Alliance News

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T. Andrew Thornton (Andy) Named CEO of the Illinois State Alliance of YMCAs

September 22, 2025

After an extensive nationwide search, the Illinois State Alliance of YMCAs Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of T. Andrew Thornton (Andy) as the next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Alliance. Andy brings with him more than 27 years of service to the YMCA movement and more than 15 years of service as a YMCA CEO. Andy has served on many state and national YMCA boards and committees and has spent his entire YMCA career in the state of Illinois. Andy will officially assume the position of CEO of the Illinois State Alliance of YMCAs on October 20th, 2025.

Andy Thornton has dedicated his career to strengthening communities through the mission of the YMCA. Since June 2017, he has served as President and CEO of the Greater Peoria Family YMCA, bringing both vision and heart to his leadership. A native of Central Illinois, Andy’s YMCA journey began in 1995 in Peoria as an intern and Program Director, where he led summer camp, after-school, and youth sports programs.

His career path has taken him across Illinois, serving the Canton Family YMCA as Senior Program Director (2002–2006), the YMCA of Southwest Illinois’ Collinsville-Maryville-Troy branch as Branch Executive (2006–2010), and the Sterling-Rock Falls Family YMCA as Executive Director (2010–2017). In each role, Andy has focused on fostering growth, building capacity, and nurturing strong connections within communities.

Beyond his local leadership, Andy has been a committed voice in advancing the YMCA movement statewide and nationally. He has served with the Illinois State Alliance since 2011, including two years as Chairman of the Board, where he helped guide the hiring of the first Alliance Executive Director. In 2013, he was honored with the Alliance Chiefs Club Award for his leadership and service. He is also a founding Steering Committee member and active board member of the Small and Mid-Sized YMCA Network, advocating for the unique needs and strengths of YMCAs that serve diverse communities across the country.

Andy’s commitment extends further through service on Suzanne McCormick’s Advisory Summit, his work as a YMCA Champion for Child Abuse Prevention, and his role on the Financial Support Review Task Force. His leadership is rooted in the belief that strong partnerships, collaboration, and shared purpose can create lasting impact.

A proud Rotarian for more than 15 years, Andy has served in Rotary Clubs in Collinsville, Sterling, and Peoria, embodying the values of service above self. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Recreation and Park Administration from Illinois State University.

Above all, Andy is devoted to his family. He and his wife, Dawn, have shared 28 years of marriage and are blessed with four wonderful children. His professional life and personal life are both guided by his faith, and a deep sense of gratitude, hope, and the belief that investing in people and communities can transform lives.

The Illinois Alliance of YMCAs Board of Directors is excited about the future of the Illinois YMCA movement with Andy leading the way.

Seven Illinois YMCA Staff Complete 9-Month Multicultural Executive Advancement (MECA) Program

[Chicago IL, September 9, 2024]— The Illinois State Alliance of YMCAs announces the successful completion of the MECA program by seven Illinois YMCA staff members. The seven members graduating from the Illinois cohort are:

Courtney Brame – Gateway Region YMCA
Courtney Stevenson – Gateway Region YMCA
Nia Jeffery – Gateway Region YMCA
Mike Ortiz – North Suburban YMCA
Megan Vasquez – North Suburban YMCA
Michael Monis – YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago
Keesiya Robertson – YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago

Coaches for the 2024 Illinois MECA Cohort were:

Chasity Everett – Program Manager – Learning & Development - YUSA
Julio Vega -Director, Strategic Intervention – Network Experience - YUSA
Ken Strawbridge – District VP – Gateway Region YMCA
Glenn Haley – CEO – IL State Alliance of YMCAs

The Illinois State Alliance congratulates the graduates on their hard work and dedication to professional development. The Alliance thanks the volunteer coaches for their time in mentoring the next leaders of the YMCA movement.

The Multicultural Executive Career Advancement (MECA) is a professional development experience designed to prepare multicultural staff for their first Executive Director position. MECA was developed in response to the increasing number of requests from YMCAs asking Y-USA’s Multicultural Leadership Development and other networks to help them recruit a more diverse pool of Executive Directors candidates. MECA was created by YMCA Executive Directors who are Multicultural Executive Development Institute alumni to develop a pipeline within the Movement of Branch Executives who are representative of our changing population.

The objective of MECA is to prepare emerging leaders of color for Executive Director positions utilizing the 70/20/10 learning model. It is a hands-on developmental experience focused on specific competencies identified as necessary for success within the Executive Director position. MECA includes a blend of experiences, professional assessments, practicums and stretch assignments to provide a unique learning experience focused on preparing participants to succeed in achieving a branch executive position.

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The Y. For a better us.®

The Illinois State Alliance of YMCAs brings together more than 800 YMCA program locations impacting more than 150 communities and engaging nearly 1 million Illinoisans to strengthen the foundations of community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Learn more at illinoisymcas.org.

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