Above are the West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA‘s current and future leaders – Josh Sutton and Shalimar Gonzales, photographed at the Y’s Triangle headquarters this morning. This announcement from the Y (a longtime WSB sponsor) explains:
The West Seattle & Fauntleroy YMCA will be changing executive leadership this spring, with Shalimar Gonzales coming over from the Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA and Josh Sutton headed to the Bellevue Family YMCA.
These moves are part of a larger Seattle YMCA reorganization to ensure continued strong programs and services locally and success for our 2020 Opportunities for All Campaign, including the completed new Sammamish Y and the West Seattle Y’s expansion and renovation. A new Kent Y that will break ground in 2018 and the University Y are major projects still in the works, and Josh will also manage the construction for the Kent YMCA.
“It’s been an amazing time here and I’m so happy with all we’ve gotten done,” says Josh, “I’m thankful for the educational & youth programs we have established in schools, the support of the community as we raised over $4 million locally for our expansion and renovation- just fantastic. I’m especially pleased to have Shalimar here next – she’s a great Y leader for our West Seattle community.”
Shalimar brings nearly 15 years of Y leadership to her new role, most recently as the executive of the Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA in the Central area of Seattle. “I’m excited to hit the ground running in West Seattle as the board, staff, and community continue to develop what it means to be a YMCA in the 21st century.”
The two executives began planning the transition earlier this month, along with the West Seattle & Fauntleroy Y Board. Josh will wrap up his work at the end of March, with Shalimar coming over in the following weeks.
Gary Potter, current Board Chair, shares: “We thank Josh for his steadfast and positive leadership throughout his many years here. Our Y is in a great position to serve the growing and changing needs of West Seattle because of his work. We’re excited to partner with Shalimar as we look forward to what the community needs next from our YMCA.”
Sutton has been leading the West Seattle Y since 2001, and working with the regional organization since the mid-’80s, preceded by years of Y membership and volunteering while growing up in our area.
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