OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Kait Dawson is the new executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County.

Albert Einstein once said, “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”

Kait Dawson had that quote written on a whiteboard for children, families, and staff to see as they walk through the doors of St. Hyacinth’s School, the new home of the Boys & Girls Club, this past week.

Dawson, a self-proclaimed bookworm, has no shortage of quotes to pick from as whiteboard material. But it was that specific quote that seemed fitting for the moment when Dawson welcomed the Board of Directors for her first meeting as the newest executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County.

Over the past year and a half, Dawson has become invaluable to the Club — so much so that she earned the blessing of the Board to take the reins as its next leader.

“My goal every day showing up here is to be the person that the children need, and the person that the staff need here,” Dawson said.

Dawson was appointed by the Board of Directors in December and officially took over the role in January. She replaced Jody Falkner, who stepped in as interim Executive Director this past summer.

Beginning in the fall of 2024, Dawson led Chautauqua Striders’ after school tutoring program at the Boys & Girls Club. She quickly became an important member of the team at the Club. Children and families became more familiar with her as the year went on, and she took on added responsibilities through the summer program and through Girls on the Run.

This school year, as the Club settled into its new home at St. Hyacinth’s, Dawson took on more of a leadership role with the staff. Alongside Falkner as Interim Executive Director and Program Director Kristin Briggs, Dawson was a go-to person for a young, fresh staff at the Club.

Dawson understands the bigger picture when it comes to the Club and what it means to the community. To her, it is not just an after school program where she can tutor students until their parents or guardians pick them up after a few hours. It is a place where children and families can get the support they need, in whatever way they need it.

“Here at the club, we’re that person for some of these kids that they can come to and say, ‘I’m having emotional issues. Please help me.’ … I want to be a big supporting force for this Club – the staff, the kids, parents, and whoever I can help,” Dawson said.

In fact, one of Dawson’s go-to phrases at the club is, “How can I help?” She wants to be supportive of her staff, and especially, the children of the Club, to have their backs whenever she can.

“I think that it’s important that I’m always telling them that I have their back, that I’m on their side,” Dawson said. “Especially when there are emotional issues, it’s important to validate — employees, kids, and parents.”

Dawson wants to be seen as validating and reliable, especially when she is asked to come through for someone else. “I’m that person who will show up 10 times out of 10 if I can,” Dawson said. “If you need me, I’m there.”

At various times in her life, Dawson felt like she did not have the support that many others did. As she has grown into a leader in her professional life, Dawson keeps that feeling in mind. She uses it as inspiration to be the person that her staff can rely on so they do not feel alone.

“I know what it feels like to not have anybody on your side. I know what it feels like to be completely by yourself and to have somebody just say to figure it out,” Dawson said. “I don’t want other people to feel like that.”

Dawson, 27, was born in Lockport, then spent a good portion of her youth in North Tonawanda. She then moved to Hamburg. As a teenager, Dawson became involved with ROTC. She became a First Sergeant with the Civil Air Patrol — the Air Force branch of ROTC — in Hamburg.

Dawson later attended Erie Community College, where she obtained a liberal arts degree with a focus on math and science. After that, Dawson went to veterinary school and earned a bachelor’s degree in veterinary technology.

Dawson held managerial positions at Tim Hortons, GameStop, and at the Clarion Hotel’s banquet hall. She then took on a position with Chautauqua Striders as a tutor in the fall of 2024.

Dawson defines herself as “a team player.” She does not believe in one person being above another in a team setting, even as she assumes the role of Executive Director.

“I am part of the team, and if they fail, I fail,” Dawson said of her staff.

Dawson is well-aware of the differences between working with customers or clients compared to children and families at the Boys & Girls Club. “I deal with more tantrums now than ever,” she joked.

Dawson believes the challenge is worth it.

“I feel like I make a bigger impact here,” Dawson said. “I can manage anywhere, but here I get to see the outcome. I get to see the report cards change. I get to see the coping behaviors that I teach children day to day.”

Dawson credits former Executive Director Jeannie Gallaway as a mentor in her journey to becoming the next person to fill the role. She recalls how supportive Gallaway was over their time working together last year. Gallaway’s relationships with the children of the Club, their families, and the staff set an example for Dawson to follow.

“I talked to Jeannie a lot last year. She’s fantastic,” Dawson said. “Especially with the kids, and with the staff – all of the staff loved her.”

Dawson’s ideal day away from work would be spent in a bookstore. She loves to read anything from motivational books to The Hunger Games. “If it’s good, I’ll read it,” she said. In her new role, Dawson wants to encourage literacy for the children of the Club.

With pink highlights in her hair, nose piercings, and over 30 tattoos down both of her arms and all over her body, Dawson’s appearance commands attention. “When I walk into a room, I’m obviously different from everybody else, and I like that,” Dawson said.

Her alternative style began to take form after high school as she started to come out of her shell. Dawson was not a very sociable child, but now, her appearance often sparks a conversation.

“I enter into more conversations than not because somebody compliments my hair or asks about my tattoos,” Dawson said. “It’s kind of a way for me to break the ice without actually having to talk first.”

Dawson proves that appearance has no bearing on professionalism. Her tone is commanding and her vocabulary is vast; she is experienced and confident as a leader; and she is sure of who she is and what she stands for. She defines her appearance as “a funny haha” – something more people need in their lives.

“I think the contradiction is funny to me,” Dawson said. “I like to be whimsy, I like to act whimsy, I think it’s fun. … Being an Executive Director and also having pink hair just feels good.”

In the coming weeks, Dawson will find a new quote for the whiteboard in the hallway at the Club. She will search for the words to reach someone else as they walk the halls she now finds herself in command of.

For her own journey, Dawson could turn to a quote from The Hunger Games. Author Suzanne Collins wrote, “As long as you can find yourself, you’ll never starve.”

Through all her various stops, Dawson found herself on her way to becoming a leader, right where she belongs.