We recently checked in with Dave Schwartz, who on June 1 began his new role as CEO of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines. Schwartz, 60, had led the West Des Moines Chamber since 2014. He recently was named one of three finalists for Executive of the Year by the Mid-America Chamber Executives.

Prior to his work with the chamber, Schwartz was a co-founder and president of Bearence Management Group in West Des Moines and was a managing director with Marsh & McLennan Companies. A Dubuque native, Schwartz has a bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas and a master’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa. He and his wife, Chong, have six children.

Schwartz has served on the United Way of Central Iowa board of directors and on that organization’s executive committee. He also chaired the University of St. Thomas Athletic Advisory Board and is a past board member of the I Have a Dream Foundation. 

Our interview was conducted prior to the news on June 27 that former Governor Chet Culver had been hired as president of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines, a role that will report to Schwartz and focus on fundraising and community outreach.

What led you to take this position? 
Professionally and personally, I was at the right time in my life. … I’ve had a lifetime passion for fitness and how can we better help kids and adults in this community. I think the Y is in a great position to touch these groups from the health and wellness perspective. I had a wonderful situation with the West Des Moines Chamber; they were just absolutely wonderful to work with. 

What do you bring to the position? 
I think I bring a rather unique perspective to the table in that I understand the nonprofit side of the business but I also have been on the for-profit side. Consequently, I’m able to look at the nonprofit from more of the business approach, not to say that it wasn’t run like that before. If we can balance those two, I think we can start dreaming pretty big in the way we can impact the community going forward. 

Besides the downtown pool, what are some of the other key priorities that need to be addressed? 
I think just generally health and wellness. … Central Iowa has done very well in a lot of rankings. As I think about how we can shift Central Iowa in one more area, we all know we’re heading off the cliff as far as obesity and other health conditions in our country. I think the Y is uniquely positioned to assist companies in their wellness programs to fill gaps in those programs. With the Y having locations all over Central Iowa, from an employee standpoint, any employee can get to any of our facilities. 

What about thinking outside the box, like creating off-site programs for workplaces? 
I don’t think there’s any limitation on what we could do going forward. Quite frankly, I’m up for unique partnerships that maybe we’re not thinking about today. Maybe we could bring some satellite Y’s in, whether that’s in the workplace or who knows where it could be. I just think we have to open our minds up to what’s available to us. We’ve got to also look at corporate memberships; I spent the majority of my career in corporate benefits. I think companies need to look at the Y as a corporate benefit. I think employees will come to value this benefit if they see they’re getting value from it. Right now we’re touching about 100,000 people; I’d like to reach 200,000 people.

How can the Y reach more people it’s not reaching now? 
I think we need to do a better job telling our story. A lot of people in my generation are huge Y supporters, but are we touching the millennials, for instance? My impression of the millennials is that they are a very philanthropic demographic. They’re wired to help, and if we can provide a platform where they understand that by helping our mission they’re helping the community, they’ll come out in droves to be a part of the Y movement. Having been with the West Des Moines chamber, I’ve seen how quickly you can get them engaged. 

With the pool funding shortfall and the sale of the land for the Grimes Y, there’s a perception the Y isn’t as solid financially as it should be. How does it stand?
I think we need to change that perception. Things are going exceedingly well for the Y. This is an organization touching 100,000 people on an annual basis. We’re doing something right. We’ve had a few hurdles and challenges. … We’re growing; I think there are some things we need to pay attention to; we need to make sure that every facility is in top-notch condition. 

Where do plans for a new Ankeny Y, partnering with DMACC, stand? 
I’m anxious to have discussions with community leaders and with DMACC. If we partner appropriately in the community, whoever those entities are, we’re going to create a facility the entire community can be proud of. We need to go out first to the community and have those conversations, and if we do that, we’ll get it right. 

What’s the priority for building a Grimes facility?
This early into the job, I can’t give you a priority list. I know there’s great attention to the Wellmark pool, and there’s some attention focused on Ankeny. But I want to take a look at every one of our facilities. Is there anything hindering them right now? And if so, we need to meet with community leaders to make sure they’re meeting and exceeding expectations. 

What’s the status of the Y’s supportive housing program? 
I just had a tour, and I was absolutely blown away by what’s available at this facility. There are 140 units, all efficiency apartments, that are making a difference for 140 lives. It creates a community for them that’s safe and caring. I think it’s a hidden jewel in our community. My understanding is there are 140 people on the waiting list. It’s a little early for me to predict what we might do, but from my knowledge of this community, there’s going to be a lot of interested parties in support of housing. 

How do you view competition from the private fitness clubs?  
I think they fill a niche, but obviously we’re different. We go so much beyond health and wellness in community support. Every time people invest in the Y, they invest in our community, and no one else can say that.