Dr. Scott Heinerichs, Dean of the College of Health Sciences at West Chester University, to Serve as Interim Board Chair

West Chester, PA – The YMCA of Greater Brandywine (YGBW) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Scott Heinerichs as Interim Board Chair. Heinerichs is the Dean of the College of Health Sciences at West Chester University (WCU) and plays a pivotal leadership role for YGBW.

In addition to serving as Interim Board Chair through December 31, 2024, Heinerichs serves on several board committees, including the CEO Search Committee, DEIB Committee and is Chair of the Government Relations Taskforce.

Preparing Youth to Achieve the Common Good
Heinerichs has served on the YGBW board of directors since 2020. He became connected to the organization after meeting with several leadership team members at YGBW to discuss partnership opportunities between their two organizations. The organizations have complementary missions and support one another in meaningful ways.

“It is serendipitous that I’m able to serve in a leadership capacity with YGBW,” says Heinerichs. “The organization is committed to strengthening community, supporting youth development and promoting healthy living for all – and I’ve devoted my career to preparing youth to achieve the common good. The overlap is remarkable.”

YGBW Welcomes Nine New Board Members
In addition to the appointment of Heinerichs, YGBW recently welcomed nine new board members to the association’s board of directors. Newly appointed members include Hugh Alego, Michael Berardi, Eric Daugherty, Eric Gibson, Rodney Goldston, Radha Pyati, Praveen Shanbhag, Marisa Tilghman and Michael Troupe – each serving a three-year term.

The association’s board of directors plays a pivotal role, advising and voting on key business decisions to ensure that YGBW remains focused on strengthening the foundations of community through Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility.

A Variety of Expertise
As an organization that serves nearly 80,000 members of the Chester County community including seniors, children and families, YGBW looks for volunteers with a variety of skillsets. The professional experience of the association’s board spans many industries, including education, healthcare, legal, marketing, finance, construction, facilities management, pharmaceuticals and more.

“Serving on our board of directors is an important and prestigious opportunity,” says Bertram L. Lawson II, President & CEO of YGBW. “Our board of directors work in partnership with my office to set our strategy to advance our mission. They work diligently to provide governance oversight for YGBW to ensure greater impact in Chester County.”

“On behalf of Team YGBW, I thank and congratulate Scott and each of our new board members,” he continues. “We are grateful that they choose to share their time, talent and treasure with us – and with the greater community.”  

The Power of Volunteers
In 2023, 4,732 volunteers gave more than 78,000 hours of their time to support YGBW’s mission in Chester County. YGBW volunteers range in age - from students to seniors and ages in between. They fulfill a variety of roles, including board members, coaches, event volunteers, facilities volunteers and more.

“Volunteers support every corner of work that we do at YGBW,” shares Laura Milazzo Mackiewicz, Director of Volunteer Engagement. “Our organization aims to strengthen community through Healthy Living, Youth Development and Social Responsibility, which means that we offer a lot of different programs – and a lot of opportunities to get involved as a volunteer.”

Honoring Volunteers
YGBW will honor its volunteers on April 25 at its annual Breakfast of Champions volunteer appreciation event. The event is aptly hosted in April, which is National Volunteer Appreciation Month. Top honorees at this year’s event are The Chester County Chamber of Business of Industry, The Chester County Intermediate Unit and Donna Urian, Immediate Past Chair of YGBW’s Board of Directors.

In addition to the Breakfast of Champions, YGBW hosts quarterly volunteer appreciation events and has partnered with local organizations to offer free passes to local attractions this month. Free passes include access to Longwood Gardens, The American Helicopter Museum, Nemours Estate and more.

Learn more about Volunteering: https://ymcagbw.org/give/volunteer
About the YMCA Mission: https://ymcagbw.org/about/cause

About the YMCA of Greater Brandywine
The YMCA of Greater Brandywine (YGBW), an association of nine YMCAs and Program Centers serving Chester County, is a leading non-profit organization committed to building community. We strive to nurture the potential of every child, promote healthy living and foster social responsibility through life-changing programs for all. YGBW raises funds to provide financial assistance to those unable to pay the standard rates. In 2023, $2.2 million was provided to more than 11,000 individuals to ensure they had access to childcare, summer camp, programs and memberships at YGBW. Nearly 80,000 people are members of YGBW. To learn more, visit ymcagbw.org.