Kedrick Jeffries: Reflections on His First Year
Kedrick Jeffries: Reflections on His First Year
Fresh off our 20th Anniversary Ice Ball Gala, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas is celebrating another important milestone – the completion of Kedrick Jeffries’ first year as BBBS’ CEO. With one year in the rearview mirror, Kedrick took the time to share his first-year impressions as well as some of his long-term goals for the agency.
“Looking back over the past year, the first thing that comes to mind is the incredible staff I get to work with here at BBBS,” said Kedrick. “I’m impressed with their dedication and their determination in building brighter futures for kids in Central Texas.”
BBBS is in the business of building relationships, whether that be between kids and their mentors, between our matches and the community, or between BBBS and its donors. In Kedrick’s mind having a team dedicated to BBBS’ mission and to helping kids in the community is key to fostering such relationships.
Support doesn’t only come from staff, of course. “I’m also grateful for a supportive board of directors who believe in our mission and me,” said Kedrick. “With their guidance and the support of our faithful donors and partners we are establishing a foundation to take our agency to the next level.”
“I’m also grateful that we had such an amazing 2024 Ice Ball Gala,” said Kedrick. “It was the 20th anniversary of this event, and the proceeds it generated will help us to continue to pour into the lives of the children and families we serve.”
Much to be grateful for, but the year was not without its challenges. “One of the challenges for the year, and frankly something that surprised me, was the challenge of recruiting more volunteers to become Bigs,” said Kedrick. “From the outside looking in, you’d think, ‘Who wouldn’t want to help a young person realize their full potential?’ But we need more volunteers. So, we are working to help people understand that a little time can make a big difference in a child’s life and that you don’t have to be perfect to be a mentor. Mentoring is really about being present.”
Kedrick appreciates BBBS’ history, legacy, and traditions as well as the deep, long-lasting relationships the organization has formed with Bigs, Littles, donors, Board members, and community partners through the years. “We have so many wonderful events for our kids and families that we’ve held for years. Like our annual holiday party and our Hobie Day event on sailboats out on the lake,” said Kedrick. “To have the community support our organization through these events is amazing. I get fired up over that.”
“Then to learn about long-term matches like the one between Candy and Rhett Stone and their Little Brother Andrew who have been together for over 40 years,” said Kedrick. “That gets me excited and pumped for the future of BBBS.”
Over the past year Kedrick has worked on establishing relationships with new stakeholders and connecting with long-time supporters of our mission. “Hearing how people have been connected to our mission and how new ones want to be connected continues to invigorate me to press on in our work for Central Texas kids,” said Kedrick.
He has exciting new goals for the organization as well. “One of the goals on the horizon is to first get back into schools and partner with local districts to impact the lives of more kids,” said Kedrick. “Since the kids are not always able to come to us, we will go to the kids utilizing a blended approach of 1:1 and group mentoring.”
“To me, I think the first year has been about getting the lay of the land, building relationships – both locally and nationally, and putting the infrastructure in place for success,” said Kedrick. “What I’m looking forward to now is continuing to grow from this foundational work in my first year. To now maximize the things we do well, and to develop new approaches to the way we serve kids and families all over our region.”
Exciting days ahead for BBBS!
