Chief Executive Officer (ceo)

The Meadville Family YMCA is an equal opportunity employer. We work to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to reach their full...

Job Description

THE OPPORTUNITY AT THE MEADVILLE FAMILY YMCA


For more than 130 years, the Meadville Family YMCA has been part of the heartbeat of this community, a place where generations of children have grown up, families have found support, adults have built healthier lives, and neighbors have formed lasting connections. Now, the Y is entering a defining new chapter. With a 2026 operating budget of approximately $3.28 million, a broad portfolio of programs and services, and recent investment in the Vernon Early Learning/YCare project, the organization offers its next CEO something especially compelling: the opportunity to inherit a deeply trusted institution with meaningful momentum, and then help shape what comes next. This is not a role centered on preserving the status quo. It is a chance to build on more than a century of credibility while reimagining how the Y can serve, connect, and lead for the next generation.


The next CEO will have the opportunity to leave a visible and lasting mark on both the organization and the Meadville community. Working alongside an engaged Board, committed staff, donors, families, and community partners, this leader will set a bold strategic direction, strengthen culture and talent, grow revenue and philanthropy, advance long-term financial sustainability, and deepen the Y’s role as an essential community partner. The right leader will be someone who sees possibility, builds trust quickly, brings people together around a shared vision, and is energized by the chance to turn ideas into action. For a mission-driven executive who wants to lead with both strategy and heart, Meadville offers the rare opportunity to take the strength of a 130-year legacy and help define the next era of impact.


ABOUT THE MEADVILLE FAMILY YMCA
For more than 130 years, the Meadville Family YMCA has been a trusted community institution, guided by its Christian mission and commitment to strengthening community. The Y serves children, teens, adults, and families through a broad range of programs and services, including membership and wellness, adult and youth programming, early learning and childcare, school-age care, summer camp, Pre-K Counts programming, and gymnastics. Its work is rooted in youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, creating opportunities for people of all ages to learn, grow, connect, and thrive.


Today, the Meadville Family YMCA is building on that legacy while preparing for its next chapter. The organization is focused on strengthening financial sustainability and operating performance, developing and retaining a strong staff team, planning responsibly for facilities and capital needs, deepening community partnerships and philanthropy, and establishing a clear three-to-five-year strategic direction with measurable outcomes. Recent investment in early learning and childcare reflects the Y’s continued commitment to evolving alongside the needs of the community it serves.


Our Mission
To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.


Our Cause & Values
To strengthen the foundations of community and instill the values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.


Our Culture:

The Y Experience - The Y Experience is built from our mission and encompasses the values and philosophy by which we serve and operate
Welcoming - We are open to all. We are a place where you can be yourself and find yourself in others.
Genuine - We value you and embrace your individuality.
Hopeful - We believe in you and your potential to do good in the world.
Nurturing - We support you as you become the best-version-of-yourself.
Determined - Above all else, we are on a relentless quest to make
our community stronger, beginning with you


Current Key Strategic Initiatives:

• Improve operating performance and strengthen financial sustainability.
• Stabilize, develop, and retain staff while strengthening organizational culture.
• Advance fiscal management, revenue growth, and responsible capital and facility planning.
• Develop and execute a clear strategic plan with measurable outcomes.
• Strengthen community presence, partnerships, fundraising, and the Y’s role as a vital community partner.

Membership:

• Members: 3,925
• Membership Units: 2,373

Branch / Site Information:


Main Meadville YMCA operation
Vernon Early Learning / YCare


Core Programs:

• Membership & Wellness
• Adult & Youth Programs
• Early Learning
• School-Age Child Care (SACC)
• Summer Camp
• Pre-K Counts (PKC)
• Gymnastics

Annual Support Campaign:

• Current Year Goal: $125,000
• Prior Year's Total (2025): $163,600
• Current Year's Progress Toward Goal: $29,574.31 as of April 30, 2026
• Total number of people receiving financial assistance prior year: 63

Recent Capital Campaign: The Meadville Family YMCA recently completed the Vernon Early Learning/YCare construction and renovation project, representing approximately $545,655 in combined 2025-2026 construction investment. This recent investment strengthens the Y’s early learning and child care infrastructure and provides the incoming CEO with meaningful facility improvements already in place.


CEO Direct Reports:

• Department Directors
• Building and Grounds
• Operations Director, Early Learning and Out of School Time

Board of Directors: 9 members with the following standing committees:

• Executive Committee
• Audit & Finance Committee
• Governance Committee
• Program & Membership Committee
• Development Committee

Financial Snapshot:

• Current Annual Budget Size: $3,284,550 (2026)
• Current Debt: $250,000 ErieBank term loan
• Current Endowment: $768,333 board-designated endowment as of December 31, 2025 (audited)
• Last year operating net: $137,214 change in net assets without donor restrictions in 2025 (audited)
• 2024 operating net: -$72,828
• 2023 operating net: $366,061

ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY
Located in northwestern Pennsylvania just south of Lake Erie, Meadville is a historic county seat of approximately 13,000 residents that offers the close connections of a smaller community with access to the resources and amenities of a regional hub. It's walkable downtown features locally owned shops, restaurants, cultural attractions, the historic Academy Theatre and Meadville Market House, while the surrounding Crawford County landscape offers abundant opportunities for hiking, biking, paddling, fishing and enjoying the region’s lakes, parks and French Creek. Meadville is also within driving distance of both Pittsburgh and Cleveland, giving residents access to major metropolitan areas while maintaining the character and pace of a close-knit community.


The community is strengthened by institutions with deep local roots. Allegheny College brings the energy, arts, athletics and civic engagement of a residential liberal arts college within walking distance of downtown, while Meadville Medical Center serves as a major healthcare and economic anchor, employing approximately 2,000 people and providing care across more than 40 medical and surgical specialties. The Meadville Area Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1807, reflects the community’s longstanding tradition of business leadership and civic partnership. For the next YMCA CEO, this connected environment creates a meaningful opportunity to be a highly visible community leader, build relationships across education, healthcare, business, philanthropy and local government, and strengthen the Y’s role as a trusted partner responding to the evolving needs of children, families and neighbors throughout the region.


Information Sites:
City/County Website: City of Meadville - cityofmeadville.org | Crawford County - crawfordcountypa.net
Chamber of Commerce: Meadville Area Chamber of Commerce - meadvillechamber.com
University/College: Allegheny College - allegheny.edu . The college is located in Meadville at 520 North Main Street.
Hospital System: Meadville Medical Center - mmchs.org . Its main hospital is located at 751 Liberty Street in Meadville.
School System: Crawford Central School District - craw.org. The district serves the Meadville community and operates eight schools.

Qualifications

• Accredited 4-year college degree and/or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum seven years of prior experience in a senior management role with a YMCA or comparable organization, including supervision of multiple levels of staff and employees.
• Proven fiscal and budgetary leadership, with a sound business management approach and demonstrated ability to manage complex organizational finances.
• Demonstrated ability to improve operating performance, strengthen revenue, and lead organizational change with accountability for results.
• Proven success building, developing, and retaining staff while creating a strong, collaborative organizational culture.
• Ability to develop and strengthen community relationships, partnerships, and the YMCA's visibility as a community change partner.
• Strategic planning experience, including the ability to develop, implement, monitor, and communicate measurable organizational priorities.
• Fundraising experience, including annual campaigns, donor development, grants, and productive partnership with a volunteer Board of Directors.
• YMCA Organizational Leader Certification or ability to achieve certification within three years.

Essential Functions

KEY SKILLS AND ABILITIES OF OUR NEXT CEO


The board believes its new CEO should be an experienced leader who has the background and qualities that will permit him or her to achieve excellence in the following roles:


Develop and Implement a Strategic Plan: Work effectively with volunteers, community leaders, and key staff, to create and develop a strategic plan that addresses the needs of the communities served by the Y and includes defined organizational strategies, a clear implementation plan with deliverables, and measurable goals. Key competencies: Change Leadership, Communication & Influence, Critical Thinking & Decision Making, Program/Project Management


Position the Y as a Vital Partner for Community Change: Serve as an ambassador for the mission, purpose, and vision for the YMCA within the community. Possess the ability to develop and cultivate relationships with key stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds, while always upholding the highest standards and values of the Y. Ensure your Y is seen as a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community by connecting all people to their potential, purpose, and each other. Key competencies: Communication & Influence, Engaging Community, Collaboration


Build and Lead Staff: Ensure a talent development system is in place and executed effectively with cultural competence. Hire, motivate, nurture, retain, and hold staff accountable for key objectives. Work towards recruiting, retaining, developing, and promoting staff. Encourage the team by creating a spirit of camaraderie, connection, and sense of mission and purpose. Create a learning organization to help staff achieve their highest potential. Key competencies: Developing Self & Others, Inclusion, Emotional Maturity, Change Leadership


Improve Operating Performance: Engage the board and appropriate staff to develop an annual tactical plan for identifying and achieving key goals and objectives towards operating with safe, relevant, and sustainable practices. Quickly address issues that may arise, forecast future needs, and manage and direct the Y's operations and activities. Key competencies: Developing Self & Others, Critical Thinking & Decision Making, Innovation


Fiscal Management: Use high-level financial analysis to forecast financial trends, growth, and stability, while consistently leading the organization to balance or surplus operations by growing earned revenue and contributions and controlling costs. Empower and guide staff leaders to lead their departments to successful financial operations. Develop and implement stewardship strategies. Key competencies: Fiscal Management, Critical Thinking & Decision Making, Developing Self & Others, Philanthropy


SALARY, BENEFITS, & CRITERIA

Salary Range: $105,000 - $125,000


Benefits:

• YMCA Retirement & 403(b): The Y contributes 10% of eligible employee gross wages to the YMCA Retirement Fund; no employee contribution is required. A voluntary 403(b) savings option is available.
• Health Insurance: Coverage is provided through an ICHRA. The Y generally makes three plan options available to employees; employee cost varies based on individual factors, including age and income.
• Dental, Vision & Life Insurance: Dental and vision coverage are available at the employee's expense. The Y provides a $25,000 life insurance policy and pays the premium.
• Paid Time Off (PTO) & Holidays: Two weeks of PTO are provided at the start of the year, with an additional week after completion of years 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10, up to six weeks total. There are no separate sick days. Paid holidays include New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
• Other Benefits: YMCA membership, free child care, and reduced program costs.

Residency Expectation: The CEO is required to live within the YMCA’s service area. The CEO is also expected to be actively engaged and highly visible within the community.


SEARCH PROCESS TARGET DATES


Resumes accepted through: October 28, 2026
Preliminary interviews scheduled: December 10-11, 2026
In-person interviews: January 14-15, 2027
CEO selection made: January 2027
New CEO on board: February 2027
*dates subject to change


HOW TO APPLY

References, Background Check, and Organizational Leader Certification:
Candidates must submit (pdf format only) the following in their online application: a resume, cover letter. Applications submitted without a cover letter will not be considered.


Candidates who advance to final interviews will need to submit six references (four professional and two personal). References checked only with prior notification. Successful candidate accepting the offer must pass a background check and must have a current Y-USA’s Organizational Leader Certification or obtain certification within the first three years from start date as the CEO. The YMCA's personnel policies may require further screening.


Candidates must apply via the following website:


QUESTIONS

About the Search Process?
Grace Matos
CEO Search Director, YMCA of the USA
View phone number on click.appcast.io
[email protected]


About the YMCA?
Ken Soliday
Director of Services, PA State Alliance of YMCAs
View phone number on click.appcast.io
[email protected]


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