Meeting Waters YMCA’s programs and services are led by a high-quality staff that includes three full-time, fifteen year-round part-time, and twenty full-time seasonal employees (camps). Over 50% of these “Professional Role Models” are teens or young adults, making the Meeting Waters YMCA the largest employer of youth in the CT River Valley’s social service sector. The staff is supported by policy volunteers who serve on the Board of Directors, program volunteers, and others who serve on volunteer committees.
If you would like to become a member of the Meeting Waters YMCA staff, please see our Employment page.
All Meeting Waters YMCA employees agree to and adhere to a very clear Code of Conduct.
Current Meeting Waters YMCA Staff Members and their Roles
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Susan Fortier | Executive Director |
| Emily Hewes | Youth Development Director |
| vacant | Administrative Coordinator |
| Chelsea Therrien | Y-ASPIRE Site Director at Dummerston School |
| Caroline Donovan-Atwood | Y-ASPIRE Program Assistant at Dummerston School |
| Donna Ellis | Y-ASPIRE Site Director at Academy School |
| Kali Stockwell; Sydney Wheeler | Y-ASPIRE Program Assistant at Academy School |
| Katie Valcourt | Y-ASPIRE Site Director at Oak Grove School |
| Alane Bruce | Y-ASPIRE Program Assistant at Oak Grove School |
| Erica Smith | Y-ASPIRE Program Staff at Green St School |
| Evan Bywater | Y-ASPIRE Program Assistant at Green St School |
| vacant | Y-ASPIRE Site Director at Bellows Falls |
| Cadance James; Lola McGinnis | Y-ASPIRE Program Assistant at Bellows Falls |
About Sue Fortier
Susan Fortier is the Executive Director of the Meeting Waters YMCA. She had served as its Program Director from November 1998 through May of 2017.
Sue brings decades of YMCA and other relevant experience to her role as a leader of the Meeting Waters YMCA. She “grew up” at the Greater Burlington YMCA–child care, school-age care, summer camp, swim lessons, gymnastics, synchronized swim team, Leaders Corps, teaching swim lessons and aquacize, camp staff and Waterfront Director at their Camp Greylock. She spent one summer as a camp counselor at YMCA Camp Hayward on Cape Cod.
In the mid-80s, Sue was Aquatic, Camp and Youth Director at the Keene Family YMCA. She then taught the Jobs for Vermont Graduates program at Bellows Falls Union High School for seven years. She became active in the YMCA movement again when she moved to western New Jersey in the mid-90s. Sue served in many capacities at the Hunterdon County YMCA– After-School Program Director, fitness instructor, and progressive swim teacher.
Check out this great article from the Brattleboro Reformer on Sue and Steve’s first ten years with Meeting Waters YMCA.
More about Susan:
- has “grown up with the Y.” She has either been a program participant or employee at YMCAs for more than 40 years (check out Sue’s Y story in her “Why the Y” video).
- for many years was a synchronized swimmer at the Greater Burlington YMCA, competing throughout the country as well as in Denmark and England.
- as a teen, served as counselor-in-training, counselor and waterfront director of the Greater Burlington Y’s Camp Greylock.
- has, within the YMCA movement, served in many capacities including Youth Director, Camp Director, Aquatic Director, Program Director, Child Care Program Director, and After-School Program Director. She is a unique “Jill of all Trades.”
- has taught YMCA swim lessons for more than forty-five years.
- was one of the originators of Aquacize when she began teaching water aerobics at the age of 17.
- has a Bachelors Degree in Sports Medicine with a concentration in Physical Therapy from Keene State College..
- earned a Master’s in Human Services with a concentration in Organizational Leadership from Springfield College. Read the press release here. Go here to check out her masters research project paper, “A Review of the Non-Profit Sector of Windham County: Opportunities for Strategic Restructuring.”
- served on the Keene State College Alumni Association for seven years, including two as its President.
- was recognized in 2013 by Keene State College as the recipient of the Sprague W. Drenan Award, “given annually since 1968 to an alum whose particpation in, and support of, alumni activities is worthy of recognition.”
- is founder and co-chair of the Disability Community Resource Network at YMCA of the USA.
Sue lives in Alstead, NH with her husband, Steve. They have two adult children, Sean and Laryssa, both of whom are MWYMCA staff veterans and elementary school educators.