MAY 2023
Member of the Month
Dalton Sever & Christina Whittle
Employee of the Month
Amanda Medsker
Please congratulate Dalton & Christina on being our May Members of the Month! Dalton & Christina have been coming to the Y since July of 2022. When asked what their favorite part about the YMCA was, they said, “playing basketball, working out, and having fun!” Dalton & Christina got involved with the YMCA after they were encouraged by their guardians! A fun fact about them is they like being with friends and family, as well as being Christian! Stop by and congratulations to Dalton & Christina the next time you see them!
Please congratulate Amanda on being our May Employee of the Month! Amanda has been with the YMCA for 5 years! When asked what her favorite part about the Y she said, “Being able to connect with members and being there when they need assistance!” Amanda got started at the Y through an internship at the Jordan YMCA. She fell in love with what the Y’s purpose. She began her journey as a Wellness Advisor and transferred here after getting married! A fun fact about her is she is a HUGE Disney fanatic! Please let Amanda know how much she means to us!
APRIL 2023
Member of the Month
Bob Walton
Employee of the Month
Terri Nigh
Please congratulate Bob on being our April Member of the Month! Bob has been coming to the Y for over a year. When asked what his favorite part about the YMCA was, he said, “working out on the equipment, walking on the track, and meeting new people!” Bob got involved with the YMCA to stay active and to avoid sitting around the house! A fun fact about him is that he is 91 years young! Stop by and say congratulations to Bob the next time you see him!
Please congratulate Terri on being our April Employee of the Month! Terri has been with the Shelby County YMCA for over a year. When asked what her favorite part about the Y she said, “I love being around great people in a positive, fun environment!” Terri got started at the Y after retired from nursing and missed being involved with something meaningful. She passed the lifeguard certification and loves being apart of the Aquatics team! A fun fact about her is that she became a lifeguard at 64 years old! Please let Terri know how much she means to us!
MARCH 2023
Member of the Month
Stu Kaplan
Employee of the Month
Jessica Mohr
Please congratulate Stu on being our March Member of the Month! Stuart has been coming to the Y since we opened in 2021. When asked what his favorite part about the YMCA was, he said, “the staff!” Stu got involved with the YMCA through becoming our first corporate member! A fun fact about him is that he loves to sing! Stop by and say congratulations to Stuart the next time you see him!
Please congratulate Jessica on being our March Employee of the Month! Jessica has been with the Shelby County YMCA for over a year. When asked what her favorite part about the Y she said, “the positivity you feel walking in. Everyone treats each other like family here!” Jessica got started at the Y after she found herself interested in working out and taking group exercise classes. A fun fact about her is that she loves camping, boating, and hiking in the outdoors! Please let Jessica know how much we appreciate her!
FEBRUARY 2023
Member of the Month
Jose Rivera
Employee of the Month
Rosie Swain
Please congratulate Jose on being our February Member of the Month! Jose has been coming to the Y for over a year. When asked what his favorite part about the YMCA was, he said, “the staff.” Jose got involved with the YMCA because he loves that the Y is a Christian based facility and was led here because of that. A fun fact about him is that he loves to eat octopus! Stop by and say hi and congratulations to Jose the next time you see him working out!
Please congratulate Rosie on being our February Employee of the Month! Rosie has been with the Shelby County YMCA for 4 months. When asked what her favorite part about the Y she said, “the friendly people, the great coworkers, and connecting with the SilverSneaker seniors!” Rosie retired after working nearly her whole life. She wanted to find something she enjoyed doing after retirement. “God had a plan for me, and the Y is where I’m meant to be!” A fun fact about her is that she loves llamas and going to the beach. Please let Rosie know how much we appreciate her!
JANUARY 2023
Member of the Month
Janet Schindel
Employee of the Month
Maia Harris
Please congratulate Janet on being our January Member of the Month! Janet has been coming to the Y for almost a year. When asked what her favorite part about the YMCA was, she said, “the SilverSneakers and Carolyn’s & Brad’s classes.” Janet got involved with the YMCA through the classes we hold. She loves to talk with everyone in her class. A fun fact about her is that she loves to go to Macy’s shopping. All of us here at the Shelby County YMCA appreciate Janet for everything she does.
Please congratulate Maia on being our January Employee of the Month! Maia has been with the Shelby County YMCA for 4 months. When asked what her favorite part about the Y she said, “talking to the members and staff.” Maia began volunteering at the Y over the Summer. While she was here, she met many staff members and she was encouraged to apply. The next thing she knew, she was working at the Y! A fun fact about her is that this year, she went from being a basketball player to a coach! Please let Maia know how much we appreciate her!
DECEMBER 2022
Member of the Month
Brenda O'Connor
Employee of the Month
Jon Raison
Please congratulate Brenda on being our December Member of the Month! Brenda has been coming to the Y for a year. When asked what her favorite part about the YMCA was, she said, “spending time with her trainer and meeting new people.” Brenda had an ankle injury prior to joining the Y and was unable to do anything for several months. She then joined the Y and began swimming and working out. Some fun facts about her is that she has 12 grandchildren, retired from in-home daycare, loves spending time with family and traveling for vacation. All of us here at the Shelby County YMCA appreciate Brenda for everything she does.
Please stop by the pool and congratulate Jon on being our December Employee of the Month! Jon has been with us for nearly a year. When asked what his favorite part about the YMCA was, he said, “the positive vibes.” He always had being a lifeguard on his bucket-list and decided to go for it. He said “it was one of the best moves I ever made!” A fun fact about Jon is that he is a big foody. Please let Jon know how much we all appreciate him!
NOVEMBER 2022
Member of the Month
Natasha Newkirk
Employee of the Month
Christie Miller-Leaser
The next time you see Natasha working out, stop and congratulate her on being our November Member of the Month! Natasha and her family have been members of the Shelby County YMCA since we opened our doors. Natasha’s favorite part of the Y, is the awesome staff and friendly members! She quickly learned that the staff and members were like a community. Natasha has gained new friendships and is very thankful for this facility and everyone in it! She has an infectious smile and speaks with many of our members during her visits. A fun fact about Natasha is that she was born in Germany! We appreciate everything that Natasha brings to the Shelby County YMCA!
Stop by the pool to congratulate Christie on being our November Employee of the Month! Christie has been with us since we opened our doors in 2021. When asked what her favorite part about the Y she said, “obviously the pool!” Christie began teaching water aerobics in the fall of 1999 for the Parks Department. Since she is now a retired teacher, she wanted to look into teaching during the day at the Y and fortunately we were hiring! A fun fact about her is that she taught for 40 years, most of them were spent teaching music at Triton Elementary School. Please let Christie know how much we appreciate her!
OCTOBER 2022
Member of the Month
Kermit Crouse
Employee of the Month
Victoria Hivner
Please congratulate Kermit for being our Member of the Month! Kermit joined the Shelby County YMCA about 9 months ago. While Kermit is 81years old, he does not let that slow him down! He like to swim and stay in shape by using various equipment in the Wellness Center. His favorite part of the YMCA, is that he can get in to workout anytime during the day! Kermit is an avid hunter and was looking for a new way to stay in shape. He decided to look into the YMCA and is so happy that he is here! When you see Kermit either upstairs working out or in the pool swimming laps, make sure to give a big congrats for this accomplishment!
Please congratulate Victoria for being our October Employee of the Month! Victoria has been at the Shelby County YMCA for 1 year. She primarily works in our Child Watch area, but she can be found helping out with a variety of our children’s programs! She is always finding more ways to help out and get involved. Victoria’s favorite part of the YMCA is working in Child Watch! She has made many friends and enjoys interacting with the kids. A fun fact about Victoria is that she is originally from Texas! She also used to be obsessed with Build a Bears when she was a kid. After moving to Indiana, Victoria worked with kids at another facility before joining us. She had never been to a YMCA before, but she loves the environment because it is such a fun place to work and be! One of her favorite bible verses is Philippians 2:3. Please stop by Child Watch and give Victoria a big thank you for all of the work she does!
SEPTEMBER 2022
Member of the Month
Jerry Swisher
Employee of the Month
Monica Hamill
Please congratulate Jerry for being our September Member of the Month! Jerry started coming to the YMCA in February of 2022. He first got involved with the Shelby County YMCA after his 4 children coaxed him into a tour. With their help, Jerry found a way to get out of the house more and he is very glad they did! His favorite part of the YMCA is the people that he gets to interact with while he is working out. It is one of the friendliest places he has ever been to! A fun fact about Jerry is that he was an officer in the Army for 8 years. After that, he went on to become a school principal! Stop by and say hi and congratulations to Jerry the next time you see him working out!
Stop by one of Monica’s Yoga Classes and congratulate her on being our September Employee of the Month! She has been a Group Exercise Instructor since we opened last July. Monica loves that the YMCA’s mission is Christian based. She likes helping members make connections through yoga to improve their mental and physical wellbeing. Monica got connected to the YMCA by utilizing the Indianapolis and Greensburg locations as a member. Once she began teaching yoga, she was looking for a Y closer to home to teach at. She was absolutely thrilled to learn of our YMCA here in Shelby County! She is very thankful to have the opportunity to teach yoga to our community. A fun fact about Monica is that she is currently planning to complete a 50 mile bike ride! This is a goal that she has had for several years and cannot wait to accomplish it. Please give Monica a big congrats the next time you see her around!
AUGUST 2022
Member of the Month
Steve and Nancy Stephenson
Employee of the Month
Sophie Parker
Steve and Nancy have been members of the Shelby County YMCA since we first opened our door on July 26th, 2021. Nancy’s favorite part about the YMCA is the group exercise classes, especially the stability class with Brad! Steve’s favorite part of the YMCA is the exercise classes, pickleball, and all of the people! The Stephenson’s thought joining the Y would be a good way to stay involved after Steve retired. Since they have joined, they have made many new friends! It gives them the opportunity to be involved in the community together. A fun fact about Nancy is she likes spending time with her family and tending to her flowers. Steve has been involved with sports throughout his whole life! He loves joking around with members and staff, no matter the age. Please congratulate Steve and Nancy for being our August Members of the Month!
Please join us in congratulating Sophie as our August Employee of the Month! Sophie has been with us here at the Shelby County YMCA since before we opened our doors last July. She primarily works in Child Watch but has expanded her work with several of our youth programs such as the Summer of Growth, Kids Night Out, Youth Soccer, and more! A fun fact about Sophie is that she has a dog named Parker. Sophie said her favorite part of the YMCA is the atmosphere and the people. She has made many new friendships over the last year! Before the YMCA opened, Sophie was looking for a job so she decided to apply for our Child Watch position. And a year later, she is still loving it! Make sure you thank Sophie for all she has contributed to the YMCA over the last year!
JULY 2022
Member of the Month
Jayden Sturgill
Employee of the Month
Kate Linville
Please give a big congrats to Jayden for being our July Member of the Month! He has been a member here since we opened in July 2021. A fun fact about Jayden is that he likes Sonic the Hedgehog because he runs fast and Jaydon likes to run fast too! His favorite part about the YMCA is that exercising in our Wellness Center. Since last July, Jayden has lost over 70 pounds! He wanted to be a part of our YMCA to help him jumpstart a healthier lifestyle and become happier. He is now happy and ready to keep moving forward! The next time you see him working out, take time to congratulate him on this accomplishment!
Please join us as we celebrate Kate as being our July Employee of the Month! Kate started working at the YMCA in February by helping out with our Youth Volleyball Camp. She thoroughly enjoyed working with the kids so she moved over to working in our Child Watch area. Kate has been a HUGE help the last few months by picking up shifts and helping out in many different areas. Her favorite part of working at the YMCA is that she is able to have so much fun while working! Kate has always loved working with kids and has enjoyed doing so here at the YMCA by working with Youth Programming, Child Watch, and our Summer of Growth program! A fun fact about Kate is that she hates seafood. She is a special employee and has played a major roll in allowing us to have many successful youth programs. Please congratulate Kate!
JUNE 2022
Member of the Month
Brenda Comstock
Employee of the Month
Beth Thomas
Please congratulate Brenda on being our June Member of the Month! Brenda started coming to the YMCA in August, soon after we opened. Her favorite part of the YMCA is the pool and all of the members of the Y! Brenda takes multiple water fitness classes each week and enjoys every second of it. This has played a bit part of her story of the YMCA. Brenda was excited to hear that we were getting a YMCA in Shelby County! She wanted a place that she could utilize in her fitness journey and this seemed like the right place! The pool and our special aquatics participants have been a big help in this process. A fun fact about Brenda is that she is raising her 4 grandkids and they love to cruise! Stop by some of our water fitness classes to congratulate Brenda on this amazing accomplishment!
Beth is one of many valued Shelby County YMCA employees. She always goes above and beyond while helping our members with any questions they may have. One of Beth’s favorite parts about working here at the YMCA is showing new members around the facility and sharing with them all the different programs and opportunities we offer! Beth claims there is nothing too special about her, but we all love her! She says that her children and grandchildren give her life and purpose. Beth decided to get involved with the YMCA because it gave her the opportunity to get out of the house and be around people. She did not know how much she would quickly love the people she has the chance to work with! Please congratulate Beth on earning this honor of being our June Employee of the Month!
MAY 2022
Member of the Month
Terry Crisp
Employee of the Month
Carolyn Gore
Please congratulate Terry Crisp, our May member of the month! Terry is another one of our members who have been with us since our doors opened in July. Terry participates in may of the different programs that the Y has to offer. Her favorite being the YMCA group exercise classes. A fun fact about Terry is that she loves shopping! Terry decided to join the Y because her previous gym had closed. She wasn’t sure about the drive at first but now she is hooked! Her love for the Y is so strong that she can be found within the facility almost every day! The next time you see Terry enjoying a class, please congratulate her on her success!
Carolyn is a very valuable YMCA employee. She is a Silver Sneakers instructor who is passionate about her participants! Not only does she love being an instructor but she loves the comradery of her groups. Carolyn has been working at the Y since July of 2021. She had been a Silver Sneakers instructor for 10 years prior to joining the YMCA family. A fun fact about Carolyn is that she has two pet turtles named Tom and Jerry. Another interesting fact is that she turns to her secret addiction of Lay’s potato chips when she is in need of extra comfort. Though chips bring her comfort, she is who brings comfort to all of the Silver Sneakers participants. Carolyn loves being a part of the YMCA just as we love having her! She is truly and asset to our Y family! Congratulations and thank you Carolyn, for all that you do!
APRIL 2022
Member of the Month
Abby O'Connor
Employee of the Month
Teejay Ramsey
Abby has been a member of the Shelby County YMCA since we opened in July of 2021! Below is her written testimonial of what the YMCA means to her and her family.
“The Shelby County YMCA has been such a wonderful addition to our community. Personally, I have been able to focus on strength training with exceptional equipment in a supportive, welcoming environment. Aside from making improvements in my physical health, the friendships and connections I have made with others in the community have been just as beneficial to my mental health. Being able to get a great workout in while developing friendships with people I may have never crossed paths with, has been extremely meaningful. The YMCA youth programs have given my children opportunities to try new sports, attend special events like the Daddy Daughter night, and meet other children in the child watch. We look forward to signing up for upcoming sports, family, and camp activities. Our family is so grateful to have the YMCA as a place to spend time together, stay active, and make new connections in our community!”
Please congratulate Abby on this Success!
Teejay is a very valuable aquatics employee. She is an excellent swim instructor who is very passionate about the importance of swim lessons. She also is a beloved water fitness instructor and teaches Aqua Challenge and gives a great workout each time. Finally, Teejay recently became lifeguard certified specifically to help the aquatics department with giving breaks. Teejay has been working at the Y since August of 2021. Her favorite part of working at the YMCA is that there is something here for her entire family. She said “I love swimming and was so excited when I found out we were building a YMCA so close to home. I wanted to get involved in programs so that the YMCA was part of our daily life.” A fun fact about Teejay is that when she was only 14 years old, she swam NINE miles for a summer camp challenge! Overall, Teejay is such an asset to the Y! She is always seen smiling and spreading her positivity. Teejay truly embodies the mission of the YMCA! Congratulations and thank you Teejay, for all that you do!
MARCH 2022
Member of the Month
Mary Kaster
Employee of the Month
David Green
Please congratulate Mary Kaster, our March Member of the Month! Mary is another one of our members who have been with us since our doors opened in July! Mary participates in a lot of different programs that the Y offers! She loves swimming, the dance class, Silver Sneakers classes, and the staff who work here! A fun fact about Mary is she loves life! She enjoys getting to be around people, to help others, and seeing people smile. Mary decided to join the Y due to some health issues she began having and wanted to address them by working out. She feels better than she has for a long time! The next time you see Mary enjoying a class or program, please tell her congratulations!
Please congratulate our Employee of the Month, David Green! David has been at the Y for 6 months. His favorite part about the YMCA is the clean, friendly atmosphere with activities that are available for all ages! A fun fact about David is he shaves his head to look younger, he isn’t actually bald! David was asked during pre-sale if he would like to become a certified spin instructor but he declined. Shortly after our facility opened and he was able to get to know the staff, he knew he wanted to become a part of this organization! Please congratulate David on this amazing accomplishment!
FEBRUARY 2022
Member of the Month
Trina Clements
Trina has been a YMCA member since right after we opened in August 2021! She has always been a water person and was very excited to have a pool only a half mile away from her house! She is looking forward to spending her early retirement at the Y! Trina is an avid water fitness participant. She takes nearly all of our water fitness classes and averages 14 hours per week in the water! Trina is a true joy in class; always smiling and singing along to the music during class. She says that her favorite part about the YMCA is the staff, she says “Haven’t met a bad one yet! All are very friendly!” A fun fact about Trina is that she has flown to Disney World on Walt Disney’s private plane! Congratulations Trina!
Employee of the Month
Shonda Miller
Employee of the Month
Hailey Siegal Gonzalez
Congratulations is in order for our February Employee of the Month, Shonda Miller! Shonda has been with the Shelby County YMCA since before we opened and helped us with our Pre-Sale! Her favorite part of working at the Y is meeting all of our wonderful staff and members who walk in the door. A fun fact about Shonda is she has a “slight” shoe obsession and owns about 150 pairs! Shonda decided to apply to work at the Y after her son decided to go to grad school at Texas A & M. Please congratulate Shonda on this amazing accomplishment!
Please congratulate our second Employee of the Month, Hailey! Hailey has also been with the Shelby County YMCA since day 1. She is a Wellness Advisor and a Group Exercise Instructor. Hailey’s favorite part of the Y is the community and people, it always brightens her day! When she applied, she was happy to learn that the Y was a Christian and family based organization! A fun fact about Hailey is Trato de hablar español y me encanta poder comunicarme con la increíble comunidad hispana, incluida mi increíble media naranja. Ay y naranja es mi color favorito. Tengo cinco hijos y tres nacieron en febrero, ¡así que es un gran mes para mí! Please congratulate Hailey on this accomplishment the next time you see her!
JANUARY 2022
Member of the Month
Ron Burwell
"Steady Eddie"
Employee of the Month
Brad Bishop
Please meet Ron, our January member of the month!
Ron has been coming to the Shelby County YMCA since August of 2021. His favorite part about the YMCA is the how the staff brings brightness and positivity to the facility! Ron has been active for most of his life but has always hoped for a YMCA in the community. Once this facility opened, he jumped on the opportunity to join! A fun fact about Ron is that he loves to play tennis and his nickname is “Steady Eddie!” We are so grateful to have you as part of our Y family! Please congratulate Ron the next time you see him around!
Please congratulate Brad for being our employee of the month of the month!
In the short time that we have been open, Brad has worked his way up to be our Wellness Coordinator! He works with our Wellness Advisors and members to ensure they have all their questions answered about any workout equipment! Brad has been with the YMCA for 9 years. A fun fact about Brad is he is a retired pro wrestler! The next time you see Brad, thank and congratulate him on this amazing success! The Y and our members appreciate all you do Brad!
DECEMBER 2021
Member of the Month
Gil Whitten
Employee of the Month
Heath McIntire
Please meet our December Member of the Month, Gil!
Gil has been coming to the Shelby County YMCA since the beginning of August. Gil loves coming to the YMCA and sharing his experiences with the YMCA staff and members. His favorite part is the staff and all the help that they give him and others! Gil decided he needed to start utilizing the YMCA to keep his good health up. Whenever Gil isn’t at the YMCA, he goes out to local nursing homes and plays music for the elderly! Their group is called the “Over the Hill Gang!” Reach out and congratulate Gil on this amazing achievement the next time you see him in the YMCA!
Please congratulate Heath for being our Employee of the Month for December!
Heath works as one of our Front Desk staff and interacts with everyone who comes through the door. He has been with the YMCA for 5 months. Heath decided to get involved with the YMCA because he loves the Y mission and he wants to help people accomplish their health & wellness goals. A fun fact about Heath is he has a shoe obsession! The next time you see Heath, thank and congratulate him on this accomplishment! We appreciate all you do Heath!
NOVEMBER 2021
Member of the Month
Mike Garrison
Employee of the Month
Tiffany Sullivan
Please meet our November Member of the Month, Mike!
Mike has been coming to the Shelby County YMCA every, single day since we opened. November 2nd, will mark his 100th day! Before the YMCA opened, he had never been to a fitness center. Mike has been a walker for 20 years but he has always wanted someplace to walk in the winter. His favorite part about the YMCA is walking the track. He has now started to incorporate some machines as well! Mike always comes in smiling and makes new friends every day. He loves the impact the YMCA has made on him by being able to meet so many new people of all ages We love having you here Mike!
Meet Tiffany, our November employee of the month!
Tiffany started working in Child Watch when we opened in July! She has an amazing work ethic and is a great asset to our team. Tiffany is always up for picking up extra shifts and helping out any way that she can! Tiffany decided at a young age she wanted to work with children due to having 4 younger siblings! She has been working in child care for almost 16 years, she decided that the YMCA was a great place to continue this journey! While there are many things Tiffany enjoys about the Shelby County YMCA, her favorite is being able to meet new people. Please congratulate and thank Tiffany for all her hard work the next time you see her!
OCTOBER 2021
Member of the Month
Rhonda Hill
Employee of the Month
Alfonso Andolz
Meet our first-ever member of the month, Rhonda!
Rhonda grew up in Shelbyville and was a nurse for many years. She has two grown sons, 4 grandkids, and she has also fostered/rescued many dogs and currently has a dog named Pia. Rhonda was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 and then later developed metastatic cancer and also brain stem necrosis due to treatments. She is still fighting, after 19 years. Her favorite part of the YMCA is the pool. She says “the pool has made a huge difference in my abilities. My overall mobility has improved and ability to transfer has improved. I probably won’t ever be able to not need a wheelchair or upright walker but feel safer and steadier as exercise in the pool.” Rhonda waited anxiously for two years for our pool to be built and came in on opening day with her very supportive mother- Jan Curry. Rhonda and Jan come to the pool frequently and practice therapy. They also enjoy coming with the whole family and playing together in the pool. We are so thrilled to hear of the difference the Y has made for Rhonda and her family. Congratulations!
Meet our first-ever employee of the month, Alfonso!
Alfonso Andolz is an aquatics employee and works both as a lifeguard and as a swim instructor. Although he has another full-time job, he is very dedicated to the YMCA and helps as much as possible. Alfonso consistently supports his co-workers by picking up shifts or helping with coverage. He also helps as a handy-man and occasionally fixes things around the pool area. Soon, Alfonso will lead our Spanish Swim lessons program. Basically, Alfonso can be depended upon for helping with any needs in the pool. He is especially very passionate about the importance of learning to swim and excels at teaching lessons. He is a huge asset to the aquatics department and fully deserves this recognition and the honor of being the first Shelby County YMCA employee of the month!