YMCA CEO Jeff Fox on The Future of Fairford Location

With the Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the Moose Jaw YMCA scheduled for this Thursday at 6:30pm at the Sportsman's Centre and given the public and Y membership's attention to what could be the most transformational AGM in the Y's 100 year plus history in the city, MJ Independent asked some questions to Jeff Fox, Ymca Moose Jaw's CEO. .

On October 23rd CEO of the Moose Jaw YMCA sent out an open letter to all members requesting they vote in favour of the Board candidates favouring the Fairford Street East closure and the Y as a whole. See letter at the bottom.

Read about the forces attempting to save the Fairford St. E location

Why is it important for Y members to come out and vote?

The AGM is important because members will hear from the current Board, management, and our Auditors about the operational and financial results over the past year. Members will also have an opportunity to vote for several vacant positions on our Board of Directors. Changes are on the horizon for our YMCA and this is the opportunity for members to have input into which candidates they would like to see on the Board.

Are you surprised by the amount of interest expressed by the wanting people to sit on the Board?

This is the first time in my career that there has been this amount of interest in sitting on the Board. But in light of the recent announcement to close our Fairford St location, I am not surprised that more individuals are interested in joining the Board.

Has the position changed since the last special meeting held into the Y?

No, it has not. A task force of 6 members was formed after the special meeting in June. The task force reviewed financial and operational information that supported the Board’s decision. There were no new suggestions brought forward by the task force that had not already been considered by the Board. The Board had done extensive due diligence leading up to that meeting in June, and their position has not changed.

What has transpired since the special board meeting which backs up your's and the present board's position that the Fairford location still needs to close?

The Board had done extensive due diligence leading up to the June meeting, and their position has not changed. The audited financial statements from the past fiscal year also support the decision.

I have received a copy of your letter to Y members and I'm wondering how do you handle concerns raised about it?

The past few months have been challenging, but I am deeply passionate about the work our YMCA does. Eight new directors will be elected on Thursday, and they will have a complex role within the YMCA because of the diversity of our operations. Fitness is of course a big focus among members right now, but the majority of our financial contribution actually comes from childcare and other community outreach programs. My intention was not to tell people who to vote for – but rather to share the big picture of the YMCA as a whole.

Regardless of which candidates are voted in on Thursday, I look forward to working with them to continue the good work of the YMCA.