web1_Val-DiGiorgio.cmyk_.jpg

Pa. GOP boss: Republican Party has to get back to its roots

web1_TTL100118creek1.jpg

WB mayor: Contractor pulled off creek-wall project won’t be paid

<p>DALLAS TWP. &#8212; Members of the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA gathered Friday night to celebrate another successful year of serving the community, and to choose leaders for the year to come.</p><p>John Morris IV was elected to take the reins as board president, succeeding longtime member and supporter Tom Maheady after his two years in the role.</p><p>In his State of the Association presentation before 104 guests in the dining hall of AppleTree Terrace At Newberry Estate, Executive Director Jim Thomas stressed the agency&#8217;s focus on providing service to children, adults and families regardless of their ability to pay, noting that the YMCA provided $1.41 million in services during the fiscal year.</p><p>Those services included summer camp (25 percent), membership (32 percent) and educational programming (43 percent).</p><p>The early learning, after school and youth programming, in particular, make a difference in the lives and educational development of area children, Thomas said, especially those from low-income families.</p><p>Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA had 4,570 members at year&#8217;s end. Among other key statistics, the year also saw 3,776 volunteer hours logged, 1,374 people participating in water-safety programs, 274 children enrolled in early childhood education programs and 136 children in its after school program.</p><p>Thomas praised the generosity of &#8220;the extremely generous donors supporting our mission&#8221; in making those programs possible.</p><p>Friday night also brought the election and re-election of the organization&#8217;s board of directors and board of trustees.</p><p><strong>Board of Directors</strong></p><p>&#8226; Kathi Bankes, Susan Elczyna, Kevin Engelman, Gerald O&#8217;Hara, Robert Piccone, Bud Reilly, John Riccetti, Jennifer Stull, John Vetashick and Michael Wood were re-elected to the board of directors, with with their terms expiring in January 2022.</p><p>&#8226; Joseph Borland was elected to a term expiring in January 2022.</p><p>&#8226; Angelo DeCesaris and Will Beekman were elected to terms expiring in January 2021.</p><p>&#8226; Mike Murray and Danielle Ader were elected to terms expiring in January 2020.</p><p><strong>Officers for Board of Directors</strong></p><p>In addition to Morris as president, the following were elected:</p><p>&#8226; Rose Mahler, vice president.</p><p>&#8226; Riccetti as treasurer.</p><p>&#8226; Bernard Popson as assistant treasurer.</p><p>&#8226; Lindsay Bezick as secretary.</p><p><strong>Board of Trustees</strong></p><p>&#8226; Greg Collins, Phil Johnson, Clayton Karambelas, Robert Mericle and Joseph Persico were re-elected to terms expiring in January 2022.</p><p>&#8226; Catherine Mihalick was elected to a term expiring in January 2021.</p><p><strong>Honors and remarks</strong></p><p>The evening also saw financial assistant Kathleen Lear-Herron, who has been with the organization more than a decade, honored as employee of the year.</p><p>&#8220;She is always willing to help someone out in any way possible and if she can&#8217;t, she makes sure you get the answers one way or the other,&#8221; Lear-Herron&#8217;s award stated. &#8220;Kathleen is a huge asset to the Y in more ways than most of us know.&#8221;</p><p>Friday&#8217;s gathering marked the organization&#8217;s 155th annual meeting.</p><p>&#8220;I like to think of the Y as being like a river that has been flowing steadily since 1863,&#8221; Maheady said. &#8220;It has been an honor to have been a steward.&#8221;</p><p>Morris, who said he has served under three different presidents, praised Maheady and those who had gone before for their accomplishments.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m really excited to help keep it going forward,&#8221; Morris said.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Wilkes-Barre-YMCA-4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kathleen Lear-Herron proudly displays a check award presented to her by Executive Director Jim Thomas for being named employee of the year during the annual meeting of the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA on Friday at AppleTree Terrace At Newberry Estate in Dallas Township. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Wilkes-Barre-YMCA-4.jpg</photo0><caption0>Kathleen Lear-Herron proudly displays a check award presented to her by Executive Director Jim Thomas for being named employee of the year during the annual meeting of the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA on Friday at AppleTree Terrace At Newberry Estate in Dallas Township. </caption0><photoCredit0>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Wilkes-Barre-YMCA-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Incoming Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA board president John Morris IV, at the podium, addresses the audience with outgoing president Tom Maheady in the background at Friday&#8217;s 155th annual meeting of the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA at AppleTree Terrace At Newberry Estate in Dallas Township. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Wilkes-Barre-YMCA-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Incoming Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA board president John Morris IV, at the podium, addresses the audience with outgoing president Tom Maheady in the background at Friday&#8217;s 155th annual meeting of the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA at AppleTree Terrace At Newberry Estate in Dallas Township. </caption1><photoCredit1>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Morris takes reins as board president</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Roger DuPuis</p><p>rdupuis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA hosts annual board meeting