Today, the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Sault Ste. Marie is pleased to provide an update on the next step in our process of planning for the future. As of today, we have welcomed seasoned YMCA leader John Haddock as our new Interim CEO.
John has been with the Canadian YMCA movement for over 30 years as a Chief Executive Officer, mostly recently retiring from his leadership role at the YMCA of Cambridge & Kitchener-Waterloo. Post-retirement, John has stayed connected to the YMCA through local and global volunteer roles because he is passionate about expanding YMCA delivery systems in order to positively impact more people’s lives. His enthusiasm for making a difference in the lives of children, youth, adults and families is inspiring.
John will be well known to longer-term YMCA members and to members of the community, having served as the CEO of the local YMCA from January 1990 to July 1997. The YMCA is thrilled to be able to welcome John back to the community.
John will be working to establish a course for the YMCA that focuses on long term growth and viability, supported by critical assessments of the strengths of the organization and risks that it faces. In the immediacy, John will be connecting with staff, community members and partners and looks forward to building on the work to create a connected YMCA for a healthier Sault Ste. Marie guided by our values of caring, honesty, respect, responsibility, excellence and inclusiveness. In partnership with the board, John will also continue to lean on Mary Kloosterman who provided important leadership and insight over the last three months and will continue to serve as a special advisor to the organization.
Watch a video introduction from SSM YMCA Board of Directors Chair, Elise Schofield and CEO, John Haddock below…
As a long-standing charity with a rich 120-year history in the Sault Ste. Marie community, we are proud to offer a place where everyone can truly belong. YMCA members, donors and the entire community can be confident that this next step supports the organization continuing its efforts to ensure we can continue to offer a place where everyone can belong. Our commitment to the community has never been stronger.