Courtney appointed as YMCA president/CEO
Jerry Courtney is new president and chief executive officer of the Heart of the Valley YMCA. (CONTRIBUTED)
HUNTSVILLE, MADISON – Jerry Courtney is new president and chief executive officer of the Heart of the Valley YMCA.
The YMCA board of directors announced that Courtney will begin his role with the association on Nov. 10.
“Working together with community leaders, YMCA staff and volunteers, the YMCA will be community-focused, purposeful and will provide programs that have meaningful impact on people’s lives,” Courtney said.
The Heart of the Valley YMCA has 34,000 members with an operating budget of $8 million and 396 employees, director of communications Mary Anne Swanstrom said. The association’s facilities include the Southeast Family YMCA, Downtown YMCA and three preschools in Huntsville; Hogan Family YMCA in Madison; and Camp Cha-La-Kee in Guntersville.
A native of Atlanta, Courtney earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Berry College in Rome, Ga. Previously, he worked as president of the Lima Family YMCA in Lima, Ohio for eight years.
While he was president, the Lima Family YMCA was recognized nationally for its health and wellness programs and initiatives for Activate Allen County and Teen Leadership Development. The Lima YMCA received a $1.2-million grant for Small Community Transformation and a $450,000 partnership for improving community health from the Centers for Disease Control.
In addition, the YMCA led by Courtney received a $100,000 Obesity Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and a $64,000 grant for Pioneering Healthier Communities from the YMCA of the USA.
Courtney has served as a YMCA professional for 29 years.
In Lima, he was involved with Rotary Club. He is a board member for the Sioux YMCA in South Dakota, the nation’s first native American YMCA. Courtney serves on the advisory board for Camp Catch a Rainbow in Michigan, a camp for children with cancer.
Jerry and wife Sally have three children: McKenzie, Emmett and Sophia.
Scott Mounts, longtime president/CEO of the Heart of the Valley YMCA, retired on July 1.
For more information, visit ymcahuntsville.org.
