In The Last Word, we sit down with an industry expert to share their wealth of knowledge. In the 2024 September/October issue, the conversation features David Ozmore, the president and CEO at the Harrisburg Area YMCA.
1. How did you get started in the community recreation industry?
DO: Really, it was an accident. A great friend from college and a current YMCA CEO — Sharon Padgett, of the Gaston County YMCA — called me while I was in graduate school and let me know the YMCA in Raleigh, North Carolina, was hiring a youth sports director. At the time, I was very interested in a career in sports broadcasting or collegiate athletics, and I downplayed the opportunity. But Sharon was persistent. I followed her lead and was in Raleigh as the youth sports director within four weeks. I’m forever grateful to her and the Y’s culture which convinced me this was my place.
2. What’s been a key to your team’s success? What are you most proud of?
DO: Our team in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has developed a culture of transparency, communication and trust. Our team has been open to new ideas, measures of accountability, a new vision for intra-Y collaboration, lots of discussions and debates, and transparency within the entire association. We’re proud of the foundation we’ve established for future growth.
Our strategic plan has been a tremendous success. Now, our team can see a brighter future where the Y plays a more vital role in the lives of our members.
3. What has been one of the biggest accomplishments of your career?
DO: I had the privilege of serving in the role of president and CEO in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2008 coming out of Hurricane Katrina. After facing years of mounting debt and the worst natural disaster in a lifetime, our YMCA was gifted so many opportunities to step into new communities in the metro area and serve in new ways. We built new YMCAs, stepped into new partnerships and collaborations, and improved our existing infrastructure to better serve the greater New Orleans community.
4. What has been one of the biggest challenges you have faced in your career?
DO: A lot of Y leaders will probably have the same answer: COVID-19. At that point in my career, I was serving as the CEO of the Kentucky and West Virginia Alliance of YMCAs and had the incredible fortune to work with 24 YMCA CEOs and Board Chairs who were fighting to save their YMCAs. Most importantly, my job was to connect those CEOs to each other and allow the power of the Y spirit to work its magic.
5. What is one lesson you have learned that other community recreation professionals can learn from?
DO: I’ve become obsessed with establishing a healthy culture within my YMCA, and each culture is obviously very different. But one constant is leadership must be transparent about the successes, struggles, plans and direction. We’ve established a cadence and rhythm to this that brings our entire full-time team together four times a year. We celebrate our victories, debrief our struggles, set our targets and enjoy our time together.
6.Tell us one fact about yourself others may not know.
DO: I’m a huge college baseball fan. My favorite time of year is June when the conference tournaments, regionals and College World Series (CWS) are played. One day, I’ll make it to Omaha, Nebraska, to watch the CWS.
