MADISON, Ala. (WHNT) — It has been quite a year for the Heart of the Valley YMCA. It filed for bankruptcy, sold a beloved summer camp and just in the last few weeks brought on a new CEO.
The Heart of the Valley YMCA welcomed new President & CEO Rob Gray on Aug. 11.
He spoke exclusively to News 19 about his goals for the present and future.
“The good news is, aside from that bankruptcy and our reorganization, we are very healthy today,” Gray told News 19. “We are stable, and we have a plan going forward.”
Gray is joining the Heart of the Valley YMCA with 40 years of YMCA experience. He’s coming to North Alabama from a Y organization in Maine, where he led a post-COVID recovery effort.
He told News 19 that he is prepared to lead the Heart of the Valley YMCA into its next chapter.
“We will be introducing some new things and initiatives,” Gray said. “We will analyze our current structure of our team, making sure that our staff capacity is built to serve this community the way that needs to be served.”
In August of 2024, the Heart of the Valley YMCA filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. It cited financial issues tied to large mortgage payments owed on the Hogan Family YMCA in Madison.
After selling Camp Cha-La-Kee in Guntersville earlier this year, the YMCA says it’s in a better place.
Gray also told News 19 that membership numbers are starting to come back up after the pandemic.
“I’m proud to report this Y [Hogan Family] has climbed back to 7,200 households, and we have a net improvement of about 500 households year over year,” Gray said.
The Heart of the Valley YMCA is also gearing up to open a new Downtown YMCA location in the Times Building. It’s set to open early this fall. “We’ll be transitioning over the next 8 to 10 weeks to that space, so we’re incredibly excited about that,” Gray said.
The new Downtown YMCA will be just a few blocks away from its current spot in the Huntsville Utilities building.
Gray also told News 19 that the YMCA is planning more community outreach events in the coming weeks. He said the Hogan Family YMCA is planning a First Responders Community Day on Sept. 28 for both members and non-members. More details on that event are expected to be released soon.
Gray told News 19 that he’s excited to get to work.
“My role right now really is about listening, learning, and supporting my team,” he said.
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