Dear Y Community,

Earlier this fall, the YMCA of Central New York and the Cortland YMCA agreed to enter into a management agreement after many weeks of research and discussion with our joint staff teams and the Alliance of New York State YMCAs. The goal was to conduct an operational assessment over the course of 90 days to see how the YMCA of Central New York Association could best support a smaller, neighboring Y in Cortland.

The YMCA of Central New York is providing interim leadership of the operations of Cortland Y under the direction of our President & CEO Bertram L. Lawson II along with other senior-level professionals while collaborating and working closely with Cortland senior staff. This leadership is subject to the directions and policies established by the Cortland Y Board of Directors. Specific objectives and expectations will be agreed upon by both Ys.

“We’re pleased to be able to support one of the smaller YMCAs in our region with our resources,” said Bertram L. Lawson II, President & CEO of the YMCA of Central New York. “We know we are up to the task and are excited to take on this work together.”

One of the main people you may see around the Cortland Y is Josh Royce, the Chief Operating Officer for YMCACNY. Josh is a New Hampshire native and previously worked at the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA where he served as their District Executive Director. As COO of YMCACNY, he is responsible for senior operations leadership of Branches/Program sites, member service delivery, program implementation, and supervision of our Vice Presidents of Operations.

Anne Hawkes, Chief Finance and Administration Officer, and Erin Grayson, Chief Talent Officer, are also assisting on priority areas of finance and human resources. Additional YMCACNY staff will be providing support in the areas of marketing, operations, programs, aquatics, and facility management.

The YMCA of Central New York “has been really great to work with and we have already seen the benefits of their added resources,” shared Adam Clifford, President of the Board of Directors of the Cortland YMCA. “They were able to come in and provide the support we needed to keep everything running smoothly.  We look forward to hearing their insights into our operations and how we can maintain a healthy and vibrant YMCA in our community.”

We know you likely have many questions about how this partnership will work as we continue to meet the needs of our communities. The operations of the Cortland Y, including hours, programs, and classes that members love will remain! Our teams at the Cortland Y and YMCA of Central New York look forward to continuing to work together to bring the excellence of Y programming to more people in our area.

Cortland community members can learn more about the programs and services of the Y by visiting cortlandymca.org or contacting the Cortland Y at (607) 756-2893.