LYNN — As the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn continues to grow — with Phase 2 of a $25 million building project underway — the club will have a leadership structure that reflects that progress.
Effective Jan. 1, 2026, Brian Theirrien will move into a newly created CEO position, while Grace Duran, who is associate director, will become executive director.
Phase 1 of the renovation project included a new board room, STEAM classroom, childcare center, teen center, fitness room, and dance studio. Phase 2, which began in June, will feature a new gym, pool, full cafeteria, industrial kitchen, fitness room, two additional licensed childcare classrooms, teen wing, and dance and theater rooms.
When complete, the club will be able to accommodate about 650 youth per day, almost 50% more than current capacity. The plan is for the renovations to be finished in January 2027.
“We have expanded tremendously the last 18 months, and this is a reflection of that growth,” said Theirrien, who has served as executive director since 2018. “Grace has taken a leadership role with fundraising, the operational budget, staff development, and relationships with community leaders. The Board is excited for her to fill this role.”
Theirrien has served as executive director since 2018, after 11 years in that role at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Haverhill. Prior to that, he worked for the Grenville Baker Boys & Girls Club in Locust Valley, N.Y., and the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester. He completed the Harvard Business School CEO Leadership Program in 2017. Duran spent 10 years at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem before coming to Lynn in 2021.
“We continue to expand the programs we offer to our members and families,” Duran said. “The goal is to have the best Boys & Girls Club site in the state.”
Theirrien credited Duran with establishing programs for members who age out of club membership.
“The biggest thing we were lacking is a plan for kids who are graduating and moving on to college or a career,” he said. “Grace brought in community leaders to have career chats to get them thinking (about) what’s next. We now have that bridge directly because of Grace. Now when you age out, you have a plan.”
This transition marks a natural next step for an organization on the rise, pairing long-term leadership with new energy as the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn prepares to serve more youth than ever before.
