YMCA Of The USA President And CEO Kevin Washington To Retire After 43 Years Of Service

CHICAGO, Dec. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) today announces that Kevin Washington, President and CEO of the organization since 2015, will retire in 2021. Washington is the 14th person and first African American to lead the Y in the United States.

"The Y has been an integral part of my life since I first walked into the Christian Street YMCA in my south Philadelphia neighborhood as a 10-year-old to participate in an afterschool program," Washington said. "My decision years later to make a career at the Y was one of the best I ever made. For the past 43 years I have given this organization everything I have, and were I able to serve for 43 more, I still could not repay all that it has done for me. But I will retire knowing that the Y's future is very bright and this great organization's capacity to improve lives, strengthen communities and advance the common good will only grow."

The Y-USA National Board of Directors will conduct a nationwide search for Washington's successor, with the goal of naming Y-USA's next President and CEO by next summer. The Board is intent on finding a candidate who is passionate about the Y's inclusive mission and focus on strengthening community.

"Kevin is a bold, visionary and committed leader who has worked to harness the power of the Y network while increasing the stature and visibility of the organization," said Dr. Pamela Davies, chair of the Y-USA National Board of Directors. "His focus on engaging young people to drive the positive community change has been an inspiring rallying cry for Ys across the country and has attracted countless new partners and donors to our mission. My National Board colleagues and I, along with YMCA leaders and volunteers across the country, will be forever grateful to Kevin for his leadership and lifelong commitment to the YMCA and the people it serves."

Washington's professional career with the Y spans more than four decades. He joined Y-USA following five years as President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston. He previously was the President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Hartford for 10 years, Chief Operating Officer for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago for six years and held other executive roles with the Chicago YMCA and the Greater Philadelphia YMCA.

Washington has represented the Y nationally and globally as a thought leader on topics ranging from empowering young people to advancing health equity. He is a Health and Health Care Industry Governor at the World Economic Forum and has been an invited panelist at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Washington also has been a leading voice in the nonprofit sector, most recently as a nationally prominent advocate for relief from the federal government for nonprofits devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis. He serves on the boards of Springfield College and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

About the Y

Driven by its founding mission, the Y has served as a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community for more than 175 years. The Y empowers everyone, no matter who they are or where they're from, by ensuring access to resources, relationships and opportunities for all to learn, grow and thrive. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives and generations, the Y's goal is to improve overall health and well-being, ignite youth empowerment and demonstrate the importance of connections in and across 10,000 communities nationwide. ymca.net

Contact:
Jessica Nelson
160over90 on behalf of YMCA of the USA
jnelson@160over90.com  
612-269-7655

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SOURCE YMCA of the USA