YMCA of Greater Toronto welcomes Medhat Mahdy as President and Chief
Executive Officer

TORONTO, April 15 /CNW/ - Colleen Albiston, Chair of the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Greater Toronto, is pleased to announce the appointment of Medhat Mahdy as President and CEO. Mr. Mahdy brings to his new appointment an extensive background in not-for-profit leadership and community involvement. He has been a YMCA staff member since 1976, and has served in a variety of capacities at both YMCA Canada and the YMCA of Greater Toronto - most recently as Senior Vice President, Strategy and Organizational Development, and Interim President and CEO. He has led the research and positioning strategy for the YMCA, with a focus on health promotion, diversity and social inclusion, and child and family development. "Medhat's leadership will enable the YMCA of Greater Toronto to deliver on a bold new ten-year strategic plan to build communities that will be home to healthy children, teens and young adults," said Colleen Albiston. "His task will be to engage the community in this exciting vision."

Mr. Mahdy holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto and a number of strategic and voluntary sector designations from York, McGill and Queen's Universities. He has also completed the Change and Organizational Renewal program at the Harvard Business School. He has served on a number of industry task forces including Health Canada's Healthy Living Task Force, the steering committee for the Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada, and VOICE in Health Policy.

Mr. Mahdy will assume his new role on April 16, 2010. "It is a great honour to have the opportunity to serve the communities of the GTA, Toronto, Durham, Peel, York and Halton regions as well as Dufferin County. I hope to meet many community leaders over the coming months to learn more about the needs of people who live and work in our communities and to share our new vision."

The YMCA of Greater Toronto is a community-based, registered charity committed to the health of children, youth and young adults. Last year the YMCA of Greater Toronto provided programs and services to almost 440,000 people of all ages, races, cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, faiths, abilities and income levels. Thanks to the generosity of donors, the YMCA is able to ensure that everyone is able to participate in our programs, regardless of their financial means.

About the YMCA of Greater Toronto

The YMCA of Greater Toronto is a dynamic charity connecting with more than 400,000 people at 235 locations across the GTA to build strong kids, strong families and strong communities. Since 1853, the YMCA has been promoting positive values that build spirit, mind and body. Mirroring the regions diversity, the YMCA welcomes everyone regardless of their background, experiences, or circumstances. Through the YMCA Strong Kids campaign, we strive to ensure no one is turned away because of an inability to pay. The YMCA, in partnership with more than 250 organizations and over 3,500 volunteers, offers a variety of programs responding to the needs of the community, including employment, education and newcomer programs, youth outreach, health, fitness and recreation, youth in need of housing, international programs, child care, and camps. www.ymcagta.org.

For further information: Stephanie Hurley, Public Relations Specialist, YMCA of Greater Toronto, T: [phone] ext. 2339, E: [email protected]