KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Jim Dickson said he has spent around 42 years working with the YMCA. On Tuesday, he said his decades-long career with the YMCA would soon end.
He said he plans to step down as the YMCA of East Tennessee President and CEO on Dec. 31. He previously worked with the YMCA in Birmingham, Atlanta and Honolulu. He also spent around 29 years working with the nonprofit in Knoxville.
"I started as a green program director in Birmingham and somehow became the old guy with lots of stories here in Knoxville. This career has helped me grow and has shaped me into the man I am today, and for that I will always be grateful," he said in a letter to YMCA members.
He said that the nonprofit's CEO Transition Team and its Board of Directors were working to find a new person to lead the nonprofit. In the letter, Dickson said the YMCA is conducting a national search through a consultant process.
"My goal is to help the Board process a seamless transition to the new CEO," he said in the letter. "You have been wonderful encouragers, coaches and supporters and for that I can't say thank you enough. Thank you for all you have done to help me, the YMCA and our community."
The YMCA of East Tennessee has five locations throughout Knox County. They are located in the downtown area, East Knoxville, North Knoxville, West Knoxville and Farragut.
It offers a variety of fitness programs such as personal training opportunities and small exercise groups. Parents can also take children to the YMCA to participate in a variety of programs and lessons including group swims and sports teams.
The YMCA also facilitates child care programs, with afterschool programs available through Knox County Schools as well as a summer day camp. It also offers a child watch program for up to two hours each day at each location, giving parents a chance to drop their children off while they go exercise and use different facilities.
Specific information about who may replace Dickson was not immediately available, as the nonprofit continued its search for a new CEO.