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Community Corner

WESTFIELD AREA Y BOARD MEMBER SERVES AS CHAIR OF NATIONWIDE YMCA CONFERENCE

The Westfield Area Y is proud to announce that Darielle Walsh, Board Member and former Board Chair, is serving as Chair of the 2013 nationwide conference of YMCA’s.  The National General Assembly, an event sponsored once every three years, will be in Philadelphia from July 18-21, 2013. 

The goal of the conference is to inspire YMCA staff and volunteers, help them connect with others, and teach them new and innovative approaches to issues facing more than 900 YMCA associations serving over 10,000 communities around the country.  Featured speakers include Dr. Sanjay Gupta, internationally recognized Emmy award winning Chief Medical News Correspondent for CNN; Malcolm Gladwell, nationally acclaimed NY Times bestselling author; Sally Hogshead, author and motivational speaker; Steve Adubato, NJ Star Ledger columnist, broadcaster, author, university  professor and motivational speaker; and Neil Nicoll, YMCA of the USA President and CEO.  Serving a second term as Chair of the General Assembly Task Force, Darielle has been instrumental in the planning and implementation of the General Assembly conference for the past three years. 

Having attended her first General Assembly in 2001, Darielle served on the planning committee for the 2006 conference in Nashville, and as national chair of the 2010 conference in Salt Lake City.  She expects conference attendance to skew upwards of 4,000 in Philadelphia this year.

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Mrs. Walsh commented, “The energy among staff and volunteers attending is undeniable.  There is value in connecting and inspiring staff and volunteers to work together and plan for the future of the YMCA organization.  It is important and unique to involve staff and volunteers at a nationwide conference where they can network and learn together.” 

Darielle began her tenure with the Westfield Area Y in 1992.  She served as Westfield Area Y Board Chair for four years.  Highlights of her tenure include leading an executive search for a new CEO as well as a targeted capital campaign that led to development of the Robert and Virginia Bauer Family Branch.  She currently chairs the capital renovation campaign for the Westfield Area Y Clark Street facility.  Her local involvement eventually earned her a position on the National YMCA-USA Board from 2002 to 2005. 

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Darielle is a Past President and Charter Member of the Education Fund of Westfield; Past President of the Westfield Rotary Club; Past President of the Westfield Optimist Club, Past President of the Westfield Board of Education; former member of the Westfield Municipal Town Council; a Vice President of the Westfield United Fund Board of Trustees; and a member of the Municipal Planning Board.  Darielle and her husband Michael have resided in Westfield for 35 years.

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