Over 40 YMCA professionals and leaders came together on May 16, 2019 in Madisonville, Kentucky for the state’s first Alliance Day. YMCA staff attended an all-day event to network and learn from some of the YMCA movement’s best experts.
YMCA leaders represented the communities of Mayfield, Morganfield, Henderson, Owensboro, Hopkinsville, Glasgow, Louisville, Frankfort, Richmond, Paris and Madisonville. All of the Western Kentucky YMCA CEOs were in attendance.
The State Alliance is very appreciative of the Hopkins County YMCA and CEO, Chad Hart for their leadership in hosting the event.
Presenters included:
- Y-USA's Lauren Marciszyn presented on the topic of Health Equity and Chronic Disease Prevention. Co-presented with Andrew Beckett, CEO of the Paris-Bourbon County YMCA.
- Ed Toole, YMCA Retirement Fund provided general information regarding options in preparing for retirement, savings plans, interest credits, history of the Fund, etc. Ed provided a second session of the day for staff nearing retirement and took a deeper dive into specific retirement questions.
- YMCAs that provide food services to their local communities are eligible for reimbursement if they meet certain criteria. Ed Wallace, Y-USA Food program presented on this topic. Ed’s role is to facilitate this program for local Ys.
- Justin Guest, YPN Chapter President provided an overview of the new YMCA Professional Network. Prime memberships are available for YMCA staff to “upgrade” their membership and receive benefits for trainings, learning circles, emergency assistance and other benefits.
- Meredith Henkenberns and Ed Barron presented on the topic of Leadership Development and recertification. The YMCA of the USA requires all professional staff to seek recertification. The YMCA training partners (Meredith-YMCA of Greater Cincinnati; Ed-YMCA of Middle Tennessee) provide trainings throughout the Kentucky YMCA footprint.
The State Alliance next event will be held in Central Kentucky this Fall. Stay tuned for the details.