Santa Rosa youth agency has new director

Social Advocates For Youth has a new director who said Wednesday his mission will include more outreach efforts to help families in crisis.

"The worst-case scenario is that there is a family out there who doesn't know SAY exists and they are in turmoil," said Matt Martin, formerly director of operations at the Boys & Girls Club of Petaluma.

He is taking over for Tom Bieri, who had run SAY since 2006 and resigned last week. Bieri was hired 1995 as a counselor at the Santa Rosa agency.

Martin said Bieri's resignation came as a surprise, but he said he had no other details, characterizing it as a personnel matter between Bieri and SAY's Board of Directors.

SAY assists about 6,000 young adults every year with counseling, gang prevention and job readiness training.

Martin credited Bieri, who was not available for comment Wednesday, with expanding the agency's budget by about $1.25 million and for brokering partnerships with government and private donors.

— Derek Moore