Boys & Girls Club of Athens appoints interim director following arrest, resignation of former CEO

The Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Athens recently appointed an interim director for the organization following the resignation last week of the club’s former CEO Robert Dean Finch.

Finch, 55, of Athens resigned following his arrest on charges that he secretly made videos of a former girlfriend and used them to harass her, according to Athens-Clarke police.

Club officials accepted Finch’s resignation on May 2.

Sterling Gardner, who serves as the organization’s vice president of Workforce Initiatives, was appointed as the interim CEO.

Gardner, a native of Athens, has been with the organization since 1992. Under his current position, he supervises a program to train teenagers to find meaningful employment. As a youth he was a member of the club and was named Youth of the Year in 1979.

In a statement about the CEO situation, an organization spokesman said it plans to “initiate a comprehensive search for a new CEO to lead our organization forward.”

“The diligence of this search will ensure that we identify a leader who values our mission and aligns with the long-term strategic goals of the organization," he noted.

Finch, who began his duties with the club in March 2022, was arrested and released on bond May 2 on two misdemeanor charges and a felony charge of unlawful surveillance. Athens-Clarke police are investigating the complaint.

Harassment Claims: Boys & Girls Club of Athens CEO faces charges of harassing Athens woman

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Interim director appointed for Boys & Girls Club of Athens after CEO arrest