YMCA names new director

BY SARAH ELMS selms@record-eagle.com | Posted: Monday, December 22, 2014 4:04 pm

TRAVERSE CITY — The Grand Traverse Bay YMCA will have a new leader in place before the end of the year.

Jay Buckmaster will take over as executive director Dec. 29. He replaces longtime director Tom Van Deinse, who left the organization unexpectedly in August.

Club officials remain tight-lipped about Van Deinse's departure, citing confidentiality in personnel issues even after backlash from Y members who pushed for more transparency.

Buckmaster comes to Traverse City with several other YMCA management positions under his belt. He worked at Ys in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Wichita, Kansas, before accepting his most recent position as Senior Group Vice President for the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA.

Grand Traverse Bay YMCA Board President Lynn Schultz said Buckmaster stood out "head and shoulders" from other applicants. There were 62 initial candidates, and board members narrowed that to three top contenders with help from YMCA of the USA consultants.

Buckmaster opened a new 105,000-square-foot facility in Wichita, a similar project to the Grand Traverse Bay Y's facility that opened in September, Schutlz said.

"He's very personable, full of energy and excited about our future," Schultz said. "He's as excited as we are."

Buckmaster replaces Carolyn Helmlinger, who served as interim director

"We are all just very excited to have new leadership," Schultz said. "We're confident he's the guy."

Buckmaster could not be reached for comment.

What’s New at the Y? - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing

November 23, 2014 -

Teen programming. Change in gymnastics program.

More -

What’s New at the Y? - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing

New YMCA Opens Monday - Announces new $3 million campaign

TC Ticker -

September 20, 2014

The new Grand Traverse Bay YMCA on West Silver Lake Road opens Mon., Sept. 22, at 5:30am, with the first fitness class kicking off at 6am. While the tennis courts, health & fitness center, learn to swim pool and hot tub are ready to go, the eight-lane competitive swim pool will not be complete until late October or early November, says Board President Lynn Schultz. The old Y facility on the Boardman River will remain open for basketball, pickleball and other court sports as will the Y facility on Woodmere, which houses its gymnastics program and childcare. Schultz says membership at the new Y is at 1,321, exceeding the board goal of 1,150 by opening day. The search for a new leader at the facility is also underway, with the first search committee meeting held earlier this week. The board parted ways with longtime CEO Tom Van Deinse in early August. Schultz said the committee expects a new executive director to be in place within six months. Earlier this month, some members upset about Van Deinse's departure were circulating petitions to require a board meeting with the general membership but Schultz says as of this week the board has not been presented with any such petition or approached about it. It is, however, meeting soon with a subgroup of the membership, but Schultz says that is a private meeting. The long-awaited and delayed opening of the new Y's doors also marks the beginning of fundraising for Phase 2 of the project – a gym and indoor running track for which the organization needs to raise $3 million. Permalink

YMCA officials: Gymnastics, tennis programs to continue

From the The Traverse City Record Eagle - Click here

BY SARAH ELMS selms@record-eagle.com | Posted: Monday, August 11, 2014 5:34 pm

TRAVERSE CITY — Many Grand Traverse Bay YMCA members are worried about what's in store for the Y's gymnastics and tennis programs since the ouster of the organization's long-time executive director.

Tom Van Deinse, who left his post suddenly on Aug. 8, coached tennis at the Y. His two sons continue to run the tennis program, and his wife, Betsy Van Deinse, runs the gymnastics program with their three daughters.

Parents and children alike are left wondering how long the rest of the Van Deinse family will continue to work at the Y and if programs would last without them.

"We're very scared," said Jackie Dalke, whose two daughters are on the Y's competitive gymnastics team.

Dalke and Jamie Tabaczka have driven from Manistee to Traverse City four times a week the last six years so their daughters can train in Traverse City.

They could train at a gymnastics gym 25 minutes from their homes, but instead travel more than an hour each way to the Y's facility on Woodmere Avenue. It's not the gym that makes the commute worthwhile, they said. Rather, it's the Van Deinse coaching staff.

"If these coaches weren't here, we'd be gone," Tabaczka said. "The coaches make it."

Traverse City resident Nancy Earnest said the Van Deinses are more than just athletic trainers. They're family to her and to the other parents who leave their children in their care for up to 12 hours a week of gymnastics practice.

"The whole family, they are amazing role models. I don't know of any other place where I would drop my kid off for three hours (a day) and know she'll be safe," Earnest said.

Jennifer Gerling said the same belief holds true for the Y's tennis community. She calls the Y her "home away from home" because she and her two sons use the tennis courts five to six times a week.

"It's not the building that we love, it's the people," she said.

Lynn Schultz, the YMCA's board president, said all Van Deinse family members except for Tom Van Deinse continue to work at the Y, and the gymnastics and tennis programs will continue.

"It was never our intention to remove any other Van Deinse family employee from the Y payroll," Schultz said.

She refused to explain Tom Van Deinse's departure after 14 years with the YMCA.

Gerling said she's "desperately worried" about the tennis program's future and said the sudden leadership change blind-sided her.

"If we don't get this resolved within the next couple of weeks, instead of a grand opening, you're going to have 100 people picketing," Gerling said, referring to the long-delayed opening of the Y's new facility on Silver Lake Road.

Local YMCA Looking for New Leader

From the TC Ticker ... August 9, 2014

The Grand Traverse Bay YMCA is looking for a new leader. The board of directors has announced a "new direction" in leadership and says a search for a new executive director will begin immediately. CEO Tom Van Deinse has led the organization since 1999. A capital campaign and subsequent construction of the first phase of the new YMCA on West Silver Lake Road has defined his tenure – a project whose fundraising efforts were significantly slowed by the economic recession and recently has been plagued by weather and construction delays. The new facility is now expected to open within the next 30 days, according to a statement by Board President Lynn Schultz. The Michigan YMCA USA Resource Director will consult with the local board and interim operational and financial management is already in place. Permalink