Henry County YMCA Announces Staff Changes

The Henry County YMCA recently shared that some of their current staff members have transitioned into new roles within the organization.

Kelsay Smith, formerly the Director of Member Relations, will be taking over the role of Program Director. Kelsay is a graduate of Shenandoah High School and has her bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Ball State University. She now resides in the New Castle/Middletown area with her husband of ten years and their three daughters. She has worked at the YMCA in some capacity or another since she was 16 years old. Kelsay is looking forward to her new role with the Y.

“I am most excited about working more closely with the youth in our community. I am passionate about helping people in general (of all ages), but I have a heart for working with children,” she shared. “I feel very strongly about investing in our youth because they are our future. I am also very excited to work alongside an amazing group of people that are leading some of our programs and continue to improve our programming for the benefit of our community.”

In this role, Kelsay will oversee all youth programs including youth sports, preschool, dance, and swim lessons. She will also oversee the aquatics department and all of the evidence-based health initiatives like the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program.

“I will be working alongside an amazing team of coordinators that already do great work in these program areas. My goal is to continue to build on and improve our already great programs through communication and passion. I believe we really have something special here at the YMCA and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Cheryl York has transitioned from Membership Coordinator to Director of Member Relations. Cheryl is originally from Lebanon, Indiana. Her husband of 31 years is from New Castle and together they have resided here for the last several years. Cheryl is a proud mom and grandma to her three daughters, son-in-law, and grandson. Cheryl loves her job at the Y and is excited to have an even larger role.

“The Y has been a wonderful place to work! I have enjoyed my job and always look forward to coming to work. We have a wonderful staff who is always willing to step in and help in any capacity. However, the people are my favorite part,” she expressed. “I love seeing the regular Y members daily. But I also look forward to meeting new members and guests.”

In addition to being in charge of Member Services, Cheryl will now oversee Child Watch, the Wellness Center, and Group & Water Fitness. She is eager to expand her position and has big goals for herself.

“I am looking forward to getting the Y even more involved in the community. We could have an even greater impact on our youth, families, and seniors in the community. I feel there are a lot of opportunities out there to make a difference in people’s lives. And when you make a difference in people’s lives, it makes a difference in a community.”

Chief Executive Officer, Chris Williams, is very enthusiastic about the changes taking place.

“The great thing for us was that we had staff that were already working for us that were willing to be flexible on making the transition to new roles at the YMCA. In fact, they were excited about the challenge of a new role,” he noted. “This change also allowed us to refocus on each area and really look at how we can improve everyone’s experience at our local YMCA. We feel like we are really blessed to have one of the nicest YMCAs in this part of the state and we will do everything we can to continue to keep it that way.”

For more information about the Henry County YMCA and how you can become a member, or benefit from their services, follow them on Facebook, or visit henrycountyymca.org.