At the Annual Meeting

At the Waldo County YMCA's Annual Meeting, our outgoing board chair, Frank Pavalkis, reflected on his time as "CVO" (Chief Volunteer Officer) and his commitment to what is coming. His remarks are below.

At the meeting, the board also thanked Denise Lindahl, Julie Morse, and Meg Salmon-Carson for their service.

Here is what Frank said:

As my time as Chair of the Waldo County YMCA Board comes to an end, I have been thinking a great deal about where we are, who we are, where we are going, and the path we must take together.

The Waldo County YMCA has always been more than a building. It is more than a place to exercise, swim, gather, or participate in programs. The Y is a pillar of this community. It is a central hub where people come together in friendship, in body, in spirit, in good times, and also in moments of hardship and tragedy.

That role matters.

Our community is changing. We see that change in the needs of our families, in the pressures facing our schools, in the realities of childcare, in the challenges of affordability, and even in the makeup and perspective of our own board. Across our county, we see real economic uncertainty. We see political division. We see difficult public conversations around budgets, schools, services, and priorities.

And yet, I am proud to say that the Waldo County YMCA has continued to be a place of stability, trust, and connection.

The Y is financially strong. Membership is growing. Our programs are well received. The community’s engagement with us is positive. That does not happen by accident. It is the result of years of work by staff, volunteers, donors, members, families, and community partners who believe in the mission of this organization.

Everyone in this room should be proud to have played some part in that.

At the same time, strength should never make us complacent. In fact, I believe our current position gives us a responsibility to be even more thoughtful, even more transparent, and even more engaged with the community we serve.

As we look ahead, we need to listen carefully. We need to ask the right questions. We need to understand what our community needs, what our community values, and what our community is willing to support. That is why the community assessment project is so important. It is not simply a planning exercise. It is a commitment to listening before acting.

The future of the Gro project and the age and condition of our building are, in my view, deeply connected. They are not separate issues. They are part of the same larger conversation about the future of the Waldo County YMCA, the services we provide, and the role we want to play in this community for the next generation.

We know the Y is one of the reasons people choose to move here, stay here, raise their families here, and find community here. Our programming is a major part of that. Our childcare programming is a coveted and essential resource. It is so valued that our local schools have looked to us for help.

That tells us something important.

It tells us that the Y is not on the edge of community life. The Y is at the center of it.

And when we think about childcare, youth programming, wellness, aquatics, senior engagement, family support, and community gathering space, we can see the potential for this organization to increase its impact in a meaningful way. But we also know the challenge. Space is an issue. The condition and capacity of our building are issues. These are real constraints.

The good news is that these issues are solvable.

They are solvable through listening. They are solvable through thoughtful planning. They are solvable through transparency, community buy-in, and disciplined leadership.

We have seen, at the school district level, the county level, and beyond, what can happen when communities feel disconnected from decisions that affect them. Good ideas can lose support when people do not feel heard. Important projects can become divisive when the process does not build trust.

We should learn from that.

The lesson is not to avoid bold thinking. The lesson is to bring people along with us. The lesson is to be clear about the need, honest about the challenges, and thoughtful about the path forward.

We should not ask the community to support something it does not understand. We should not assume support without earning it. But we also should not underestimate the power of a shared vision when people are invited into the conversation early, respectfully, and honestly.

The YMCA has a unique opportunity to be a light in this community. Not by telling people what they need, but by listening to what they are experiencing. Not by rushing toward a project, but by building a plan that reflects the real needs and hopes of Waldo County.

That is the work ahead.

As I step out of this role, I do so with gratitude and confidence. Gratitude for the people who have served beside me. Gratitude for the staff and leadership who carry this mission every day. Gratitude for the board members, past and present, who have given their time and care to this organization. And gratitude for a community that continues to believe in the Y.

I am confident because the Waldo County YMCA is in a strong position. I am confident because the mission still matters deeply. I am confident because the need for this organization is only growing. And I am confident because, if we remain thoughtful, transparent, and community-centered, the Y will continue to be one of the most important institutions in Waldo County.

The path forward will require courage, patience, humility, and vision.  The expectation on all of us is high. We must always strive to put our best face forward, to think before we speak or act in the community, to shoulder challenges with grace, to solve problems with a smile and to do the things we say we will. In order to succeed we need to lean on each other and utilize our strengths to share the load. 

But that is what this organization has always been built on.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as Chair. It has been an honor.