Hey Podcast Listeners!

We've got a Leaders on the Move update, and on behalf of myself and Jake, we are so grateful for you as listeners this past year, and for our wonderful guests. You can hear me announce it on today's episode.

At this time we are pausing production of any future episodes of the podcast, but you can still find all your favorite episodes available online from your listening service of choice, and please continue to share them with anyone that you feel can benefit.

Stay subscribed, and as soon as information is available about future podcast episodes, you will be the first to know!

Thank you again, and Lead on! In service, Jon Kidwell & Jake Steger

With us today is John Mikos. John is the new CEO of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, and has been serving Y communities for many years. He’s been a CEO, COO (a couple of times), Chair of the Kansas State Alliance and Operational Consultant for the YMCA of the USA. Wherever and whatever John is doing he is making significant advancements in community outreach and integrated health, with strong strategic initiatives and public policy/advocacy.

Some of what you’ll learn:

• How to address anxiety, fear, and questions for everyone involved during a Leadership transition.
• The 5 steps of high-level preparation before taking action - including a focus on people.
• A realistic timeline for new impact.
• Moving with a new team, not without.

Connect with John and the YMCA of Middle Tennessee:

• John Mikos | LinkedIn
• Email 
• YMCA of Middle Tennessee | Website
• YMCA of Middle Tennessee | Facebook

At the root of it, data analysis is an attempt to find a pattern within, or correlation between different data points - and from there we can draw insights and conclusions. So join us as we interview Adam Shilling about how he makes a difference in his organization and community with specific decision-making principles, and the relationship to data. With us today is Adam Shilling. Adam currently serves as the CEO of the Buckeye Valley Family YMCA. They serve more than 22,000 individuals from across Licking and Muskingum county and receive more than 30,000 volunteer hours of service each year. Prior to his role as the CEO, Adam helped lead YMCA Operations in Grand Rapids Michigan, and has also worked at YMCA’s national headquarters in Chicago, where he was responsible for measuring the impact that YMCAs had in communities. His career with the YMCA started in Pittsburgh, PA, where he was born, raised, and later received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.

What you’ll learn:

• The Role of Data in business and decision making.
  • And the importance of cleaning, translating, and understanding it.
• Using personal connections to collect data.
• Avoiding data for the sake of data.
  • If you’re going to do something with it, gather it. If you’re not, then don’t gather.
• Disclosures, the importance of accuracy, and data-driven conversations.

Connect with Adam and the Buckeye Valley Family YMCA:

• Adam Shilling | LinkedIn
• Buckeye Valley Family YMCA | Website
• Buckeye Valley Family YMCA | Facebook

With us today is Chris Lovasco, who started with a heart for wellness consulting, and found his roots in the North Shore of Massachusetts where he began his 28 year career at the Greater Beverly YMCA. Chris has played a critical role in expanding the Y’s impact through membership growth and a series of mergers which advanced the organization from a small independent Y to an association of seven facilities now known as the YMCA of the North Shore, becoming the 30th largest association of YMCAs in the United States. Chris has held many positions during his Y career, including Executive Director of the Greater Beverly YMCA, Chief Operating Officer of the YMCA of the North Shore, and then in 2015, the appointment to President & CEO of the YMCA of the North Shore - now serving more than 45,000 members across 25 communities.

What you’ll learn:

• Forming a Philosophy based on Mission.
• Running a Mission-based Business – How to do Well, to do Good, in order to Aspire to do Better.
• New Innovations: “Doing One, Developing One, Planning One”.
• Aligning an organization with the Four Agreements.

Connect with Chris and the YMCA of the North Shore:

• Chris Lovasco | LinkedIn
• Email
• YMCA of the North Shore | Website
• YMCA of the North Shore | Facebook

With us today is Cameron Corder. For over 30 years, [30!] Cam has been President and CEO of the Cleveland County Family YMCA in Shelby, North Carolina. He is the son of a retired YMCA CEO and started his Y career at age 15 folding towels with the Greenville, South Carolina YMCA. After graduating from Wingate University, he then served the High Point YMCA in various positions from 1987 – 1992 before beginning with the YMCA of Cleveland County. 

What you’ll learn:

• Making the paycheck the least important aspect of the work.
• The 90% and 10% of tough conversations.
• Starting Love and Kindness right at the point of hiring.
• How to start becoming a leader that Loves Well.
  • Loving well doesn’t leave someone as they are.

Connect with Cameron and the Cleveland County Family YMCA:

• Cameron Corder | LinkedIn
• Email
• Cleveland County Family YMCA | Cleveland County YMCA
• Cleveland County Family YMCA | Facebook

With us today is Michael Brown. For over 30 years at the YMCA, Mike has served 7 communities throughout the nation. His passion for community advocacy led him to receive both a Master of Science in Human Services and a second in Leadership and Operational Management, while he now turns his academic focus to a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership and Business Admin. Outside of the YMCA, Mike also served as a youth pastor for 10 years at Trinity United Methodist Church. With experience at many Y locations as President and CEO, he is now at the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth, where his larger than life, eccentric approach to work in helping communities and individuals is built from his dim past of being an abused child that attempted suicide. His story is what feeds and fulfills his life’s goals for a brighter tomorrow for all. 

Some of what you’ll discover:

• How we show up, the importance of failure, and investing in relationships with a focus on people.
• How to form a Strategic Vision, with a Culture to support it.
• Building Culture with fluid transparency. 
  • Take care of the Ship first.
• Friendraising vs Fundraising

Connect with Mike and the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth:

• Mike Brown | LinkedIn
• Email
• YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth | Website
• YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth | Facebook

With us today is Jorge Perez. Jorge is the president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, a leading nonprofit organization that operates 14 branches, one overnight camp and 80 childhood learning centers across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. 

He is the first Latino-American to lead the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati in its 164-year history of community service. An accomplished strategic thinker, program innovator, and evaluator, he is committed to learning and continuous improvement. Jorge is culturally competent and mission-focused, and as an educator by training, was called to the YMCA when he realized the problems children can have outside of school. 

What you’ll learn:

• VUCA - what is it, where is it from, and how we face it with Focus.
• How things have changed and why they will not go back to a pre-pandemic environment. 
• • “What I want to do is no longer possible if I use the same tools to do it.”
• Why it’s so important to have Vision, Foundation, Clarity, and Flexibility 
• Why to Calibrate your Direction, avoid being Transactional, and embrace being Transformational

Connect with Jorge and the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati:

• Jorge Perez | LinkedIn
• Email
• YMCA of Greater Cincinnati | Website
• YMCA of Greater Cincinnati | Facebook

This is a quick note and a podcast episode message from Jake and I about our thanks to all of you wonderful listeners of Leaders on the Move, and our gratefulness to our fantastic guests on the show. It was a full and blessed year, and we are very excited for what's coming on the podcast in 2023. In 2023:

• New guests ready to share.
• More YMCA leaders to connect with.
• Logo touch-ups!