‘All in for the YMCA.’ Meet new Columbus CEO, plus updates on branch construction projects
Revenue and membership are down. Construction projects are delayed. The previous leader resigned.
And the new one takes over amid the social distancing of a pandemic, guiding a nonprofit organization whose essence involves bringing folks together.
Chris Bryant, the president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Columbus, acknowledges those challenges but insists on being optimistic — because of his 120-person staff.
“They are the ones who drive this engine,” he told the Ledger-Enquirer. “I know each and every day when I get up and I come to work and do my daily tasks and engage with them, in order for them to be successful, I need to give them the tools for their tool box to be successful.”
Moving up the ladder
Bryant, 42, has been working at the YMCA for over 20 years. He started as a youth coach while attending Columbus State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in recreation and leisure services administration and a master’s degree in public administration.
While working in various positions at CSU and Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers, he still worked part-time at the YMCA. He returned full-time as program director at the A.J. McClung branch in south Columbus (2013-16), then executive director of the John P. Thayer branch in downtown (2016-18) and chief operating officer of the association for two years before the board promoted him to the top spot in November.
“Just to know I was able to make it through, work my way up through the ranks to this point, it’s a humbling experience for me,” he said. “I’m very proud to be in this position, and just knowing the team we have now, all the work they have done and the support they’ve given me, it’s been great. I’m very happy to be in this role, and I’m looking forward to doing great things as president and CEO.”
Bryant wants to consider expanding the YMCA’s childcare programs. In addition to the before-and-after school programs and summer day camps, he said, “possibly look at something in child development.”
He also suggested the YMCA could offer more programming beyond its facilities after the pandemic, such as hosting block parties with fitness and recreation activities.
Working at the YMCA, in Bryant’s view, is an ideal way to serve the community.
“Coming to the Y has given me an opportunity to work with people from birth to seniors,” he said. “… Seeing a young person that comes in here and working with them in an after-school program, and they come back to you five or six years later, ‘Hey, Coach Chris. I’m going to the military. I’m doing this because you gave me advice and helped me get on the right path.’ Just seeing some of those troubled youth and the things they’ve done and how they’ve turned out now is very, very dear to me.”
Unanimous choice
Mat Mize, chairman of the local YMCA, told the L-E that Bryant was the board’s unanimous choice among “eight or nine” applicants from the Southeast.
“We’re very fortunate to have him,” he said. “It was really a godsend that we had somebody there that could take over for us. … I had gotten several comments from staff members recommending him, basically giving their endorsement. He earned respect from the employees.”
Bryant’s work ethic and character have been impressive, Mize said.
“He really is all in for the YMCA,” the chairman said. “… He’s really a standout guy. He couldn’t be a nicer person.”
Bryant succeeded Mario Davis, who was hired in December 2017. Mize deferred to Davis for the resignation’s reason but the chairman praised the previous CEO along with the new one. Davis had not returned the L-E’s messages before publication.
“Mario was fantastic for the organization,” Mize said. “He really had a vision for us. A lot of what we have in the works right now is from his vision. He was wonderful. He’s going to be sorely missed, but we’ve got a great guy in Chris to take the helm, so we don’t feel like we’re going to miss a beat at all.”
Bryant also complimented his former boss.
“Mario set a really good foundation for the organization,” he said. “He pushed us in ways that we’ve never been pushed before.”
Projects delayed
Part of that vision and part of that push is the plan to build a $10-12 million branch in midtown and a $3 million expansion and renovation of the D.A. Turner branch in north Columbus.
But since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March, the association’s $4 million budget is missing nearly 30% of its revenue and 17% of its 7,000 membership units, according to Mize and Bryant.
Coronavirus protocols forced the association to cut the number of participants allowed in its programs. So the summer camps had about 150 instead of 600, the youth basketball program has about 150 instead of 300, and the after-school program has about 120 instead of 350, Bryant said.
All of which prompted suspending the construction projects.
“We’re going to eventually get that done once all this passes,” Mize said. “It rocked our finances pretty hard, but we have got an extremely loyal membership that has hung in with us by and large.”
In December 2019, the association contracted with the Muscogee County School District to buy the 5.31-acre former Rigdon Road Elementary School property for $460,000. In June 2020, the school board approved superintendent David Lewis’ recommendation to extend the closing date to April 2021.
“They were extremely generous in allowing us to hold off on that,” Mize said. “We still want to go forward with that project. We didn’t have a time frame set in stone anyway. Our first goal was to get through the Turner project. The other project on Rigdon Road, that was going to require us to probably do a capital campaign.”
Mize isn’t certain of a new timeline for those projects.
“We’ve got to get back to where we have a little more knowns and a little more confidence in our numbers and our budget,” he said. “… I’m confident that we can pull this off. I’m just praying that everything opens back up. Hopefully this vaccine is the answer, and maybe by summertime it looks good and let’s roll.”
After closing for a few months due to the pandemic, the YMCA branches in Columbus are open in limited capacities. Seeing members return with smiles, Bryant said, “tells me people trust us, that people trust in the YMCA, and they want to be at the Y. That makes me hopeful things are going to get better.”
