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.
Boundary Spanning Leadership
Preston Yarborough, Center for Creative Leadership
We live in a world full of vast collaborative potential. Yet, when times are tough, our natural tendency is to hunker down, create boundaries, and focus on what divides us. Boundary spanning leadership focuses on how to work across differences, with a wide variety of others. Join the Center for Creative Leadership as we explore organizational challenges to increase productivity, efficiency, and innovation for all.
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)
Janet Kafkas, YMCA of the USA, Jake Schertell, Grant Thorton
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
Danny Forrester, GRO, Brian Rigby, GRO, Rod Grozier, 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.
Strong Boards. Strong Ys.
David Martorano, YMCA of the USA
Join fellow YMCA Board Volunteers and CEOs for an interactive workshop focused on board governance leading practices that strengthen board effectiveness, support CEO success, and advance mission impact. This session will include a practical overview of the Y’s seven board governance leading practices and then a candid panel discussion with YMCA CEOs and CVOs about real-world lessons, challenges, and strategies for successful board–executive partnerships.
BoardSource: Becoming A Purpose-Driven Board
Tara Huffamn, BoardSource, Chynna Anthony, 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, YMCA of the USA, Bryan Bailey, Woodson YMCA, Marie Carlson, Skagit Valley YMCA
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, Y Kautz Family YMCA Archives
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.
Stop Scraping by and Get Your Financial Life Together
Erin Lowry
Not sure how to set yourself up for future financial success? We got you covered! Presented by the YMCA Retirement Fund, please join Erin Lowry, best-selling author of the Broke Millennial series, for a lively discussion around navigating financial independence and starting to think long term now!
Overnight Camp Is Critical: Together Association and Camp Leadership Can Keep It Strong
Laura Mahan, YMCA of the USA, John Tilley, YMCA Camp Coniston, Bess Goggins, YMCA of Columbia Willamette
Our youth are facing life in ways that has made the need for an overnight experience critical. For us to meet those growing needs, our overnight camps need to be strong and relevant. That means we must have alignment between the association and the overnight camp. 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.
Deeper Value for Greater Connection: Rethinking YMCA Pricing
Joe Kovalcheck, YMCA of the USA, Curtis Lemieux, YMCA of the USA, Laura Mahan, YMCA of the USA, Casey Klein, Triangle2, Greg Supanowski, YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, Kim Keith, YMCA of the Triangle
Pricing isn’t just about numbers—it’s about trust, access, and impact. In this session, we’ll unpack Y‑USA’s Value & Pricing leading practices and explore how Ys can align pricing with community needs, strengthen connection, and sustain financial health—while staying true to mission.
Separating the Signals From the Noise
Wayne Pan, Institute for the Future
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, YMCA of the Triangle
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
Heather Hughes, YMCA of the USA, Ali Hupert, YMCA of the USA, Mark Demchak, Miami County YMCA, Heather Wilson, YMCA of Greater Brandywine
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 Change
Heather Hodge, YMCA of the USA, Mamta Gakhar, YMCA of the USA
This session explores the Y's opportunity to create connection and contribution in service to the 10-year strategic vision of Creating Connected Communities. Learn what the evidence shows and how the application of a change framework to support intentional experiences of achievement, relationship, belonging, connection, and contribution positions the Y to meet the needs of each community we serve.
Disney’s Approach to Quality Service
Fernando Beltran, 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.
How Young People Are Shaping the YMCA’s Next 175 Years
Devon Jasiukonis, YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Emi Ren, YMCA of the North - Center for Youth Voice, Ben Major, Florida State Alliance of YMCAs & Foundation, Zion Stallings, YMCA of the Virginia Peninsulas
What does the YMCA feel like through the eyes of young people? In this session, participants will hear and explore youth stories that reveal how teens experience the Y as a place of belonging, achievement, and relationships. These stories illuminate how young people see themselves not just as participants, but as leaders and co-creators of the Y’s future. Together, we’ll examine how elevating youth voice and lived experience can help the YMCA remain relevant, trusted, and impactful for the next 175 years.
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!
How Local YMCA Leaders Drive National YMCA Governance
Sam Frisby, YMCA of the USA, Siân Sokalski, YMCA of the USA
YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) was created by and for the country’s YMCAs 103 years ago. Join us for a focused session about the ongoing and critical role of local YMCA leaders in fueling the national governance process and shaping how Y-USA performs work on behalf of all YMCAs. Designed for Board Volunteers and CEOs, we’ll explore the year-round cadence of national governance and the many engagement points for local YMCA leaders. You’ll also learn about your responsibilities as representatives of your YMCA in the National Council of YMCAs, how compliance with Membership Qualifications protects our collective integrity and reputation, and where your voice fits in policy development and national engagement.