for Bernard on Monday, July 7 from 6-8 p.m. at the Eagles. There will be refreshments available and a cash bar. 

“We just wanted anyone who may have worked with Tina, any kids who are old enough, because there's a lot of them, any old board members, anyone in the community who knows Tina and would like to come celebrate her, we would love [them to be there],” Wutzke said. 

Bernard is happy to see someone who has been a part of so many of the successes and challenges of the club to keep it going.

Bernard said the club directors work well with Wutzke.

“We're a nonprofit, so we don't work for the money," Bernard said. "We work because we love what we do. We love the kids and our families that we work with. So to give up money to do something you love, that makes for a great team.”

As Bernard has been part of the team since virtually the beginning, she’s made a lot of memories along the way. She’ll never forget Riley. 

“He was an amazing man, my mentor for 20 years, and I learned more from him than I ever learned from school or college,” Bernard said. “He was just an amazing man, and he believed in helping those that were less fortunate, and he lived by that. I mean, he left quite a bit of [money] to us when he passed to make sure that we could continue, and he worked hard to get donations from the local community.”

She said one of her proudest moment at the club happened back when it was still known as the Boys and Girls Club (The club canceled its charter in 2016 because it wasn’t worth the expense). 

There was a program called Youth of the Year and a local kid, Mike Rand, won it locally, then he won it state, and then he made it to the regionals. It also happened to be the first year the University of Wyoming provided a full ride scholarship for the Youth of the Year.

“Mike was an average student, but he got a full ride, and he now teaches children, and he's down in Cheyenne,” Bernard recalled. “So that's my proudest. We still stay in touch, and he just will always be a big part of my heart because of all that we did during that time for him.”

The club still does a lot for kids and Powell and Cody. 

For instance, this summer 243 children have registered since June 1 between the two facilities. And this isn’t a day care, both said, contrary to what some have thought. 

She said during the school year a big help for parents, besides the low cost of after school care, is the staff will work with students to get their homework done, leaving parents more time with their children once they are picked up. Children also have opportunities to expand their horizons.

“Our STEM program that we have at the college was a great hit," Bernard said. "We do that four weeks in the summer, in June, for third, fourth and fifth graders, and that was a big hit this year. It's been a hit all five years, but it was really a hit this year.”

There are a variety of academic programs, as well as chances for the kids to engage in athletic pursuits like basketball. 

“I just feel like and I think parents are a lot more comfortable knowing that they've got to work all day and knowing that their child is in a safe place and having fun,” Bernard said. 

Wutzke said focusing on personal relationships is a big part of it. 

“We're really big on building relationships with the kids, and we do have some training in social and emotional learning too, for some of our kids who need some extra love,” she said. “We're there for them.”

Wutzke started in 2006 thanks to the club director at the time who told Wutzke’s aunt she would be a great addition to the team having just moved back to town. She worked her way to her current position working with Bernard and the club directors. 

Taking on Bernard’s role includes tackling the challenge of fundraising to keep the club in action. 

Over the years, Bernard has raised funds to enable capital improvements and more programs. 

She was able to find foundations to donate more vans, including the Moyer Foundation, which also paid off the mortgage on the Powell location. They’ve been able to upgrade flooring, playgrounds and computers, multiple times. 

“We couldn't even begin to name all the community people that have helped over the years,” Bernard said. 

She’s thankful for the community and for the staff she’s had over the years, and the kids that have passed through the programs, some of who have turned around to work at them, over the years. 

“It takes a team,” she said, adding, “I've had a lot of support over the years from folks in Park County and Big Horn County. I'd like to thank them for that. And they weren't just supporting me, they were supporting the team, but they made me feel like I was doing what I needed to do to keep things going, and I certainly appreciate that all the businesses, all the families, and I'm sure they're going to continue to support Tiff and her endeavors.”