Boys & Girls Clubs of Port Hueneme, Oxnard to Combine : Recreation: The two staffs are due to merge by Jan. 22 in an effort to expand programs in an era of tighter budgets.

CAMARILLO â€”  The Boys & Girls Clubs in Port Hueneme and Oxnard announced Wednesday that they would merge into a single corporation in an effort to increase programs for children and to improve efficiency in the wake of budget shortages.

“This is something that once it gets going will do great things for the youth,� said Abe Oliveras, executive director of Oxnard’s club, which has its main youth facility on 7th Street.

The administrative staffs of the two organizations will be combined, with Oliveras serving as president and chief executive officer of the new corporation, which has yet to be named. The clubs’ boards aim to complete the merger by Jan. 22.

Although a merger of the neighboring organizations has been considered for a couple of years, the announcement comes less than a month after the Port Hueneme club reopened its doors following a closure dictated by the city, which contended that the club was not adequately maintaining its building on East Pleasant Valley Road.

Chuck Muncie, a former professional football player for the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints who serves as executive director of the Port Hueneme club, would become a vice president focusing on fund raising.

“Over at the Port Hueneme Boys & Girls Club, our funds are not what we needed them to be,� Muncie said. “I’ve had to wear three or four different hats. Having Abe on board with his administrative skills will allow me to do what I do best.�

The announcement was made at the local headquarters of the United Way in Camarillo, one of the clubs’ major contributors. Last year, the Port Hueneme club received $78,630 of its nearly $200,000 budget from the United Way. The Oxnard club accepted $118,000 of its $500,000 in annual finances from the organization.

Club administrators say the merger makes sense because of the large crossover in membership between the two cities.

Of Port Hueneme’s more than 3,000 members, Muncie estimates that about 60% come from the southern end of Oxnard. The Oxnard club has about 2,400 members.

Oliveras said the clubs’ programs are frequently complementary, citing a Port Hueneme tattoo-removal program and an Oxnard youth employment program.

“They go together perfectly. If a kid wants to turn their life around, they can get their tattoos removed and then maybe get involved in the work program,� he said.

Muncie said the merger was exciting because it put the children first.

“It’s not about me. It’s not about Abe. It’s not about our boards,� he said. “It’s about what we can do for the community and the kids.�