YMCA’s new CEO has a plan to expand reach, grow membership among youth, others

Ernest Lamour has strong feelings about the importance of YMCAs and the impact they have in the communities they serve.

“I believe there should be a great Y in every community,” Lamour said.

That belief is also a driving force for Lamour, the president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Rochester, and for the organization, which just unveiled its five-year strategic plan.

Entitled “Uniting for a Better Us,” the plan will guide the organization as it prioritizes ways to best grow and measure its impact in the urban, suburban and rural communities it serves, he said.

That will involve focusing efforts to expand its reach, provide better opportunities, grow and develop its workforce and continue to be fiscally responsible and innovative.

Among the plan’s goals are increasing memberships from roughly 95,000 now to 150,000, doubling the number of people served in Rochester and increasing the number of youths served.

Additionally, the strategic plan seeks to grow annual revenue and increase the support it receives through philanthropic contributions.

Partnerships with community organizations will also continue to be a top priority, Lamour said, as is seeking support from local businesses, which includes welcoming more board members at all levels of the organization.

With an operating budget of nearly $60 million, the YMCA of Greater Rochester — which will celebrate its 170^th year in 2024 — is one of the top 25 largest YMCAs in the country.

It employs some 2,160 full- and part-time workers and has a geographic reach that spans over 300 miles.

The Y’s administrative office is on East Main Street in Rochester and there are 12 additional facilities: six in Rochester, and one location each in Penfield, Pittsford, Webster, Canandaigua, Painted Post and Corning. In addition to its branches, the organization also operates summer camps and childcare centers throughout the region.

Lamour assumed the role of president and CEO on Jan. 9, succeeding longtime leader George Romell.

He previously served as president and CEO of the Ridgewood YMCA in New Jersey. Before that, Lamour was CEO of the Stamford YMCA in Connecticut and in various leadership roles with the Stamford Jewish Community Center.

The Y was also an integral part of his youth.

Lamour was born in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti and lived there his first eight years. After moving to the United States, he spent most of his free time at the local YMCA in his adopted home of Stamford, Conn.

He believes his experience — both professionally and personally — as well as a knowledgeable and compassionate team and board at the Greater Rochester YMCA, helps position it well for growth.

Lamour describes himself as a people person who is passionate, focused, driven and a team player.

He and his family live in Webster and Lamour has found the Rochester community to be welcoming and friendly, with the region offering an abundance of activities.

In addition to Lamour taking the helm this year, the Y marked several other milestones. They included the opening of the $24 million Sands Family YMCA in Canandaigua in October and the grand opening of the YMCA at Innovation Square downtown in September.

Also in September, the Maplewood Family YMCA Teen Center officially opened, due, in part, to the more than $2 million of Monroe County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding awarded to the YMCA.

Lamour, who said the Y excels when it comes to supporting families with wraparound services, said staying on top of community needs is key.

“We want to be part of the community as it continues to evolve and change,” he said.

That includes finding ways to provide additional services and support, in addition to eliminating barriers for people looking to access the Y, he said.

Timothy Tindall, the Y’s incoming board chair, said the strategic plan is a valuable tool when it comes to best serving the community.

“As an organization whose mission is to strengthen communities and improve lives, the YMCA of Greater Rochester must understand the current issues facing our communities and anticipate the future needs of the children, adults, seniors and families we serve,” he said.

Tindall noted the strategic plan is built on four pillars, one of which is focused on deepening community connections.

“We intend to expand our reach and impact by building upon and finding new collaborators, particularly in two areas we know are much needed across our region: health and education,” he said.

Purposeful partnerships — like the ones with Lifespan, Foodlink, the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes, the Rochester City School District and the University of Rochester Medical Center — allow the Y to have an even deeper impact, he noted.

Tindall said Lamour is the right choice to lead the effort.

“Ernie is a true product of the Y; he will tell you he’s where he is today because of the Y,” Tindall said. “He’s proof of the powerful impact the YMCA has on the lives of so many, and it’s his mission to ensure that others have the same opportunities that he had.”

Beyond that, Tindall said Lamour has been a proven leader within the nonprofit sector, both inside and outside of the YMCA movement.

“Through the lens of this experience, he has helped craft the strategic plan so that our Y has a roadmap to guide our decisions over the next five years and help us prioritize our impact on the communities we serve,” he said. “The YMCA of Greater Rochester has been serving our community for nearly 170 years, and as we embark on our next five years of service, having a leader with a deep commitment to service above self is very valuable.”

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