Archive: Around Town

When Frank Towner became CEO of the Ithaca Y last November he hit the ground running.  Towner had been the Y's Associate Director since 1995, so he was well acquainted with the Ithaca community and its particular needs.  At the same time the national Y is revitalizing its brand, Towner is bringing that with a local focus to his new job. 

"It's a brand new day," he says.  "The Y is going to be in the community and collaborate with organizations and individuals to reach more people with our mission."

That means sending the Y's Health and Wellness Director to Kendal to work in their pool, Towner reaching out to community organizations to speak about the Y's mission, bringing kids to the Y.  It means raising money so that people in need can participate in physical and spiritual health, and getting the word out that doing that is a big part of what the Ithaca Y does.  And it means being more inclusive in terms of partnering with and inviting other local organizations to use the Y facility.

Towner walks around the facility with a gleam in his eye and a bounce in his step.  He says he views the place differently now that he 'has the keys' to a facility that can impact so many lives in a positive way.  He is effusive about ways it can be used in new ways to make an impact on the community.

When he interviewed for the CEO position last year he took the five-year strategic plan the board of directors had developed and told them how he would put his own spin on the four significant goals they had laid out.  The goals were to position the organization to support an aggressive financial assistance program and enhance the Y's charitable work, to strengthen the membership and member satisfaction, to position the Y as a leader to help people live full lives, and to change the staff structure to communicate more effectively and increase staff satisfaction.

"We need to make sure we are fiscally responsible and keep our place clean," he says.  "When I was given the opportunity to present I pulled out the strategic plan and I made those four points.  I went after what I would do under those headings.  And that's what I am doing."

He is especially enthusiastic about the new leadership team and how it will bring the new branding and mission to the Ithaca Y.  Teresa Morehouse moved from Membership Director to Towner's former Associate Director position.  That makes her the main staff's supervisor.  Corrie Root moved from Administrative Assistant to Membership Director.  Michal Nitzany was hired to fill Root's old position.  Towner says she was chosen from among 15 applicants because of her diverse background, international connections, and her fit with the organization.


Towner has already implemented part of that plan.  His team has implemented changes to increase employee satisfaction, and has begun spreading the word about the Y's new commitment to embedding itself in the community and raising at least $140,000 for memberships for families and individuals in need.

But he isn't stopping there.  Towner has dreams of a new pool, establishing and endowment, inviting local organizations to use an attractive and large meeting room that was added to the building in 2009, and a special kind of camp on 110 acres of land the Y owns on Mecklenburg Road.  A new pool would facilitate new and growing swimming programs. 

"The water in our pool is not cool enough for the athletic swimmer and it's not warm enough for the arthritic swimmer," he says.  "The lessons could use more warm water and a little more room.  The aerobic program could probably use different water and maybe be a little shallower.  The pool could go right out the back here."

In the long term Towner wants to create camps with a twist -- that kids who are in danger of running afoul of the law or becoming obese would have a place where they would work to create their own, better futures.  110 acres of property on Mecklenberg Road was donated in 1984, and over the years it has been used for some events, but it is not developed.  Towner wants to develop a camp experience for homeless children, obese children, and delinquent children.

The idea comes from a combination of his childhood friend's experience and the work ethic Towner learned from his father.  A childhood friend who was making bad choices was sent to a school in New Hampshire that made kids work.  Towner says that physical labor and the values at that school changed his friend dramatically.  He wants to bring that idea to Ithaca, envisioning that in the early days kids will build the camp themselves.

"I want to get them before it goes too far," he says.  "Before they become overweight, before they're in the courts.  Years ago I developed a dignity for work that was fostered by working with my father and working hard.  If children are brought into an environment where they have to work to make their life they'll build self-esteem for when they go back into the community.  They'll feel good about themselves and they'll be productive and responsible citizens."


Towner says that most people don't realize that the Ithaca Y gives away over $140,000 per year to over 700 individuals and families for scholarships to Y programs.  He says raising that money is important, because requests for scholarships will grow because of the languid economy.

Part of his drive is getting the word out about this piece.  He says that until a recent staff meeting not all of the staff even knew about this aspect of the Y.

"The members don't know this either," he says.  "They take a class, they work out, they read a book, they go for a swim, but they don't realize that what they do goes to help others."

To this end the Annual Open House Weekend on January 21st and 22nd will kick off this year's fundraising campaign.  Towner says this is the first time the fundraising campaign has been linked to the open house.  The major events that fund the scholarships are the triathlon, golf outing, and United Way contributions.The open house will feature Zumba, Karate, dance, a health and wellness class, a cardio program, cycling, racket ball, youth sports, and other existing programs.  Snacks will be provided, and tours offered.  People who join during the open house will get a $30 discount.

The Ithaca Y is 149 years old.  It has 125 employees, with only five full time.  Towner says he loves that it is not top heavy with full time administrators.  Swimming is the biggest program with 400 to 500 people served in every five week session.  Lately Zumba has risen to be the second most popular program there.  The Ithaca Y  also serves about 140 children a day with child care programs at the Y and in after school programs in Groton and Maclean.

"The current leadership has a strong belief that you can't get people in unless you can get them in.  If you stop them for some reason, they're not coming.  But I'm saying come on in!"

v8i2