The YMCA of Greater Boston, a leading non-profit in the Boston community, announced the appointment of Kathryn Saunders as the Senior Association Director of Community Development. Saunders has been with the YMCA for the past 24 years and spent 9 years in her previous role as executive director of the Roxbury branch. In her new role, Saunders will lead community development initiatives that seek to drive the Y’s mission of improving the health of mind, body, and spirit of youth and families in its communities.
“Kathryn has proven to be a cause driven leader and her passion for improving health and wellness in the communities she serves makes her an invaluable part of the Y team,” said David Shapiro, the new president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston.
Saunders began working with the YMCA over two decades ago at the YMCA of Greater Boston’s Black Achievers Branch. Since then, she has been a member of several YMCA associations, serving as the Urban Development Director at the Capital District YMCA in Albany, NY as well as the Associate Executive Director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, MA.
Prior to her career at the Y, Saunders worked with teens on global issues in Switzerland, England, Mozambique, and Cuba as the Youth Program Director for the New England Regional Office of American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). Additionally, she was on the management teams of Healthworks Fitness Centers, The WellBridge Center, Le Pli Spas and Candela Laserspa during a successful 10-year health and fitness career.
Saunders has a Master of Education from Cambridge College and currently resides in the city with her husband, Marc.
The YMCA of Greater Boston is one of Massachusetts leading nonprofits committed to strengthening communities by improving health, empowering youth and activating people for good. Every day the Y works with thousands of men, women, and children to ensure that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has access to Y programs and services. As the nation’s fifth largest charity, the Y is creating a community of caring people through meaningful memberships. For more than 165 years, the Y has been developing skills and emotional well-being through education and training, welcoming and connecting diverse populations, preventing chronic disease and building healthier communities. The YMCA of Greater Boston is America’s first Y.
