Today, on (Y) Connect, we share a touching and inspiring story highlighting the transformative power of community, fitness, and perseverance. Louisa Merchant, a dedicated YMCA member, and Cindy Augustin, a beloved group exercise instructor who has played a pivotal role in Louisa’s journey, are joining us. Recently, Louisa penned a heartfelt letter to YMCA leaders, reflecting on her experience over the past few months and how the Y has helped her regain physical strength and a renewed sense of hope. We’re thrilled to have them here to share their incredible stories and the profound impact the YMCA has had on their lives.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [2:24] Louisa shares what initially drew her to the Y and kept her connected for 15 years, and Cindy responds to Louisa’s heartfelt feelings about the Y, and Louisa discusses the difficulty in reconnecting with her body after the pandemic

• [9:13] Cindy talks about the atmosphere she creates in her class, and Louisa shares how the diversity offered at the Y built her confidence

• [18:46] Louisa discusses how the Y helps her in her position as she works with the All Saints Church in their refugee program, and she gives examples of how the Y has helped refugees

• [24:20] Cindy discusses the collaboration she is looking forward to with her daughter, who was recently hired, and Louisa talks about the importance of human relationships

• [29:27] Cindy shares her Y story, and Louisa shares how it feels to be a part of an organization that makes such a wide-reaching impact on lives across Atlanta

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The Y is a safe place. It offers personal safety and an atmosphere of acceptance, no matter what your background

• Cindy makes her SokaSweat class fun for every age and ability to participate at their level

• Louisa felt confident about doing a cycling class because she trusted Linda, the trainer, and felt comfortable with her
  

RESOURCE LINKS:

Facebook: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Linkedin: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Twitter: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Website: YMCA Metro Atlanta

BIOGRAPHIES:

Louisa Merchant, a member of the YMCA for 15 years, is the director of All Saints Episcopal Church Refugee Ministries and connects volunteers to work in teams to help refugee families adjust to the difficult transition of living in the US. She credits dancing and being in the Y community empowering her to be more present in the world.

Cindy Augustin has been a Group Exercise Instructor at the East Lake YMCA since September 2022. She and her family became members of the Y in 2016. She teaches Dance parties and Line Dance, but her journey with dance did not start there. Cindy’s curiosity and passion for dance began in high school while participating in a church play. This led to her participation in various genres of dance classes. In 2000, Cindy left her job as a business analyst to start a family with her husband. However, she continued to pursue her passion for dance by creating a Performing Arts company, Vessels Arts and Education, in 2011 with her three daughters as her first students. As her company grew, it led to teaching opportunities at various private and public schools. Cindy now applies her analytical skills to assess community needs. She aims to use her Caribbean culture, arts, and fitness to facilitate creative and fun classes, transforming timid and disinterested students into self-health advocates.

Today, we’re celebrating Welcoming Week 2024, a time dedicated to fostering inclusion and building bridges between all members of our community. With the theme "Belonging Begins With Us," we’ll explore how the Y creates spaces where everyone feels they belong. Jamie Day and Rob Wilson who lead membership efforts at the Tull-Gwinnett Family YMCA are joining us, and they will share their insights and experiences on making Welcoming Week a powerful expression of community connection.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [0:42] The hosts use their imaginations

• [3:54] Welcoming Week 2024 and Jamie and Rob give an overview of their positions at the Tull-Gwinnett Family Y

• [7:04] Discussion of what it is like being a Y member at Tull-Gwinnett. Jamie shares the work that led her to work with Hispanic communities and what the Y5 team has accomplished through the YUSA grant

• [16:20] Rob discusses why Welcoming Week is crucial for the Y

• [19:53] Jamie explains how they foster connections between newcomers and long-standing members, and Rob says the success of Welcoming Week is the Y stories they hear

• [25:07] Both Jamie and Rob share memorable stories from past Welcoming Weeks

• [28:38] Jamie and Rob share their Y stories

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The Y has added the ability to translate data on its website into your native language

• Y5 is a smaller group of professionals focusing on strategically advancing topic-specific goals

• The Y is free during Welcoming Week. Come check it out

RESOURCE LINKS:

Facebook: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Linkedin: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Twitter: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Website: YMCA Metro Atlanta

BIOGRAPHIES:

Jamie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of North Georgia, where she honed her skills in public relations, media, and marketing.

Starting in 2015 at the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, with just a few hours per week, she worked up to the Membership Experience Director position after graduation. In her current role, she leads enhancing member retention, acquisition, and growth, ensuring we provide outstanding service and value to our dynamic community. Outside work, she enjoys tackling DIY projects, playing with her dog, and finding the perfect cup of coffee. With an ever-curious mind and a commitment to helping others, she brings a positive attitude and a smile to everything she does, striving to make a meaningful impact. Jamie is passionate about fostering equitable and welcoming spaces and bridging gaps to create inclusive environments.

Rob Wilson earned a B.A. in Communications from the University of Louisiana. Through college, he fundraised for NPR, public television and college radio. After earning a degree, he worked in children’s book publishing, and he has

Twenty years experience in property management with a focus on renovation, construction, and repurposing of town properties. His journey with the Y started in 2008, working part-time at the Y's front desk, then as a wellness coach, and ultimately becoming a Membership Experience Director. Rob's passion is engaging our senior community, as he started Lifelong Learners at the Tull-Gwinnett Family Y and the Fowler Family Y.

Today we are highlighting Jeff Beckham and Clark Dean’s Pathway to the (Y) stories. We learn that both of our guests became involved at the Y at a young age and their families both were active participants in sports and youth programs throughout the years. Because the Y has made a lasting impact on both of their families, which is a big reason they choose to serve the Y and their community.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [1:00] Jeff learned how to swim at his local YMCA at a young age. When he became a father and it was time for his children to learn how to swim, Jeff enrolled his sons at the Y.

• [2:18] Clark also swam at his local YMCA when he was a young boy, when his swim team would use the Y’s pool. He then became a lifeguard at the YMCA.

• [2:50] When Clark and his family moved to Atlanta, he and his family became involved with the Y. Clark’s son started playing soccer and fell in love with the sport. He went on to play 4 years of college soccer.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• When parents have such great memories of their childhood experiences at the Y, they likely want to give their children the same opportunities.

• The Y is a welcoming place that helps make a lasting impact on people.

• The sports program at the Y has a lasting impact on participants, whether they play for a year or all the way through college.

RESOURCE LINKS:

Facebook: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Linkedin: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Twitter: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Website: YMCA Metro Atlanta

YMCA Atlanta Membership - Website

BIOGRAPHIES:

Jeffrey Beckham is Head of Portfolio and Asset Management and a member of GID’s Executive and Investment Committees. He is responsible for leading the multifamily and retail asset management team, overseeing the multifamily, industrial and credit portfolio management teams, guiding the ESG effort across GID, and supporting the development of new investment products for the company.

Previously, Mr. Beckham worked at Jamestown, where he served as Head of Institutional Investment Management and Fund Manager for Jamestown’s flagship open-end vehicle, the Premier Property Fund. Before Jamestown, Mr. Beckham worked at Tishman Speyer in New York and Atlanta, focusing primarily on acquisitions and development deals. Before Tishman Speyer, Mr. Beckham worked at Hines in London, England, focusing on development projects and Morgan Stanley Real Estate in New York, London, and Tokyo, focusing on principal investing and advisory assignments.

Mr. Beckham is married and is the father of two boys who play basketball and learn how to swim at the YMCA. He received a BBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

Clark Dean helped direct Transwestern’s Tenant Representation and Workplace Solutions business and founded the company’s Transaction Sciences Group, which operates across asset classes and service lines. Clark is a Transwestern Board of Directors member and its National Tenant.

Representation and Workplace Solutions Steering Committee. He also helps lead the company’s global partnerships with BNP Paribas Real Estate and Encore Advisors. With a background in biomedical engineering, management consulting, and financial structuring, Clark is known for being a disruptive innovator. His Transaction Sciences Group helps build businesses, grow non-profits, and enrich communities by structuring better solutions for real estate occupiers and investors. Clark and his wife have three children, all of whom grew up going to the Carl E. Sanders at Buckhead YMCA. He graduated cum laude with an A.B. in Engineering and Biological Sciences from Harvard University, where he played varsity football, served as a class officer, and delivered the Harvard College oration as a graduating senior.

Today’s Pathway to the (Y) features Saba Long, the Executive Director of Atlanta Civic Circle, and Tommy Pearce, Executive Director of Neighborhood Nexus. Join this laughter filled episode as we hear how the Y community and rec soccer have impacted their lives.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [0:50] Saba reveals how her friends’ involvement with the Y throughout her youth was the beginning of her Y story.

• [1:30] Saba’s personal Y story began today, through her conversation with Allison, Robert, and Zarinah.

• [1:40] Tommy’s story began earlier in life through soccer. Though he didn’t grow up to be a professional soccer player, he still remembers his time playing and his early years at the Y.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The Y community doesn’t just impact the lives of Y members, it also reaches into the lives of their family and friends.

• Rec sports can make an early impact in people’s lives, one of the many reasons these programs are so important.

RESOURCE LINKS:

Facebook: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Linkedin: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Twitter: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Website: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Atlanta Civic Circle - Website

Neighborhood Nexus - Website

Atlanta POV - Website

BIOGRAPHIES:

Saba Long is the Executive Director of Atlanta Civic Circle, a nonprofit news outlet dedicated to informing the public on the most critical issues facing metro Atlanta by providing in-depth reporting and presenting possible solutions with opportunities for civic engagement online and in the community. She has served on numerous local nonprofit boards and provided communications expertise to Georgia-based political campaigns and ballot initiatives.

Tommy Pearce

Mission-driven organizations should have access to actionable insights to inform their decisions—our communities depend on it. As Executive Director of Neighborhood Nexus, Tommy Pearce is working to do just that. With a background in research, strategic planning, and nonprofit management, he has worked with hundreds of Georgia organizations to maximize their impact with data. Tommy has an MSW from the University of Pittsburgh and a BA in History from Georgia Southern. He’s a lifelong Gwinnettian, and he currently resides with his wife, two daughters, and a growing stack of books he will never finish. Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tommypearce.

Today’s Pathway to the (Y) focuses on reflection and gratitude. Our three amazing guests, Joshua Byrd, Durwood Sneed, and Caroline Del Carmen share their stories, all of which are unique. Tune in to learn how handball, an internship, and an afterschool program brought them to the Y community and how they inspire change every day.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [1:00] Durwood shares how Handball connected him to the (Y) in Richmond, VA.

• [1:20] When Durwood moved to Forsyth County, he connected with Caroline, who is very active in the community and her local YMCA.

• [2:30] Caroline’s story began in Montgomery, AL when she was a stay at home mom for her three children. She learned about an internship that she pursued through volunteering. This was the start of Caroline’s career with the Y.

• [2:30] Josh was introduced to the Y by a man named Franklin Hamilton, who organized a program called the Black Achievers for middle schoolers in the community. The program was hosted at the Ed Isakson YMCA in Alpharetta, GA. This led Josh to work with the Y because he loved it so much.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Experiences at the Y don’t always start as a youth. Sometimes someone doesn’t discover the Y until they are an adult, but the impact can be just as great.

• Creating strong connections is crucial to building the Y community, be it through sports, after school programs, or volunteering.

• Through youth programs and activities, children can build strong foundations for their future, their leadership, and their communities.

RESOURCE LINKS:

Facebook: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Linkedin: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Twitter: YMCA Metro Atlanta

Website: YMCA Metro Atlanta

BIOGRAPHIES:

Josh Byrd is deeply committed to positively impacting and creating environments that foster love, kindness, and positivity. His work aims to uplift and empower individuals, helping them reach their full potential in both personal and professional aspects of life. As a seasoned business owner, wellness professional and operator of a thriving barbershop for over seven years, he has dedicated his career to fostering community, nurturing growth, and promoting holistic well-being. His diverse background in youth mentorship, coaching, and community activities has shaped his approach to creating inclusive, supportive spaces that serve personal and community needs.

Durwood Snead is the co-founder and a leader of the Forsyth Descendants Scholarship, a college scholarship for descendants of African Americans violently expelled from the county in 1912. Durwood is a retired pastor from North Point Ministries, where he directed North Point’s global(x) international ministry for almost eighteen years. Before transitioning to vocational ministry, Durwood spent 26 years in business, holding executive positions at CMD Group, AC Nielsen, and Duracell. He also serves on three other non-profit boards. Durwood and his wife Judi have lived in Forsyth County, Georgia, for 35 years, and they make regular visits to see their five children and sixteen grandchildren.

Caroline del Carmen started working with the Y in Montgomery, Alabama in 2006. Her journey began as a volunteer swim coach when her three children joined the Y’s swim team. Since then, she has worked as a Senior Director in aquatics, sports, and wellness. She is currently the Aquatics Director of the Forsyth County Family YMCA and for the past two years has led the planning and execution of Forsyth County’s Juneteenth Celebration.