For nearly 170 years, the Harrisburg Area YMCA has served the community following its mission: to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. The newest shepherd of this mission is David Ozmore, who took the reigns as President & CEO on August 1, 2022. His career has been spent at YMCAs throughout the southeast, spanning 29 years.
David grew up in Virginia, attending college in the South seeking a Basketball career that didn’t ultimately pan out but transitioned his love of sports into broadcasting, finding success in sports information and play-by-play work. A friend introduced him to the YMCA in 1993, and David got his first job with the Y as a Youth Sports Director at the A.E. Finley YMCA in Raleigh, North Carolina.
David moved up the ranks in program management and was named the Executive Director of the Kings Mountain Family YMCA in the suburbs of Charlotte, North Carolina, and took on a COO role in North Carolina overseeing multiple locations in the early 2000s. “In fact, we opened one of our facilities on Y2K,” shared David. “We thought the world was going to end, and we decided to open on January 1, 2000. Fortunately, the computers turned on that day and we hit the ground running.”
In July 2008, David took on the President & CEO role at the YMCA of Greater New Orleans. “This was after Hurricane Katrina had devastated New Orleans in 2005, and the community was still reeling,” said David. “It was a very challenging experience, and I learned a great deal about overcoming times of crisis at the YMCA.” Following his time in New Orleans, David served as the President & CEO of the YMCA of High Point in North Carolina and most recently served as the CEO of the Kentucky/West Virginia Regional Alliance of YMCAs before coming to Harrisburg.
David was attracted to the CEO position at the Harrisburg Area YMCA for many reasons, but the highlight was the diversity of services that the YMCA has been providing outside of the typical YMCA public persona of gym and swim. “Looking at how the organization responded to the COVID-19 pandemic was truly inspiring,” he shared. “There have been blood drives, food service, housing, sanitary support, virtual education support, and so much more that the team here developed and safeguarded through uncertainty. It’s encouraging to me that the YMCA team already in place is looking outward and upward in new spaces. I see a lot of potential there.”
These programs are aligned with how David sees himself in the scope of the YMCA – as a servant leader who carries on the legacy passed down to him. “The YMCA’s mission and our history of service through a Christian lens, not in an exclusive way, but a very inclusive Christianity that welcomes all and loves all is a lifelong calling for me. My father was a minister for 41 years and my mother was a nurse for 40 years. My wife has been a kindergarten teacher for 28 years. I’m surrounded by people who serve and I’m inspired by them. I watch staff and volunteers give back to their community every day at the YMCA, and it helps me focus on our mission and how it can create positive change.”
David is stepping into a well-established team of professionals at the Y that share his dedication to the Y mission. Previous CEO Richard Curl retired after 25 years of service at the Harrisburg Area YMCA, and all of the current executive leadership has served the YMCA for over 10 years. This body of expertise will allow David to build on a firm foundation and move the organization forward.
As he builds, he is looking to a future that looks very different for the YMCA, but one that will continue to deliver on the mission to which he has dedicated his career. “The first goal is to meet as many leaders, members, volunteers, and staff members as possible to build relationships. So making myself available to others and listening for the opportunity to partner in new ways.”
“One of the things I watched in my last role was the birth of a YMCA that had nine partners under one roof and that left an indelible mark on me. How the YMCA can convene people and organizations is incredible. So looking for partnerships, looking for ways that we can serve collectively in more creative ways, and more strategic planning will be in our very near future. And I believe that we have facilities that need investment, and we will be supporting those through capital campaigns and partnerships.”
If the YMCA could look at mission delivery in black and white, the picture would be much more clear. In a perfect world, no one would have to worry about aging HVAC systems, pool filters, and the other mundane issues that arise when managing physical facilities. The YMCA would much rather serve meals, provide LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA classes, teach young children to have higher self-esteem, and help turn the tide of summer learning loss. “Partners will allow us to do that,” David shared. “Looking back at my time in Louisville, Kentucky, and watching a local Y bring in a bank, a rehab facility, a doctor, and a hospice office, and put it under the roof of the YMCA was incredible. In an environment where the community could not support nine different organizations, they could support the YMCA anchoring them in a large facility.”
And that’s where David is going to start his work in Harrisburg – continuing to build on a legacy of community change through the mission of the YMCA, and bringing more voices into the conversation. As he begins, he’s looking at a future that is bright and new, supported by a solid team, and surrounded by a legacy of service.
We are so glad to welcome David into the Harrisburg Area YMCA, and look forward to the work he will do in our community!
