A parent with three kids of his own, Jason has always been concerned with the welfare of children. He became active with the Atlantic City Boys and Girls Club where he eventually founded a mentorship program called the Champions of Youth. 

CityAtlantic got the opportunity spend some time with Jason and chat about business, life, community and how they’re all related.

What does Fantasea Resorts offer customers that they might not be able to find at other local properties? Ironically enough, when I think about our customers, the first thing that comes to my mind is our internal customers. Because we are a private, family-owned company, our staff is definitely our number one priority, and our guests constantly comment on how polite, helpful, and accommodating they are. While we work tirelessly to update and modernize our facilities, we are all about building loyalty with our external customers, and I know that the easiest way to achieve that goal is through building relationships. When our customers feel like we genuinely care about them, they have a far greater propensity to return. This is something that no physical structure, no matter how beautiful, can replace.

How did you get involved with the Atlantic City Boys and Girls Club?
I believed that, with Champions of Youth, I had a concept that was vital to the success of our youth, but quickly realized that I didn’t have the knowledge or the time to properly manage the program. I turned to the Boys and Girls Club because they had the expertise and track record of success that I thought would be a perfect fit. I explained the concept of Champions to Dave Messier, Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City, and he immediately bought in. Within a week, Dave had drafted our first grant proposal and we were off and running.
 
What made you create the Champions of Youth program? When I first came to Atlantic City, I had the opportunity to coach a number of kids in the community during a summer basketball league. That’s where I built my first relationships in this town, many of which I still have today. The kids were amazing. They were like little men in kids bodies. But it was obvious to me that we needed more positive outlets for them, and I felt that there was a lot of apathy in this town regarding education and overall youth development. Being that Atlantic City is such a small town, I felt that we could make a substantial impact if we just allocated our resources toward what matters most, our youth.
 
What has been the most rewarding part of being a mentor?
This is definitely an easy one. It is the relationship that I have built with my mentee. I value it tremendously and want to make sure that the level of trust between the two of us continues to grow. Initially, I used to refer to Justin as just my mentee, but I notice that I am now introducing him as my friend.
 
What does this program do for Atlantic City and its citizens?
I have to be real. This program is just a little piece of a really big and complicated puzzle. But I look at it this way. We have made a positive impact in the lives of twenty young men and women, and have another twenty Champions who have just joined the program. That equates to forty kids that are receiving the support and resources they need to achieve their goals.