Legacy of Leadership
One of the “critical issues” identified by our Board of Advisors is “Leadership Development” in relation to the Dowd and Stratford Richardson YMCA community. 
Over the past several years, the Dowd YMCA has been much more purposeful in tapping into the knowledge and experience of the Board of Advisors. The Board of Advisors (BOA) has taken on a much more active role through their Summer Council initiatives. It was through the Summer Councils that key initiatives were identified and prioritized into focus areas. Likewise, in 2004, the BOA developed strategies for implementing components of the Dowd Vision related to:
- Community/Relationship building
- Staff development/Customer service
- Volunteer/Leadership development
These small group interactions have been extremely effective, and their input to staff has been very beneficial. The next step was for formal restructuring of the BOA in addressing Volunteer/Leadership development. Three groups have been formed:
- Legacy of Leadership - composed of past Board Chairs, George Williams Award Winners and members whose “legacy” is well known through their long time service
- Leaders’ Circle - composed of past and current committee members, past Board members and long time members of the Dowd, some from the "Central Y” days
- Leaders for the Future - composed of Committee Members and Volunteers interested in getting further involved and/or pursuing higher levels of leadership within the Dowd’s Volunteer and Leadership ranks.
The Legacy of Leadership group was honored and celebrated recently for being very active in the past. Their portraits and perspectives on YMCA leadership are displayed throughout the Dowd YMCA branch to inspire others to serve. The focus for the Board of Advisors is on maintaining relationships and recognizing their many contributions of time and talent.