Zane Moore believes there’s strength in unity.
And, he’s certainly in a position to know. Since being hired in 2011 to succeed longtime executive director of the Central Bucks YMCA Gene Smith, Moore has seen multiple mergers, leading the way through each.
As YMCAs across the country have seen CEOs retiring at an “overwhelming rate” in post-COVID years, Moore said, Pennsylvania and New Jersey were no exception.
Eight years after taking the reins in Doylestown, Moore oversaw the unification of the Lower Bucks Family and Upper Bucks YMCA’s with Central Bucks, and, in 2022, Hunterdon County was brought into the organization, forming the YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties.
Now, Moore once again is managing a transition, as the Greater Valley Y joins the extended, 12-branch family of regional YMCAs, becoming the River Crossing YMCA.
Fresh from playing outside with kids at the Doylestown Y summer camp, the newly appointed president and CEO of River Crossing YMCA recently sat down to discuss his approach to the challenges and opportunities the mergers bring.
“We’re stronger together,” said Moore. “We can share our resources, expand our mission, increase programming and create more career paths for our teams and retain staff,” he said, from his somewhat congested, basement office, where he’s in the process of moving. Soon the space will be cleared to become a collective work area where staffers can plug-in and work for a few hours or hold small meetings.
Moore, 54, like all the River Crossing Y’s leadership team moved out of their offices after the COVID-19 pandemic and see no need to return, as they now travel to various YMCA’s for meetings and work.
“This enables us to be present in the buildings and engage with staff, members, volunteers, donors, etc.,” said the Newtown resident. “It helps keep us grounded in our Y’s mission and always reminded of our purpose and why we do what we do.”
A graduate of West Chester University, where he earned a B.S. in exercise science and was named a Distinguished Alumni in 2021, Moore believes passionately in the YMCA’s mission and in each of the branches maintaining its individual identity.
“We do a lot of listening,” he said, of ensuring the dozen branches, spread across four counties, keep their sense of community within the larger Y association. With five regional advisory boards, close attention is paid to the needs of every YMCA, said Moore.
He immediately – and frequently – emphasizes that it’s his “best of the best” leadership team and an “incredible board of volunteers” who are instrumental in each of the merger’s progress.
“I never, ever once thought it was about me,” added Moore.
Speaking on behalf of the Y’s board of directors, Allen Childs, its chief volunteer officer, called Moore “a servant leader, dedicated to the Y mission first and foremost.” Childs also applauded Moore’s “great business skills and effective strategic vision and leadership.”
While there are unique concerns for each branch, the overall mission is consistent. Both the national and local YMCA associations share a commitment to “foster youth development, promote healthy living and social responsibility,” according to its stated purpose.
It may be the Pathways Program, which offers a range of donor-supported, free programs for veterans, cancer patients, those in mental health recovery, youth-directed activities and more that is especially meaningful, to the CEO.
“They are our pride and joy,” he said, holding back a tear.
As the transition continues, the work to ensure a smooth merger moves forward, Moore said.
“I compare it to a fleet of Navy ships, each with their own abilities, but coming together for a shared, grander goal,” he said.
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