Leadership Team

Learn more about our executive and volunteer leadership.

Executive Team

Paul Vest, President and CEO

Tim Blenco, Chief Operating Officer

Jennifer Murphy, Chief Administrative Officer

MaryO Ratcliffe, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Engagement

Kristen Aquino, Vice President of Financial Development

Jessica Hendrix, Vice President of Operations

Melissa Wiedeman, Vice President of Operations, K-12 Childcare

Kevin Young, Vice President of Human Resources

Board of Directors

Thank you to our volunteers for giving their time, expertise, and experience to the YMCA and the community. Here are the 2023 Officers and Board of Directors for the YMCA of Western North Carolina.

Officers

Chair: Ben Hamrick
Vice Chair: John Pierce
Past Chair: Joe Brumit
Treasurer: Amy Bibby
Secretary: Kathy Guyette Palazzo

Committee Chairs

Development: Gary Foss
Facilities Visioning: Open
Finance: Amy Bibby
Governance: Clark Duncan
Equity: Elizabeth Lima
Strategic Planning: Charles Frederick

Board Members

Amy Bibby, Office Managing Partner, CPA, Forvis
Joe Brumit, Owner and President, Brumit Development Company; Owner and CEO, Brumit Restaurant Group
Greg Burnette, Area Vice President, First Citizens Bank 
Tracy Buchanan, President and CEO, CarePartners
Emilee Dickerson, Community Volunteer
Clark Duncan, Executive Director and Senior Vice President of Economic Development, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
Dan Field, General Manager, Pratt & Whitney
Gary Foss, Founder and President (retired), GFoss Consulting, LLC
Charles Frederick, Market President, TD Bank
Lara Glass, President, The Glass Foundation
John Gossett, President, A-B Tech Community College
Ben Hamrick, Partner and CEO, DMJPS PLLC
Bill Hathaway, CEO, Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC)
Kevin Hefner, Area President, First Horizon
Terri King, Owner, Coldwell Banker King
Elizabeth Lima, Chief, Whole Health Service, Asheville VA Medical Center
Lucy Massagee, Attorney, Prince, Massagee and Alexander
Caroline McLean, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Western District of North Carolina
Kathy Guyette Palazzo, Chief Nurse Executive, Strongline
John Pierce, Vice Chancellor for Budget and Finance (retired), UNC Asheville
Jennifer Reed, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Buncombe County Schools
J.C. Sadler, Vice President of Marketing and Community Affairs, Mission Hospital
Shantelle Simpson, CEO, Appalachian Mountain Community Health Center