B.R. RYALL YMCA ANNOUNCES NEW CEO

Walter Johnson, Vice President of Resource Development at Heritage YMCA Group is to become the 10th Director at the 91-year old nonprofit.

GLEN ELLYN, Ill. (April 28, 2010) - After an exhaustive search and in-depth interviews with the top candidates, the Board of Directors has announced Walter Johnson will replace retiring Executive Director, Ed Knapp at the helm of the B.R. Ryall YMCA, one of the county's oldest nonprofit organizations.

Walter will be joining the B.R. Ryall YMCA after five years at the Heritage Y in Naperville where he served as Vice President, Resource Development. B.R. Ryall YMCA Board President John Cochrane, in an announcement to staff, noted that "prior to joining Heritage, Walter had a successful and fulfilling career with North Central College where he was Director of Athletics, overseeing numerous NCAA Division III Championships and heading up major capital raising efforts." He is very enthusiastic about this opportunity and looks forward to working in this community when he officially starts on May 24th.

Ed Knapp is retiring from the position of Executive Director after a 30-year career with the Y. The 20 years he spent with the B.R. Ryall Y make him the second longest serving Executive Director in the organization's 91-year history. He is known for his dedication to the community and devotion to the Y membership and staff. Cochrane recognizes that "Ed, along with his staff, has built this Y into a wonderful organization focusing on all the things that really matter - #1 being healthy relationships."
The B.R. Ryall YMCA has been serving the DuPage community since 1919 with programs that support its mission - to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. They rely on this statement to guide every program and service offered. From scholarship programs providing membership and programs to families and individuals that cannot afford it, to childcare programs that teach core values to the next generation of leaders, the YMCA's mission is evidenced in everything they do.

History of Directors at B.R. Ryall YMCA
Ed Knapp - 1990-2010
Lester Sommers - 1977-1990
David Sheldon - 1968-1977
Richard Protzman - 1959-1961
Ed Duffin - 1956-1961
Charles Hartman - 1952-1955
B.R. Ryall - 1927-1952
Charles Caster - 1921-1927
William H. Ritchie - 1919-1921

THE YMCA: A LONG-STANDING COMMITMENT TO HEALTH OF SPIRIT, MIND AND BODY The B.R. Ryall YMCA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization committed to its mission of serving the communities of Carol Stream, Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Warrenville, West Chicago, Wheaton and Winfield for since 1919. Collectively, the country's 2,663 YMCAs serve nearly 20.2 million people each year, including 9.4 million children under the age of 18. Through a variety of programs and services focused on the holistic development of children and youth, health and well-being for all and family strengthening, YMCAs unite men, women and children of all ages, faiths, backgrounds, abilities and income levels. From urban areas to small towns, YMCAs have proudly served America's communities for nearly 160 years by building healthy spirit, mind and body for all. Visit www.brryallymca.org to find out more about the B.R. Ryall YMCA.