The new director of the Mathews Boys and Girls Club, Jim Highsmith of Newport News, said he wants to be part of the organization for a long time.

Highsmith said he was a high school and college athlete who worked in sports programs at the YMCA for eight years, beginning at the age of 16. He holds a degree from Christopher Newport University in psychology with a concentration in early childhood development.

Highsmith said he worked in restaurant management for a while, having put his college education on hold to accept a job, but he eventually went back to finish his degree. The position at the Boys and Girls Club is his first job after graduating from college.

Increasing daily attendance is Highsmith’s first goal for the Mathews Boys and Girls Club. He said he especially wants to get more teenagers involved, and plans to create a teen lounge so the older crowd isn’t "stuck with little kids."

The club already has a lot of different programs that will cont...