If Mark Pritchett had a motto it would be, “Not yet.”
Pritchett, executive director of the Frank P. Phillips Memorial YMCA, said he has big plans to expand partnerships and find new ways to more effectively serve community members.
Speaking to the Rotary Club of Columbus on Tuesday, Pritchett said he is always thinking about how the Y can get more involved in the region, even considering future opportunities for expansion.
“A gentleman was in my office and (he said), ‘Man, you’ve got no programming in West Point (or) Starkville,’ and my response to that was, ‘Not yet,’” Pritchett told The Dispatch after the meeting at Lion Hills Center.
While Pritchett clarified there are no concrete plans to expand outside of Lowndes County, he voiced an openness to the idea.
Along with expansion opportunities, Pritchett said the Y is taking dedicated steps to further embody the organization’s mission of fostering youth development, healthy living and social responsibility through new and ongoing programming.
Pritchett said the Y is currently working with Columbus Municipal School District Superintendent Craig Chapman to improve its Safety Around Water program, which teaches second- and third-graders life-saving skills that reduce their risk of drowning.
Pritchett is also in the process of developing a men’s group where men can feel safe to come together in fellowship, which, in his words, is something that men rarely get to do.
When it comes to partnerships, Pritchett is trying to find new ways to work with schools and organizations in the area to create a stronger network that may allow the Y to expand.
One opportunity for local schools to get involved is through partnering with the Y’s summer day camp and afterschool programs which are currently full and have growing waitlists, Pritchett said.
“A wait list tells me that we have kids we can’t service because we don’t have space,” Pritchett said. “How do you (fix that)? You partner with other people that do have space and you create that opportunity.”
Pritchett said the Y is open to partnering and collaborating with any agency that fits within their mission, including finding ways to integrate the health care system with programs like their Rock Steady Boxing, a fitness class that helps combat Parkinson’s disease.
Rotary Club of Columbus President Russell Young said he could see potential partnerships between Rotary and the Y in the future.
“(I told Mark) to just be thinking about some things that they may need, like a work day,” Young said. “We do a lot of service projects, (and) we can provide the people power.”
The Y currently has approximately 5,200 members, Pritchett said, but they are always looking for new ways to get people involved. He prides himself on his open door policy, telling Rotarians that he is always willing to listen to feedback or suggestions on how the Y could better serve its city.
Pritchett hopes to involve community members in the conversation as well, opening up a forum where they can bring questions to Y leadership and comment on things they’d like to see from the Y in the future through their first town hall meetings set for 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. June 18.
“We want to give people an opportunity to come, share, listen to our vision, see where we’re trying to go and (ask) any questions that they may have,” Pritchett told The Dispatch.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 46 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
