YMCA Tauranga Announces New CEO

Wednesday, 7 December 2011, 12:47 pm
Press Release: YMCA

The YMCA Tauranga is pleased to announce the appointment of Ric Balfour as its next Chief Executive Officer. He will take over from Amy S. Thaler, who will be leaving in January to pursue new challenges in her home country of the USA.

Bringing over 35 years of forestry, outdoor recreation and environmental education to the role, Ric is passionate about helping local communities, clubs and organizations thrive in their efforts to get kids and families actively engaged in the outdoors.

Announcing Ric’s appointment, President Kevin Kerr explained that the YMCA Tauranga’s Board undertook an extensive search to ensure a suitable candidate was found.

“We received applications from all around the world,” Kerr said. “In hindsight we needn’t have looked further than Tauranga to find the right candidate. Ric’s passion for his projects, enthusiasm for his work, and ideas for the YMCA came shining through. We believe he will build on the work Amy did during her tenure and take the Y to even greater heights.”

Ric comes to the YMCA having been the TECT All Terrain Park Manager for Western Bay of Plenty District Council since January 2008. Prior to that he lived in Oregon, USA, for 19 years where he worked with state agencies, local government and small non-profits with great success. As Director of Forestry Education for the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, Ric coordinated statewide environmental education programmes, teacher training, and natural resource training programmes for landowners and professionals. As Oregon’s first Public Use Coordinator, he was responsible for establishing recreation, education, and interpretation programmes across 850,000 acres of Oregon Department of Forestry lands.

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Departing CEO Amy Thaler says she is thrilled to be handing the Y over to Ric. “I have worked hard over the last four years to position the YMCA Tauranga for the long haul and Ric’s appointment is the icing on the cake really. I can now leave with a clear conscience knowing that more great things are on the horizon with Ric at the helm.”

Ric explains that he is looking forward to starting his new role. “I’m so excited about leading an organisation of the YMCA’s calibre and about exploring new ways to make it the nexus between community, education and recreation in the region.”

A resident of Welcome Bay, Ric lives with his wife Holly and two daughters Fiona (10) and Lillian (7) and will start at the Y in March of 2012.

About YMCA Tauranga

To us, it’s all about showing your spirit. Ask yourself, when was the last time you showed yours?

Most people hold tightly onto theirs, often too shy to release it. Some people let their spirit run wild, and sometimes have to rein it in- and we meet tonnes of people who have just never been shown how to find theirs. You also get the occasional person who reckons they are just saving their spirit for later.

At the YMCA we work with people to help find their spirit, so they can make the most of their experience and unleash their potential on the world around them.

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YMCA

Building strong kids, strong families and strong communities

The Y has been in New Zealand for over 168 years, building strong kids, strong families and strong communities. There are 48 Y centres across New Zealand.