Judy Jameson CT YMCA Alliance Chair

The Connecticut YMCA Alliance Nominating Committee, chaired by Northern Middlesex YMCA President Frank Sumpter, has announced Judy Jameson, Executive Director of the New Britain-Berlin YMCA, as the Chair of the Connecticut YMCA Alliance. Judy succeeds Greater Waterbury YMCA CEO Andrew Roberts, who recently accepted the position of YMCA Senior Resource Director with the YMCA of the USA.

A YMCA professional for 21 years, Judy first became a part of the YMCA of Greater New Haven at the Soundview Family Branch in Guilford, CT. After five years, she became membership director with the Woodruff Family Branch of the YMCA of Greater New Haven which merged with the YMCA of Greater Bridgeport, creating the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA. Judy became the branch executive director with the Woodruff Family YMCA in 1999 and led that branch for seven years. During this time she oversaw facility renovations which included the construction of a glass enclosure of the swimming pool, renovations of lobby, locker rooms and various program spaces. Judy became CEO of the New Britain-Berlin YMCA in December 2006.

Boothbay Region YMCA Youth Inspire

National award-winning YMCA Arts Program youth from the Boothbay Region YMCA (ME) inspired YMCA leaders this week with a medley of songs from the 1970 musical GODSPELL (based on a series of parables from the Gospel of Matthew). The audience was moved by “Beautiful City”, “Bless The Lord”, “We Beseech Thee” and other inspiring melodies and lyrics.

True Blue Angels

Northeast Region Committee On Membership Standards (RCMS) Chair Esther Pappas and Maine YMCA State Alliance Chair CR Davis were honored for their dedicated service to the YMCA Movement. Both were inducted into the ranks of Honorary “Blue Angels” – the nickname for Y-USA Region One Resource Directors. Esther and CR were presented with baseball caps of the tight-formation flying team of the United States Navy, embroidered with their names.

CT YMCA Property Managers Network

Northern Middlesex YMCA Director of Property Management Bruce Thorstenson (center back row), Chair of the Connecticut YMCA Alliance Property Managers’ Network, facilitated a meeting of the Alliance’s Property Managers’ Network today at the Lakewood-Trumbull Branch of the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA.

Our YMCA Property Management professionals are highly-respected for the range of their skills, commitment to the YMCA mission, and teamwork. We value the contribution our Property Managers and Facilities Directors make to advancing the YMCA mission through thoughtful risk management, visionary planning, conscientious attention to details members and program participants value, and their refined trades and skills.

Pictured are (Front row – L-R): Lawrence Holm, Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut; John Looney, Valley Shore YMCA; Ray Perez, Harold F. Woodruff Family YMCA; (Back row – L-R): Todd Mahoney, Wallingford Family YMCA; Bruce Thorstenson, Northern Middlesex YMCA; Peter Range, Lakewood-Trumbull YMCA.

The Connecticut YMCA Property Managers’ Network meets next in September.

61st Season At YMCA Camp Watchaug

Westerly (RI) YMCA Branch Executive Kristin Weber and Property Management Director Steven Zeuli are excited about the opening of YMCA Camp Watchaug in a few weeks, as the Ocean Community YMCA has invested $1 million in the 61 year old camp property on the beautiful shores of Watchaug Pond - a new widened asphalt road into camp, a brand new archery range, a spectacular new amphitheatre overlooking the Pond, and a new well - all part of a multi-year master plan for the American Camping Association-accredited camp.

YMCA Bumper Boaster

For a quarter century Smithfield (RI) YMCA CEO Harold Hemberger has "bumper-boasted" the supremacy of the YMCA.

Coming and going, Harold's vehicle license plate proclaims "YMCA 1" to all in The Ocean State!

Sculling At the Mystic Branch YMCA

The view on this sunny day from the Mystic (Connecticut) Branch of the Ocean Community YMCA (Rhode Island) is spectacular! Tim Babcock, Executive Director of the Mystic Branch YMCA, is standing on the shore of the Mystic River (Williams Bay), where the Mystic Branch YMCA maintains its 28,000 sf facility on 22 acres.

One of the distinctive features of this branch of the Ocean Community YMCA is its sculling program, which features:

A fleet of 12 sculls (with eight additional stored for their owners)
Six Learn To Scull clinics
Youth and Adults Sculling clubs
Engagement in the annual “Mystic Weekend of Rowing” in September
Hosting the Stonington High School’s eights and fours

From this riparian setting, the Ocean Community YMCA operates a summer day camp serving 120-130 youth each day.