YMCA names new president; to start June 19

Published 8:47 pm Wednesday, May 31, 2017

MOULTRIE, Ga. — Moultrie YMCA has announced that Rich Gallagher will serve as the new president and chief executive officer, effective June 19. He will succeed Lynn Hamm, who has served as interim CEO since November.

Gallagher currently serves as the executive director at Siskey Family YMCA in Matthews, N.C., a position he has held since 2013, and has more than nine years of experience in fundraising, board development, and effective programming that serves the needs of the community. His impressive track record of increasing branch revenue in order to better serve the community makes him an ideal choice to lead the Moultrie YMCA, according to a press release from the Moultrie Y.

“I am very excited about the possibilities for the Moultrie YMCA under Rich’s leadership,” said Mary Beth Watson, chair of the Board of Directors of the Moultrie YMCA. “His blend of experience and passion for the mission of the Y will position us to have a greater impact in our community. The board is also grateful for the steady leadership Lynn Hamm provided during the transition period and looks forward to her continued innovation as a key leader at the Moultrie YMCA.”

“I am honored to join the Moultrie community as the new CEO of the YMCA,” Gallagher said. “The Moultrie YMCA is a strong pillar with a rich history of service. I am committed to enriching the lives of our entire community by expanding current programs, integrating new programs and tremendously impacting and broadening the scope of our involvement with children, youth as well as the entire family.”

In his current role at the Siskey Family YMCA, Gallagher has overseen and increased branch revenue by 10 percent over three years from $8.9 million to $10 million, the Moultrie Y said. He also increased the branch annual campaign by 31 percent over three years from $400,000 to $576,000.

Gallagher began working for the YMCA at age 15, starting out as a lifeguard folding towels and also serving as camp counselor. After graduating from high school in Birmingham, Ala., he went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from Evangel University in Springfield, Mo. He later went on to work at the Y in Tifton and Columbus before becoming the COO and executive director and later the president and CEO of the Georgia Mountains YMCA in Gainesville, Ga. Rich and his wife, Tricia, have four children.