Richard A. MacPherson Named President, CEO at MetroWest YMCA

The Board of Directors of the has appointed Richard A. MacPherson as the organization’s new president and chief executive officer, following the retirement of Jeanne McAllister.

During his 28 years working for the YMCA, MacPherson has embraced the organization’s mission and worked enthusiastically to further its cause at the MetroWest YMCA as operations director and previously at the YMCA of Central Massachusetts.

A native of Brookline, MacPherson began his career with the YMCA in 1984 as a Program Director at the Beverly Regional YMCA in Beverly. He became the Associate Executive Director at the YMCA of Central MA in Worcester in 1990, and advanced to the position of Central Branch Executive Director from 1995-2006. Some of his significant accomplishments in Worcester were the creation of a YMCA neighborhood park and the restoration of nearby abandoned housing through collaborations with local community development corporations
and private developers. He also secured funding and developed collaborations to help create programs to address youth obesity issues and he developed a coalition for men’s health that helped educate the community about prostate cancer and provided free screenings to those in need.

During his tenure as Operations Director at the MetroWest YMCA, MacPherson oversaw the growth of the association budget from $5.78 million to over $8.6 million in 2012 and a staff that has grown to over 250. MacPherson has been involved in facility renovation, expansion and construction projects that improved the Y’s ability to serve the community at the Framingham Branch and at the Family Outdoor Center in Hopkinton. He served as project manager for Activate America from 2006-2011, an initiative that advanced the Y’s focus on healthy living by concentrating on capacity building to better serve health seekers.

He spearheaded implementation of the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA® a key cause driven program for cancer survivors.

As an advocate for volunteerism and leadership education, MacPherson has been active with the Association of YMCA Professionals, whose mission is to advance the YMCA profession by helping to prepare its young leaders. He served as the local AYP Chapter IV president from 2006-2008, and represented the North East Region to the AYP National Board from 2009-2012. He is a 2007 Leadership MetroWest graduate. MacPherson serves on the Board of Directors of the Framingham Coalition for the Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.

While in the Worcester area, MacPherson served on the Board of the Wachusett Area Rotary Club from 2001-2005 and was part of the delegation that represented Worcester in the All-America City Competition in 2000.

“We are very excited to have Rick as the President and CEO of the MetroWest YMCA” said Ron Foisy, Board Chair of the MetroWest YMCA in a press relase. “We have been very impressed with Rick’s vast knowledge of the Y and his high level of professionalism. After having conducted an extensive national search, we are confident that Rick’s innovative thinking and passion for our organization make him the ideal leader as we continue to advance the mission of the Y throughout the MetroWest area."

An avid runner and fitness enthusiast, MacPherson earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from University of Massachusetts Amherst. He and his wife, Celia, have three children – Thomas, Sean and Alison.

The MetroWest YMCA, with branches in Framingham and Hopkinton, serves more than 21,000 people annually with its programs, and has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change.