Leadership Excellence: Navigating the Workforce of the Future
Dr. Kenston Griffin
The YMCA's heritage reminds us that legacy and innovation are partners, not rivals. This session equips board members and senior executives to steward both. Attendees will explore demographic shifts, skills-based hiring models, and purpose-driven performance metrics that attract Gen Z and Gen Alpha talent while re-engaging seasoned professionals. Using DBC’s MEDI (Mentor–Empower–Develop–Integrate) leadership cycle, participants craft an action plan to ensure operational and board excellence, celebrate institutional legacy, and sustain mission momentum well beyond GA.
Navigating Collaborative Boundaries
Discover practical ways leaders can dissolve silos and strengthen collaboration across teams, departments, and partner organizations. This session will highlight strategies that create alignment, improve communication, and build the kind of relationships that move our work forward together.
Leading Through Change
Daniel Hill
Join a dynamic session reconnecting leadership with the Christian-rooted principles that shaped the early YMCA. Through a blend of spiritual insight and practical leadership tools, leaders will explore how to cultivate self-awareness, navigate conflict with clarity, empower teams, and build resilient communities that reflect the organization’s deepest values.
Elevating the Organizational Excellence Assessment (OEA)
Discover how to use the Organizational Excellence Assessment as a strategic tool for driving continuous improvement and impact.
Purpose & Place: Animating & Elevating YMCA Real Estate Administration
GRO
Through the development and operation of over 2,500 centers and 250 overnight camps, YMCAs across the U.S. host and deliver programs and services rooted in community. As the building stock ages and as needs evolve, opportunities exist for advancing YMCA real estate portfolios—including through widespread analysis, modernization and expansion—to inform reach, growth, impact, and optimization. This session offers an overview of strategies and frameworks to foster best practices for the administration of YMCA real estate assets and the cultivation of catalytic community projects.
Board Engagement in Fundraising
Bill Stans, Lilly School of Philanthropy
Fundraising success depends on organization-wide efforts from the leadership of the board to the dedication of front-line staff. This session will focus on the role the board plays in fundraising and how to best structure the organization to support this role. Board members and staff will work collaboratively to develop an action plan to improve the culture of philanthropy in your organization, improve board recruitment and training, and ensure the organization has a solid case for support. We encourage a staff person and a board member to attend this session together.
Modernizing Governance for the Y Movement
This workshop explores how the Y Movement is reimagining governance and decision-making by embracing co-creation and collaborative leadership. Participants will learn about innovative approaches that are designed to foster agility and create shared ownership—empowering Ys to tackle today’s challenges together.
BoardSource: Becoming A Purpose-Driven Board
BoardSource
Join a dynamic session led by a BoardSource experts exploring the transformative concept of purpose-driven board leadership. This framework challenges traditional governance models by centering the board’s work around organizational purpose, equity, and community impact. Participants will gain insights into how boards can shift from fiduciary oversight alone to becoming strategic partners in advancing mission and values. Ideal for nonprofit leaders and board members seeking to elevate their governance practices and drive meaningful change.
A Story of Vision and Excellence in Small & Mid-Size Ys
Phillip Jiménez
Small and mid-size Ys are the heartbeat of our Movement, serving communities with creativity, resilience, and a deep commitment to impact. This session will showcase real-world examples of how these Ys are driving innovation, achieving operational excellence, and building strong cultures of belonging despite resource constraints. Through compelling stories and practical strategies, participants will learn how vision and excellence can thrive in organizations of any size.
S.P.A.R.K.L.E while Creating Connections and Belonging
Elisa Juarez
Join Elisa Juarez for an energizing session that introduces the S.P.A.R.K.L.E framework—a practical approach to building authentic connections and fostering belonging in every interaction. Discover strategies to strengthen relationships, create healthy environments, and inspire engagement that transforms teams and communities.
Who Do We Need to Become: Leading the Inner Shift Toward Radical Belonging
Ben McBride
What if the question that could change your YMCA isn’t what should we do next, but who do we need to become? Join author and thought leader Ben McBride for an inspiring exploration of how fostering belonging drives organizational excellence and helps YMCAs become places that truly work for everyone—even across difference—where shared purpose and connection hold us together.
What Do We Inherit?
Ryan Bean
With 175 years as a vital part of American communities, the YMCA has built a rich, complex, and lasting legacy. Looking at this history prompts the question, "What do we inherit from the past?" Is the Y simply a collection of programs and services organized today under a youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility framework? Or can the history of the Y remind us of foundational truths? This session seeks to connect a humble prayer meeting in Victorian London in 1844 to our celebration of the 175th anniversary of the YMCA in America, and in doing so, explore what we inherit from the past.
From Isolation to Connection: The HEART Work™ of Uniting our Collective Voices
Dr. Glenn Thomas
When voices drift into isolation, community begins to lose its heartbeat. Under the leadership of Dr. Glenn Thomas, this experience empowers Y leaders to bring those voices back into proximity—illuminating the people nearest to their mission and deepening the togetherness that makes the YMCA a pillar of connection and love.
Strengthening Financial Acumen
Not sure where to start when it comes to building long-term financial stability? You’re not alone. Join this session for a practical, energizing conversation about taking control of your financial future and laying the groundwork for lasting independence.
Connecting Camp Leadership and Association Leadership
Explore how aligning camp leadership with association priorities creates a unified vision for impact. This session offers practical strategies to strengthen collaboration, share resources, and build a seamless leadership approach that benefits the entire organization.
Value and Pricing: Membership, Afterschool, Overnight Camp
This session will cover best practices for aligning pricing with community needs, demonstrating impact, and ensuring accessibility while sustaining financial health.
Separating the Signals From the Noise
Wayne Pan
Signals of change are an integral building block for futures thinking and a key tool to help you better identify potential disruptions before they surprise you. However, in this era of information overload, it can feel like signals are everywhere. In this session, you’ll get an introduction to signals and get hands-on practice with how to distnguish real signals from all the noise.
Leadership as an Art Form
Dr. Lisa Scott
This talk is about reframing and reimagining the concept of leadership. More specifically, this talk suggests that leadership is more than a set of static competencies to be learned but rather it is creative expression in service of human potential. Like art, leadership evokes emotion, provokes thought and inspires transformation. This presentation invites the audience to view leadership as transformational, highly creative, and human centered.
Staying Connected and Relevant: Leadership in a Changing World
Clara Sierra
In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, the role of a CEO extends far beyond boardrooms and financial statements. The ability to stay authentically connected and relevant—to your organization, your community, and your team—is critical for impactful leadership. This exclusive session, led by a seasoned Wall Street executive, is designed specifically for YMCA CEOs who are committed to strengthening their leadership presence and influence.
Jumpstart Your Bigger Game
Rick Tamlyn
Internationally recognized thought leader and Hay House author Rick Tamlyn presents Jumpstart Your Bigger Game. In this engaging and highly interactive learning experience, Rick will share his Bigger Game methodology, a tool that inspires leaders worldwide to get out of their comfort zones and create the life they want. This is not a “business as usual” session. You’ll experience a combination of theory presentation, full group experiential exercises, one-on-one coach-like conversations, small group interactions and inspirational video examples of Bigger Games!
Strategic Foresight in Strategic Planning
Gain practical insights to move beyond short-term thinking and create resilient plans that position your organization for long-term success.
The Power of Connection: Creating Meaningful Experiences
Discover how intentional service and thoughtful experiences can transform interactions into lasting connections. This session explores practical strategies to foster belonging, strengthen relationships, and build communities that thrive.
Disney’s Approach to Quality Service
Disney Institute
Discover time-tested customer service practices from The Walt Disney Company that drive customer loyalty and exceed expectations—and apply them to your organization, creating a competitive advantage that sets you apart from the competition.
The Power of Young People for the next 175 Years
This session highlights strategies for empowering young leaders, fostering belonging, and creating pathways for meaningful engagement that prepare youth for leadership roles and community impact.
The Complete Leader: 4 Keys to Enhance Your Leadership and Those You’re Leading!
Andre Young
Learn the foundation of your leadership, which will make your yeses powerful, your nos meaningful, protect you from "hurry," align your priorities, and enhance communication, connection, culture, and results!