NC Alliance of YMCAs elects YMCA leaders to board, introduces next strategic plan

Raleigh, N.C., January 7, 2020 – The North Carolina Alliance of YMCAs has elected Paul Vest, president and CEO of the YMCA of Western North Carolina, as vice chair of its board of directors and Melissa Bailey Logan, president and CEO of the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, to its board.

Vest will serve as chair beginning in 2022, following YMCA of Northwest North Carolina President and CEO Stan Law, who is currently chairing the board. The Alliance board will oversee the implementation of a four-year strategic plan to boost the group’s impact and advance its mission across the state.

Vest is a second-generation YMCA professional who has led the Asheville-based association with extraordinary growth since 1996.The association includes eight YMCA facilities, YMCA Camp Watia, a youth services center, and 1,200 staff that collectively serve more than 100,000 people across the region.

The YMCA of Western North Carolina is the largest provider of licensed afterschool childcare in the state and provides more than $4 million in financial assistance and subsidized services annually. A past recipient of the WNC Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals T. Kennon Roberson Award for Management Excellence in Non-profit Health & Human Services Agencies, Vest is a graduate of the University of Georgia.

Logan joined the Blue Ridge Assembly team as a collegiate staffer in 1994 and has since served in multiple roles from assistant front desk supervisor to director of advancement, before she was named CEO in 2017. She is a member of the YMCA Professional Network Chapter 23 board of directors, board chair of the Blue Ridge Conference on Leadership, and a member of the North American YMCA Development Organization (NAYDO.)

The Blue Ridge Assembly YMCA provides positive, life-changing experiences and quality programs and services through field trips, retreats, youth camps, training opportunities and more. In 2019, nearly 15,000 youth and teens grew in mind, spirit and body at YMCA conferences, sports and training camps, retreats and school trips, and nearly 500 volunteers yielded a $15,000 value in economic impact through volunteerism and community involvement.

“We are excited about what the future holds for the YMCA in North Carolina,” said Sherée Vodicka, CEO of the NC Alliance of YMCAs. “Working together is the best way to build stronger, healthier communities. With board leadership from Ys in communities of all sizes throughout the state, we are strengthening our collective impact.”

The Alliance board of directors also includes these YMCA leaders from across the state:

·         Walter Britt, CEO, Alamance County Community YMCA (Burlington, N.C.);

·         David Heggie, Executive Director, Bryan Family YMCA, and Interim President, YMCA of Greensboro;

·         Lisa Humphreys, Chief Strategy Officer, YMCA of the Triangle (Raleigh, N.C.);

·         Lynn Lomax, CEO, YMCA of High Point;

·         Dean Mattix, Chief Strategy Officer, YMCA of South Hampton Roads (Barco, N.C.);

·         Trey Oakley, CEO, William YMCA of Avery County (Linville, N.C.);

·         Sharon Padgett, CEO, Gaston County Family YMCA (Gastonia; N.C.);

·         Jacquelyn Price, CEO, Harrison Family YMCA (Rocky Mount, N.C.); and

·         Todd Tibbitts, President and CEO, YMCA of Greater Charlotte.  

The YMCA is a nonprofit community benefit organization that collectively serves 1 million statewide. North Carolina Ys provide more than $30 million in annual financial assistance and subsidies to local residents. As an economic engine, they employ more than 9,000 people and provide child care to more than 25,000 working families.

About the NC Alliance of YMCAs
The North Carolina Alliance of YMCAs is a coalition of 25 YMCA associations. Its purpose is to build the capacity of all the state’s YMCAs, foster collaboration on statewide initiatives through effective partnerships, advocate on behalf of the YMCA’s mission and cause with elected officials and stakeholders at the local, state, and national levels, and coordinate communication to build consensus that ensures YMCAs are recognized as leaders in youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. For more information, please visit www.NCYMCAAlliance.org.