At the Rancho Santa Fe Community Center this month, youngsters will hang out after school and make fun edible creations in cooking class. The littlest hoopsters will work on their basketball skills and in the Scrub, Sparkle and Shine Kids Spa Class, kids will create their own mud masks, nail polish and sparkling unicorn sugar scrubs.

Recently, the center underwent some big changes as Executive Director Kimberly Owens retired at the end of 2025 after being at the center for nearly 10 years and leading the nonprofit since 2021. Starting last month, longtime staffer Robert Metler moved up and took Owens’ place as the new executive director. Metler has been with the organization for over 20 years, bringing a wealth of experience from serving in the roles of controller, human resources manager and program manager.

Under new leadership and with a new board of volunteers, the hope is for the community center to grow and continue serving as Rancho Santa Fe’s heart.

“Over the last few years, the center has faced significant challenges which have culminated in deferred maintenance issues and budget/programming constraints,” wrote board president Richard Moore in a letter to the community last month. “However, we are happy to be turning the corner with increased parent participation and a strong commitment from the community to save the center so that we can continue providing our young ones with learning opportunities and time with their friends.”

The re-energized board includes parents Cheryl Brechlin, Spencer Doty, Andrew Thompson, Matt Schulte, Chris Sieglock and Bow Ruggeri. Committees on topics such as finance, facilities and programming have formed, led by volunteers Josh Mateffy, Greg Kasavana, Ajit Viswanathan, Matt Agee and Taylor Cavanah.

New board president Moore and his young family have been community center regulars since moving to the Covenant in 2020. He is one of about 15 families who have become really invested over the last several months in helping the center after learning about some of its needs that they hadn’t been able to take care of financially since the pandemic.

“It really stemmed from Kimberly getting ready to retire and the deferred maintenance issues; she really challenged parents who use the center to engage,” Moore said. “We immediately dug in.”

Schulte agreed to take on a list of facilities things that needed to get fixed and families donated enough to take care of immediate needs like the center’s elevator and plumbing issues. A strong maintenance committee is looking to tackle some of the rest.

“We are super excited about the parent interest and commitment to the center from the community,” Moore said.

Moore said the center is fortunate to have Metler stepping into the executive director role, bringing his love for the organization, providing continuity and “giving parents and the kids a calming assurance that the very best of years’ past will continue.”

Metler first started at the community center in 2004 as a controller. He studied finance but after spending so much time around children at the community center, he said if he had to do it over again, he might have become a teacher instead.

“Working with kids is so rewarding,” he said. “To make an impact in their lives is very special.”

In his over 20 years in Rancho Santa Fe, he has enjoyed developing relationships with the families, watching kids come through the programs and grow up. He said he feels lucky and blessed to be in his position now and his goal is to continue keeping things fun and making the center a good place for kids and families to come.

“People here are so nice,” Metler said of the Rancho Santa Fe community. “They help so much and they are thankful that we’re here and take care of their kids.”

One thing he really values and hopes to continue growing is the partnership with the Rancho Santa Fe School District. The center offers safe walkovers from neighboring R. Roger Rowe School during the school week—the after-school option always starts with a snack (“They live for snacks!” Metler said) and then kindergartners and first graders have “Hangtime” while older second through fifth graders have an independent study hour. Fridays are always a movie day, complete with popcorn or an ice cream bar. Metler said the unicorn cotton candy is the undefeated favorite.

The community center is a nonprofit and they don’t receive any state or federal funding, and not much in the way of grants. Despite some public misconceptions, they are a completely separate entity from the Rancho Santa Fe Association. Metler is the only full-time staffer, yet they are small but mighty— no donated dollar is wasted.

Built in 1972, the center is approaching an age where it has some pretty significant facility needs. “We need a little bit of everything,” Metler said.

The biggest need is a new gym floor, which was never repaired after it flooded several years ago. Metler would also love to see some color added to the activity room, a fresh coat of paint on the exterior of the building and air conditioning upgrades. As they had to remove a water fountain downstairs, a new water fountain and water-bottle filling station are also on the wish list.

Some significant fundraising will be needed so the center can continue to operate effectively and expand on its offerings to the larger community, Moore said. In the past, the center used to host an annual gala and golf tournament to help generate funds and a fundraising committee will be looking into new ways to assist the center going forward. Right now, direct donations are accepted on the website.

While Owens’ retirement was a bit of a shock at first, Moore said the new board and committee volunteers are super excited about what is possible for the center.

“We have some challenges going forward for sure…We are committed to working closely with the Association, Roger Rowe, the RSF Foundation, and other community partners to ensure we honor the past work of many families who dedicated time and energy to the center,” Moore said. “We want to create a really viable community center… provide outstanding service in the near term and map out a future that meets the needs of our children and families.”

To donate or register for classes, visit rsfcc.org