Community Rec Magazine

In episode 34, Mark Hines, the VP of sales and marketing at Paddock Pool Equipment Company, details the persistent challenge of building and operating aquatics facilities on tight budgets. Hines notes while budget pressures and shrinking government funding aren’t new in community rec, they’re intensified by the need to serve diverse user groups — from older adults wanting warm-water aerobics to ki...

Eric Williams, the former executive director of the Wayman Palmer branch at the YMCA of Greater Toledo, reflects on his 31-year YMCA career across rec centers from around the country, highlighting his roots in community recreation outreach and gang intervention work. He shares how early mentors shaped his leadership and helped him launch impactful programs, including a computer access initiative f...

In episode 32, Wendy White, the chief marketing and partner officer at Daxko, details that despite the buzz around AI, there’s one thing most people aren’t talking about — AI doesn’t create insight from nothing. It learns from the data your platform has been collecting over time. So, the better and longer a platform has been tracking member behavior, program participation and payment patterns for...

In Episode 31, Marty Haberer, the president and CEO of the Adolph & Rose Levis JCC, discusses a major campus reinvention centered on a new 22,000-square-foot facility with 9,000 square feet of outdoor space, including plans for an amphitheater and playground. The project stems from a strategic property swap of the JCC’s 100-acre campus and a successful $9.4 million fundraising effort. Demolition b...

In episode 30, Erica Barnes, the director of business development at NinjaZone, details about challenges and opportunities facing community recreation centers. Specifically, she explains demand from families is strong, but many centers struggle to align with what they truly want — high-quality, affordable and inclusive family programming that engages all ages. She argues marketing is often blamed...

In episode 29, Andrew Page, the president and CEO of the Grand Traverse Bay YMCA shares how to cultivate a productive workforce that thrives through effective staff management strategies. In today’s fast-paced world, staffing is crucial, especially in community-focused organizations like rec centers. Page details his YMCA’s strategies for fostering a positive workplace culture and retaining dedica...

In episode 28, Nicci Bucher, the president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, details effective strategies to empower women leaders in community recreation. As the first woman to hold this position at her YMCA, Bucher offers valuable perspectives on developing female leadership, emphasizing the importance of mentorship, confidence and community engagement. Bucher has dedicated over 20...

In episode 27, Eldad Goldfarb, the executive director of JCC of Greater Vancouver, shares how an aging 63-year-old facility sparked a bold, 13-year journey to create a self-sustaining, multi-partner community campus. Starting with a board-led vision in 2013, the JCC engaged architects, 30+ community organizations, and government relations firms to shape a project that integrates a new 200,000-squa...

In episode 26, Mark Williams, the chief growth officer of Arly, shares how community rec organizations can meet rising expectations despite limited resources. Williams explains that instead of defaulting to hiring more staff, leaders can gain capacity by standardizing processes, unifying data into a single system, and using automation and AI to simplify routine operational tasks. Williams stresses...

In episode 25 of the Community Rec Podcast, Lucria Ortiz, the CEO of YMCA Southcoast, shares her unconventional path from public defender in the Bronx of New York City, to nonprofit leadership in community recreation. She explains how her courtroom experience sharpened her commitment to service and ultimately led her into fundraising and leadership roles within the YMCA. Central to her journey is...

In episode 24, Jorge Perez, the president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, details the upcoming 2026 Community Rec Leadership Summit in Fernandina Beach, Florida. Perez, a previous attendee and the moderator for the 2026 Summit, shares his enthusiasm for the event, highlighting its value in bringing together diverse leaders to explore innovative approaches in community recreation. He emp...

In episode 23 of the Community Magazine Podcast, Christina Bragg the vice president of marketing and communications at the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, discusses the organization’s remarkable response to the devastating January fires that destroyed the Palisades Malibu YMCA branch. Despite losing their facility, the YMCA quickly mobilized its centers as support hubs, providing essential resou...

In episode 22 of the Community Rec Magazine Podcast, Rick Gorab, the president and CEO of the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges, discusses how his organization exceeded its largest fundraising goal in 140 years by building a culture of philanthropy. The successful fundraising came through organizational commitment, bold goal-setting, creative themed campaigns and structured accountability measures...

In episode 21 of the Community Rec Magazine Podcast, Supplier Voice edition, Emily Kelly, the national accounts manager at Bloomerang, details challenges faced by community rec centers in serving diverse populations. She also shares how Bloomerang, a nonprofit software company, can help these organizations improve their engagement, communication and fundraising efforts. Enjoy!

In episode 20 of the Community Rec Magazine Podcast, Todd Tibbits, the president and CEO of the YMCA of San Diego County, discusses an exciting new partnership between his Y and YMCA Mexico — the Cali-Baja Binational Initiative. This first-of-its-kind partnership aims to unify the San Diego and Tijuana regions by creating a shared advisory board, hiring a binational engagement director, and exchan...

In episode 19 of the Community Rec Magazine Podcast, Supplier Voice edition, Carter Collins, the owner and operator of IFTA (International Fitness Trainers Association), discusses fitness certification and training in the community recreation industry. Carter explains how IFTA provides affordable and accessible fitness certifications, with a unique approach that includes online and in-person train...

In Episode 16 of the Community Rec Magazine Podcast, Jessica Hendrix, the vice president of operations at the YMCA of Western North Carolina, details how her organization has rebounded from the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene in late 2024 and how her Y is leading in times of hardship. Specifically, she details how the Black Mountain YMCA branch recently reopened this winter after being...

In Episode 17 of the Community Rec Magazine Podcast, Sarah McCutcheon, the disability inclusion director at the JCC Milwaukee, and Lisa Jamila Wuerth, the assistant director of community day programs at the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin, detail the JCC’s Wellness 360 program. Specifically, the duo shares how the program is designed for adults with disabilities to learn skills and habits t...

In episode 18 of the Community Rec Magazine Podcast, Peter DeGregorio, the CFO of the YMCA of Delaware, provides his takeaways for diversifying funding at rec centers during uncertain financial times. The YMCA of Delaware focuses on public and private funding, program areas like health and wellness, child care, and youth enrichment, and demographic and location diversity. Innovative strategies inc...

In Episode 15 of the Community Rec Magazine Podcast, Tony Collins, the president and CEO of the YMCA of Central Ohio, details the recent strides his organization has made in helping to solve the local housing crisis. Collins also shares his experience partnering with community leaders and other ways his YMCA is being a force for good in the area. Enjoy!

In Episode 14 of the Community Rec Magazine Podcast, AJ Hernandez, the president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Montgomery, details his innovative leadership strategies. Hernandez also shares his experience from recently arriving at the Y after formerly being the CEO at the YMCA of Wichita Falls. Enjoy!

In Episode 11 of the Community Rec Magazine Podcast, Terri Arends, the group fitness and wellness director at the Aaron Family JCC of Dallas, details how her JCC is helping to improve the overall well-being of all members. As an expert in this field, Arends provides advice on effective programming strategies, details trends in the industry and more. Enjoy!

In Episode 10 of the Community Rec Magazine Podcast, Jon Kidwell, the founder and leader of The Kidwell Team, shares about the 2024 Community Rec Leadership Summit. As the moderator of the summit, Kidwell discusses what attendees can expect, roundtable topics, what he's most looking forward to and more. Enjoy!

In this episode of the Community Rec Magazine Podcast, Editor Brittany Howard sat down with Jeff Na, the vice president of Fitness Network Management at American Specialty Health, to discuss fostering community through programs and services.

In Episode 8 of the Community Rec Magazine Podcast, Wesley King, the owner and founder of Wesley King Consulting, shares about his passion for providing aquatics safety and service support. We discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the aquatics industry forever, and advice for aquatics professionals on navigating the daily grind while staying motivated, and also remembering to rest. It was...