Meet Our Team
At the West Chester Area YMCA located in West Chester, PA, you’ll find a gathering place where families can play together and stay connected, youth and teens can build character values and leadership skills, seniors can find companionship and improve their health and adults can find community, well-being and support. For many, the Y is like a second home.
Our staff has a strong commitment to serving the community. To contact our branch, please call 610-431-9622. To contact a specific member of our staff, please use the contact information listed below:
Laura Schofield Pierson
Executive Director
Laura began working for the YMCA in 1997 and is deeply committed to helping our community become healthier through livable wellness. This is attainable by discovering what it is our members love to do and nurturing their spirit, mind and body in the most holistic sense. Laura believes that health is multifaceted and includes everything from exercising regularly to laughing with friends - from taking a nap when you need it to eating an apple - from being mindful to having a sense of purpose.
Laura teaches a variety of classes, with some of her favorites being yoga, Zumba, Pilates and hula hooping. She received her bachelor's degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, her national accreditation in personal training from the American Council on Exercise in 1997 and in 2012, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania - Stress Management Program. Laura has received several awards, including the Association of Y Professional Award of Excellence in Programming and the Rising Star Award from the YMCA of Delaware. Laura has presented at a National YMCA Conference on Health at Every Size. She has been featured on NBC's the 10! Show and on CBS, teaching Ukee Washington how to hula hoop. When Laura is not at the Y, she loves to spend time with her husband John and two children Kira and Maya.