The YMCA of Coastal Georgia has announced that Joel Smoker will become the next President/CEO of the Association. The Board of Directors, acting on the recommendation of the volunteer led CEO search committee, approved Joel Smoker to step into this new role beginning April 2, 2015. This announcement was made during the January 27th Board Meeting.

David Mason, Chair of the Board of Directors, stated, “Joel’s knowledge of our service area and his familiarity with our local operation will allow him to step right in and keep our Association moving in the right direction. He has established relationships with volunteer leaders in most all of the communities where our branches are located, as well as with many community leaders here in Savannah.”

Smoker has an extensive YMCA background. He first started his YMCA career in 1986 as a Youth Sports Director at the YMCA of Providence in Rhode Island. Two years later he became the Senior Program Director of the Hanover Area YMCA in Pennsylvania.

In 1992, Smoker came to Georgia where he began his work with the YMCA of Coastal Georgia Association. Randy Bugos, current President/CEO of the YMCA of Coastal Georgia, hired Smoker as the Branch Director of the Liberty County/Armed Services YMCA in Hinesville. Then, when the Islands YMCA opened its new 40,000 square foot facility in 1999, Smoker was hired to serve as the Branch Director of this location on Whitemarsh Island.

Seven years later, Smoker was promoted to the Vice President position at the YMCA of Coastal Georgia Corporate Office where he supervised several branches and worked on a number of community and partnership collaborations. He served as a Vice President until January of 2014 when he was appointed the Chief Operating Officer. 

In recent years, Smoker has worked to bring cause-driven programs like the CDC-endorsed Y’s Diabetes Prevention Program, LIVESTRONG at the Y and the YMCA’s Early Readiness programs to the low country area. Additionally, he has head up the partnership between the YMCA and Gulfstream with Gulfstream’s Student Leadership Program. This program mentors teens in the Savannah Chatham Public School System. He also serves as the current President of Healthy Savannah, a volunteer-led, non-profit organization which the YMCA has provided financial, technical and in-kind support since its establishment in 2009. 

“We are incredibly fortunate to have, in my opinion, the most qualified candidate for our CEO position currently on staff”, says Randy Bugos, President/CEO of the YMCA of Coastal Georgia.

He added, “Joel has such a strong grasp of what our Association does well and where it can improve. His plans to move ahead are both positive and well thought-out. I strongly believe he will do a great job and continue to advance the Y movement in the communities we serve.”