Wilton Family YMCA Engages in Strategic Planning

Thirty-six members of the Wilton Family YMCA governing boards (Directors and Advisory Trustees) gathered this evening at Silver Spring Country Club in Ridgefield, Connecticut to advance the process of strategic planning for the Association. Mark Dengler, Vice President of SEER Analytics, presented an overview of the Primary Market Analysis, Fundraising Focus assessment, and Membership Satisfaction Survey to the assembled YMCA leaders.
Small group discussion, facilitated by strategic planning committee members, focused on The Big Question for the Wilton Family YMCA.

Naugatuck YMCA Enters Phase 3 of Facility Upgrade

The Naugatuck YMCA is currently engaged in Phase III-B of a $3.0 million capital improvement program, which work has spanned five years. Primary funding sources for the capital development enterprise have been federal funding ("Small Cities" and Department of Transportation), state funding (DSS), and major corporations and foundations.
From the sidewalk in front of the Naugatuck YMCA the community can see one element of the capital enhancement - the access to an elevator, providing accessibility to persons with disabilities to the YMCA wellness facilities as well as the YMCA residence. Wellness facility , childcare center, locker room, and fire code compliance have been included in the project. Natatorium improvements are planned in the coming months.
The elevator features "green" technology (belt-driven) and provides stops at four elevations in the facility.
Pictured are: (L-R) Todd Genovese, Project Manager with Rose-Tiso & Company (architects), and Bill Kane, Naugatuck YMCA Executive Director

Newport County YMCA Embraces Health Seekers

Newport County YMCA Executive Director Pete Milinazzo and Member Relations and Wellness Director Dawn Gardner strategize around improvements in their YMCA's culture, aimed at embracing and addressing the wants, needs, and interests of health seekers. The Newport County YMCA is one of seven YMCAs in the Northeast Gulick Collborative.

Dawn Gardner To Chair NE Gulick Collaborative Steering Committee

Dawn Gardner, Member Relations and Wellness Director for the Ocean Community YMCA, has volunteered to chair the steering committee of the Northeast Gulick Collborative, a consortium of seven YMCAs in the Northeast committed to transforming their YMCAs' cultures to one that clearly embraces and addresses the wants, needs, and interests of health seekers.
The Northeast Gulick Collaborative met in an Executive Strategy Session on October 28th at Save The Bay overlooking Naragansett Bay in Providence. The YMCAs which form the Collaborative are: Hockomock Area YMCA, YMCA of Greater Nashua, Newport County YMCA, Rye YMCA, Greater Providence YMCA, Valley Shore YMCA and the YMCA of Central Massachusetts.
Kelly Kressler from the Rye YMCA leads the Childcare affinity group in the collborative.
Pictured are: (L-R) Karen Leslie, President, Greater Providence YMCA, Dawn Gardner, and Cindy McDermott, Northeast Gulick Collaborative Director.

Connecticut BEAN Organizes Advocacy Workshop

The Connecticut YMCA Alliance's Branch Executives and Associates Network (BEAN) organized today's YMCA Advocacy workshop, as part of the continuing series of professional development experiences for YMCA professionals in the state. The Connecticut BEAN is chaired by Chris Pallatto, Executive Director of the Wheeler Regional YMCA Branch of the Greater Hartford YMCA. (right in photo). Serving with Chris on the BEAN steering committee are Jeff Williams, Executive Director of the Hamden-North Haven Branch of the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA (left in photo). Philip J. Dwyer, President of the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA, is Vice Chair of the Public Policy Committee of the Connecticut Alliance of YMCAs (center in photo). Not pictured is BEAN steering committee member Mark Pasquarello, Executive Director of the Berlin Branch of the New Britain-Berlin YMCA.

Neighborhood Pride Evident in North Hartford

Talk to a person on the sidewalk in front of the new Wilson-Gray Youth and Family Center YMCA in the North End of Hartford, and you will readily sense the community PRIDE in this spectacular new YMCA full-facility branch, featuring a gymnasium, community rooms, child-watch, locker facilities, and a Read To Succeed literacy center.

YMCA Member Ambassadors

YMCA Member Ambassador Dean Jones and Senior Director of Membership and Marketing Susan Campbell represented the Greater Hartford YMCA in stellar fashion, as they conducted tours of the handsome new Wilson-Gray Youth and Family Center in the North End of Hartford. Jones and Campbell are pictured in front of the historic mosaic mural in the lobby of the new facility. The mosaic was preserved from the old YMCA building across from Bushnell Park in downtown Hartford.

Vance and Marshall - CT YMCA Alliance Advocady Duo

Connecticut YMCA Alliance Public Policy Committee Chair Morag Vance (left) and Connecticut YMCA Alliance lobbyist Marshall Collins welcome Connecticut State Senator Joan Hartley to the Advocacy Workshop.

CT YMCA Alliance Advocacy Workshop

Greater Waterbury YMCA CEO Jim O'Rourke greeted Connecticut State Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury), Assistant President Pro Tempore of the state Senate, at today's Connecticut YMCA Alliance Advocacy workshop, conducted in the Old Judiciary Room of the State Capitol in Hartford. Also invited to the workshop was State Representative Themis Klarides, Deputy Republican Leader, who represents the 114th Assembly District - the towns of Woodbridge, Orange and Derby.
Senator Hartley was named Connecticut YMCA Alliance Legislator of the Year in 2009.

Hearts Are Worn In These Dark Ages

The New Canaan Community YMCA in Fairfield County, Connecticut is reaching out to the children of the second largest urban slum on the continent of Africa - Kibera, a provincial division of Nairobi, Kenya - whose inhabitants number between 600,000 and 1.2 million.
Pictured is a class of the FAFU nursery school, displaying a banner thanking the New Canaan YMCA for its financial support. The majority of the children in the class are from single mothers or are orphans.
Kibera is featured in Fernando Meirelle's film The Constant Gardner and mentioned in the music video World On Fire by Sarah McLachlan.
"Hearts are worn in these dark ages / You're not alone in this story's pages / Night has fallen amongst the living and the dying / And I try to hold it in, yeah, I try to hold it in." - Sarah McLachlan

YMCA Alliance Honors Chip Lewis

The Connecticut Alliance of YMCAs this evening honored Wallingford Family YMCA volunteer Chip Lewis for his leadreship and service on the Alliance Public Policy Committee.

Connecticut State Representative Mary Mushinsky presented Chip with a Proclamation signed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the State Senate, and the Secretary of the State.

Participating in the ceremonies conducted at the Hawthorne Inn in Berlin, Connecticut were Past Public Policy Committee Chairs Frank Sumpter, Gary Kozak and Doug Bray, along with the current Committee leadership - Morag Vance, Chair, and Phil Dwyer, Vice Chair.

Connecticut YMCA Retirees Gather For Luncheon

Twenty-two retired YMCA employees residing in Connecticut gathered at Angelo's on Main RockLedge in West Hartford today for a meeting of the Connecticut Chapter of the Association of YMCA Retirees. The meeting was hosted by Bob Hoffman and Dickinson McNulty.
Pictured are: Bob and Nancy Fitzgerald, Co-Vice Presidents of the New England Chapter of AYR
Bob and Nancy Hoffman, Board members of NE AYR
Andy Anderson, Past President of NE AYR
Allen Beavers, Treasurer, NE AYR

Strap-Hangers Targeted In Bridgeport YMCA Promotion

Should you find yourself riding any of the Greater Bridgeport Transportation Authority (GBTA) buses in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Trumbull, Milford, or "The Valley", you will see a three-foot banner promoting the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA. Kudos to Bridgeport YMCA Branch Executive Tim Bartlett for arranging a special deal for just the cost of the materials. The signs will be in 50 buses for a year!

A Lifetime of Volunteerism

Executive Vice President of Danbury Health Systems Dr. John Murphy (center), and a long-time friend Dick Blessey (left) present a plaque to John Allen's wife, Phyllis, in the lobby of the Greenknoll YMCA on October 13,, 2009 in memory of John's lifetime support and volunteerism to the Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut and many other organizations in the Greater Danbury area.

YMCA Hall of Famer Bill Cameron Addresses AYP Chapter 3

William "Bill" Cameron, a 2007 inductee to the YMCA Hall of Fame, addressed members of Chapter 3 of the Association of YMCA Professionals (AYP) today at the Chapter's monthly meeting conducted at the New Britain-Berlin YMCA. Bill's "Legacy" address was a reprise of his thought-provoking presentation at the AYP Albany Conference.
Pictured are AYP Chapter 3 President Wendy Stevens, Branch Executive Director of the Cheshire Branch of the Southington-Cheshire Community YMCAs, and Bill Cameron.

A Legacy of 125 Years of Service to New Britain

One has a glimpse into the 125 year heritage of the New Britain-Berlin YMCA when viewing the ornate YMCA logo on the entrance to the YMCA.
The New Britain-Berlin YMCA claims to be the birthplace of the sport of racquetball.

Regional YMCA Raises The Financial Development Bar

Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut President Marie Miszewski (left) and Director of Development and Marketing Greg Dembowski (right) joined Y-USA Financial Development Resource Specialist Courtney Z. Weiland at the 2010 Tri-State YMCA Strong Kids Campaign Kick-off in Mahwah, New Jersey today.
To learn more about the Tri-State YMCA Strong Kids Campaign, click on www.donorbydesign.com/tristate

Wallingford Family YMCA Engages in Financial Development Pilot

The Wallingford Family YMCA is one of nine YMCAs nationally selected to participate in an Annual Community Support Campaign Pilot Project, under the guidance of the YMCA of the USA's financial development resource team. A trio of Wallingford Family YMCA leaders participated today in the 2010 Tri-State YMCA Strong Kids Campaign Kick-off, conducted in Mahwah, New Jersey.
Pictured are: (l-r) - Courtney Z. Weiland, Y-USA Financial Development Resource Specialist, Sean Doherty, CEO of the Wallingford Family YMCA, and Jan Donohue and Debbie Chappel of the Wallingford Family YMCA.

Championing Strong Kids in Darien

Darien Community YMCA Board member Mallory Weymann joined Darien Community YMCA Executive Director Pat Morrissey (center) and Montclair (NJ) YMCA CEO Tom Boyton at the 2010 Tri-State YMCA Strong Kids Campaign Kick-off in Mahwah, New Jersey today. [Also participating in today's kick-off was Darien Community YMCA Board President Deb Goll, not pictured.]
Six Connecticut YMCAs engaged in the kick-off campaign training session today - Central Connecticut Coast YMCA, Darien Community YMCA, Greenwich Family YMCA, New Britain-Berlin YMCA, Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut and the Wallingford Family YMCA.

Tri-State Strong Kids Campaign Kick-Off

The 2010 Tri-State YMCA Strong Kids Campaign kicked-off today with a day-long training workshop conducted at the Sheraton Hotel in Mahwah, New Jersey. Campaign organizers urged YMCA campaign leaders to "push the reset button", and establish a new standard for management, volunteer engagement, messaging, and the case for support.
Suzanne Reilly, Branch Executive Director of the Valley YMCA Branch of the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA, and Esperina Baptiste, Branch Executive Director of the Ralphola Taylor Community Center Branch of the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA, were among the seventy YMCA leaders in attendance.

Energy and $$$$$avings at Southington YMCA

The Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA today was awarded a $33,498 State of Connecticut Department of Public Utilities capital grant for the installation of a customer-side distributed generation, or co-generation, system at the YMCA's 29 High Street facility.
Co-generation is an on-site generation of energy. It is the simultaneous production of two or more forms of usable energy from combustion of a single fuel source, in the YMCA's case - natural gas. The YMCA uses this clean technology to produce electricity and thermal energy at the same time. While producing electricity by way of a natural gas-powered engine generator, the YMCA uses the waste heata from the engine to heat the building, the pool and the domestic hot water.
By producing one third of its own electricity and using the byproduct of hot water, the Southington Community YMCA is not only saving money, but more importantly, reducing its energy consumption and carbon footprint on the environment.
Pictured are: Joseph Heller, Account Executive from Yankee Gas, John Myers, Executive Director of the Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA, and Terry Lombardi, YMCA Board President

Let The Sun Shine On The Smithfield YMCA Pool

For the first time in over 40 years the Smithfield (RI) YMCA indoor swimming pool is bathed in sunlight!
Smithfield YMCA CEO Harold Hemberger (pictured) is overseeing a $750,000 comprehensive make-over of the YMCA's natatorium - new structural steel roof, new water-tight roofing, air exchange system, and lighting.
Harold reports that the project is on schedule for completion at year-end, with a grand re-opening planned for right after the first of the year.
The project is funded by generous grants, prinicipal among them gifts from the Champlin Foundation, the Ocean State Charities, June Rockwell Levy Foundation, the Rhode Island Shriners' Foundation, and a Friend of the Smithfield YMCA, who wishes to remain anonymous.

Dwyer Attends YMCA World Urban Network in Egypt

Approximately 50 delegates from eighteen countries met last week in Alexandria, Egypt to discuss operating YMCAs ini a world at crisis, economically, socially and politically. Philip J. Dwyer, President of the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA, participated in this meeting of the YMCA World Urban Network (WUN).
The YMCA World Urban Network is a fellowship of YMCA CEOs/General Secretaries from the major cities around the world. The membership totals more than 100 colleagues with representation on all of the continents, linked together by a shared vision to achieve the YMCA's mission throughout the world, and particularly in urban centers.
WUN delegates discussed strategic planning, addressing conflicts that develop between balancing "mission and margin", and case studies on organizational renewal for troubled YMCAs. The group toured the Alexandria Library, a world-class reesearch and study center built in 2002
Pictured from L-R are: Philip J. Dwyer, CEO of the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA; Ashraf Nicola, Assistant to the Egypt YMCA General Secretary; Samy Nashid, General Secretary to the Egypt YMCA Movement (24 YMCAs in the country); Deborah J. Dwyer