Global Co-Head Financial Institutions
Corporate Banking for Wells Fargo
Chair
Born and raised in Summit, the YMCA has always been at the heart of my hometown. The YMCA was where I grew up, and later, where I raised my kids. For the last seven years, I’ve had the honor of serving on the Board of Trustees—as Treasurer, Finance Committee Chair, and Vice Chair—guiding the organization through a period of remarkable growth. I’ve watched us open the beautiful, expansive Berkeley Heights YMCA, transform the Summit YMCA into a state-of-the-art facility, and bring essential community programs to the Springfield Community Pool. As Board Chair, I’m excited to build on this momentum and continue driving meaningful impact that uplifts every family and individual in our community.
Former COO/CEO
Global Thematic Partners, LLC
Vice Chair
I have been a member of various YMCAs for 30 years and running. Raising a family in Summit with my wife Sharyn gave us the opportunity to experience a broad range of YMCA programs and services. Our children have participated in numerous Y activities over the years, including swimming lessons, youth soccer, travel basketball, and Adventure Guides. And I plan to play pick-up basketball at the Y for as long as my knees will allow me to! I am proud of the welcoming and inclusive culture of our Y, as well as the benefits it offers to all members of our community. It is my privilege to serve on our Board of Trustees to support our shared mission of sustaining the services, programs and values of our Summit Area YMCA for years to come.
Attorney
Trustee
As a child, I was part of the swim and soccer programs at the Summit YMCA. After graduating from law school, I moved back to the Summit area and enrolled my children in swim lessons at the same YMCA where I learned to swim. The YMCA is a place where everyone is welcome to better themselves regardless of income or age. It is an organization that strives to help all members of its community. A few years ago, there was a terrible fire in Summit where a family lost all of their belongings. The YMCA was there to help the family and raised thousands of donations from the surrounding community within days. This type of outreach is what the YMCA has always been known for. I am grateful to serve on a board whose mission and vision so greatly serve the public.
Partner
Skadden Arps
Trustee
I have been connected to the YMCA for decades, starting with a family membership at the Shore Area YMCA in the 1960s where my five siblings and I were on the swim team and regularly participated in the many other activities that the Y had to offer. When I moved to New York City in 1986, I joined the Y of Greater New York and remained a member until 2006 when I moved to Summit. My family is active at the Summit Y, my wife and I regularly work out and my two daughters participate in the many programs offered such as aquatics, tennis, soccer, and camp. I have been impressed with the YMCA organization and its mission that everybody is welcome, regardless of financial ability or background. I am very fortunate to work with a number of talented individuals on our board.
Chief Executive Officer
Gottesman Real Estate Partners
Trustee
I've always wanted to be really wired into my community, whether as a journalist, businessperson, dad, coach, whatever. That's also come to mean giving back to the community, particularly through the organizations that add so much to all of our lives and the towns where we live. I can't think of a better way to do that than through the Y, which touches (or could touch) just about everybody in the region. It's truly at the very center of our community, and I love being there.
Executive Director
JP Morgan Chase and Co.
Trustee
I joined the Berkeley Heights YMCA when I moved to New Jersey in 2018. As I met other members and staff and learned about the programming for youth and the underserved in the community, I became more involved, volunteering my time and promoting the organization within my network. I am proud to be a part of the Board of Trustees in supporting an organization that is inclusive and has a lasting impact on the community.
Partner
Deloitte
Trustee
I joined the Summit YMCA in 2015 after learning about the organization and its mission from colleagues in the Summit area, and shortly thereafter became a member of the Summit YMCA Advisory Board and have been an active member ever since. Both of my children are graduates of The Learning Circle and I am grateful for the education that they were provided and the friendships that they have made along the way. I recently had the opportunity to join the Board of Trustees and it is a privilege to work with management and the Trustees to support an organization that has such a positive impact on our family and our entire community.
Managing Director
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Trustee
Senior Vice President, Market Credit Officer
Bank of America
Trustee
Retired: Managing Director of Corporate
Banking
JP Morgan Chase and Co
Trustee
The YMCA has been an integral part of our family for decades. Our 3 children learned how to swim at the Y and had their first experience on the soccer field through the YMC’s youth soccer program. The friends my son made in the Adventure Guides program are still one and the same over 20 years later. The Summit Seals swim team took up a good deal of time during the colder months for two of our children. The quotes on the back of the swim team’s t-shirts still ring true with our children as they navigate their career paths. Today, as Carolyn & I approach empty nester status, we find ourselves in the Y several times a week with my time split between the gym and the pool. The Summit YMCA has been part of the fabric of our 23 years in Summit. Our children have learned many life lessons at the YMCA and we still have someone to greet us every time we walk in the door. I’m happy to have the opportunity to serve on the board and make sure the family-friendly appeal of the Summit YMCA is there for decades to come.
Vice President, Global Services & Customer
Experience
Cisco
Trustee
We first came to the Summit YMCA as a family to enroll our kids into swim lessons when we moved from NYC. It was such a welcoming place and our kids thrived in all activities – soccer, basketball, summer camps. We also loved the Y for the variety of group classes and the exercise facility. In the group classes we felt like it was a community and made many “work out” friends. After meeting many people and some on the board it became clear to us what incredible work the Y did for our community whether it be senior programs, youth sports, the Family Packs program to serve those with food insecurities, the Teen Center, etc. We were amazed and excited to do more with the Y to ensure the Y continues to serve and be a pillar in our community. It truly is the heart of the community.
Realtor
Sotheby's International Realty
Trustee
The Summit YMCA is a community I hold close to my heart. As a lifelong YMCA member, with the Summit branch comprising the last 28 years of my membership, this organization has been an integral part of my life. My four children learned to swim at the Y, played basketball and soccer, and spent their fair share of time in KidZone. Over the years, I’ve been an active participant in group exercise classes, where I’ve found an incredible community—dedicated professional instructors and smart diverse class members who have become supportive friends, and confidents. The diverse group of participants, a microcosm of the Summit community, has been a source of learning and joy for me over the years. Having served on the Summit advisory board for several years, I feel privileged to continue supporting the YMCA, an organization whose mission and role in the community I deeply value.
Attorney
Trustee
As a resident of Summit for the past 12 years, my family has very much enjoyed the benefits of the YMCA, especially the youth swim lessons and basketball programs. Additionally, I have learned through my involvement how much the YMCA gives back to our community. Whether fighting food insecurity through the Backpack Program or helping local teens navigate the college admissions process via the Achiever’s Program, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to help raise awareness and support for these vital services. The work that the YMCA does directly impacts our community everyday and it is my absolute privilege to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees for an organization so committed to making a difference.
Vice President
GBC, Inc.
Trustee
I have been an active member of the Summit YMCA for more than 20 years, and a member of the Summit YMCA Advisory Board since 2016. Prior to our commitment to the YMCA, Nora and I were, and continue to be, strong supporters of the Summit Education Foundation (SEF), and several other philanthropic organizations in Summit and elsewhere. When I joined the Board of Trustees, I was amazed to find out how many individuals and families that the Y helps with financial assistance, physical, and emotional support in the 8 towns in our service area, from Springfield to Stirling. I am honored to be a part of this effort, without which our community wouldn’t be the special place to live and work in that it is.
Managing Principal
Debt Cap Market Advisors, LLC
Trustee
Our two sons learned swimming at the Central London YMCA during one of my offshore assignments. It was an excellent family experience, and my introduction to the Y. Following our return to the US, we moved to Short Hills, the boys grew up and (thankfully) moved out after college. Around that time, I was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer. Soon after treatment, I received an unsolicited invitation from the Summit YMCA’s LIVESTRONG at the YMCA post-cancer fitness program. Recalling our London Y experience, and looking for something to lift my spirits, I enrolled, somewhat reluctantly since I wasn’t a gym goer. In the LIVESTRONG program, we ten men and women, as diverse as any small group could be, all with a familiar recent story, met twice weekly at the Berkeley Heights Y. All of us were out of shape, just balancing on one foot was tough! But the directors always encouraged each of us. For me, during those 3 months, it was the program’s director who changed my idea of fitness and the benefits of health conscious social outreach. Afterwards, I became a Y member, and now, together with a gym buddy from the program, and we work out weekly in Berkeley Heights. I not only feel much better about myself, but want to share what I was given, to help others where I can. And so, when an opportunity came up to interview for a Trustee slot at the Y, I was keen to lend my help. It is funny how life can surprise us when we’re open to change.
Former Research Analyst
DBRS, INC., NY
Trustee
My first encounter with the Y was when I was researching swim team programs for my daughters. Since swimmers spend so much time alone during practice, I wanted a program that was competitive but also provided friendship and team support; Summit YMCA was a good fit for my family. Five-plus years later, my daughters are thriving — sharing bonds of commitment, hard work, and achievement with their swim teammates. Spending so much time at the Y, my family jokes that the Follow Me to the Summit Y magnet was meant for my car! Now, I in turn want to give back and spend my time supporting the Y’s mission of promoting youth development, healthy lifestyles, and social responsibility. What sticks in my mind is how during Hurricane Sandy when so many of us were without power, the Y opened its doors to anyone in the area who needed a place to power up, shower or just to share stories and commiserate. The Y serves an important role in the community and positively impacts the lives of all groups, children, families, and seniors. I am pleased to be a member of the Y community and the Board of Trustees.
Director, Overlook Family Medicine Residency
Program
Atlantic Health System
Trustee
The Summit Area YMCA embodies the spirit of community. It’s more than just a gym; it’s about making a meaningful impact in the neighborhoods we call home. My introduction to the YMCA dates back to my volunteer work at the Flushing YMCA in NY, where I first met my wife, Linda. Upon moving to Summit, we became members of the Summit YMCA, and currently, we’re active members of the Berkeley Heights YMCA. Even our children have been part of the YMCA family, working there during their teenage years. I take immense pride in the diverse community outreach and programs the YMCA offers, ensuring accessibility to everyone, regardless of financial circumstances. Serving on the board is truly an honor.
Freelance Casting Agent and Producer
Trustee
Executive Director
IT & COO Strategy and Governance
Natixis North America
Trustee
Kate Wenger grew up in West Windsor, New Jersey, and her family moved to Summit in 2016. As a new member of the community, Kate and her family were welcomed by The Learning Circle where all three of her children either attended or are currently enrolled. Kate has been an active member of PTO at the Learning Circle, serving as both a class parent and President. The Summit Area YMCA has been a cornerstone to the Wenger family, providing a nurturing and fun early childhood education; youth soccer, basketball, and swimming not to mention hosting numerous birthday parties. Kate is an Executive Director for Strategy & Governance for the COO office of Naxitis CIB.
