Kevin Washington, President & CEO
Mr. Washington is the twelfth chief executive officer of the YMCA of Greater Boston since its founding as America's first YMCA in 1851. He was appointed as President and CEO in 2010 after serving YMCAs in Hartford, CT; Philadelphia, PA and Chicago, IL. Prior to joining the YMCA of Greater Boston, Mr. Washington was president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Hartford where he re-energized the organization through two strategic planning processes, expansion and development of 8 facilities and camps, an investment of over $60 million and increased the Board of Directors by 40 new volunteers. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Temple University.
Mr. Washington has provided leadership for many national YMCA initiatives including serving on the YMCA of the USA Board of Directors and is a past chairman of the North American Metro 30 (CEO Group) YMCAs. In addition he is a member of a number of important national Y initiatives including the National Diversity Initiative, Aquatics Safety Task Force, and the national Mentorship Program to support young YMCA leaders. While in Hartford, CT, Mr. Washington was an active board member of Amistad Center for Art & Culture, Hartford Hospital and the Hartford Club. He is a current member of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity Alpha Psi Boulé.
Ann C. Tikkanen, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Ann Tikkanen has served as Senior Vice President since October 1996. She is responsible for overseeing full-service finance, a direct reporting staff of 12 culturally diverse professionals, contract administration, and insurance at the Y and its related business entities including Huntington Affordable Housing Limited Partnership, YMCA Shared Services, Inc. (a corporation she assisted in founding in 2001) and the newly established YMCA of Greater Boston Realty Corporation (for the special purpose of utilizing new markets tax credit financing). Ann employed a number of first-ever financing techniques to support growth, automation, and facility renovation raising over $35 million in capital to date.
Ann’s additional leadership responsibilities include senior oversight of the Y’s Education and Training branch and she currently serves as a board member of the Massachusetts Bay Self-Insured Group for local nonprofits. She also served as chair of the North American Urban Group (CFO Group) YMCAs. Ms. Tikkanen has more than twenty-five years of financial management experience at primarily technology companies including Prime Computer, Wang Labs, and Symbolics. Ann was born in Jamaica Plain, received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Northeastern University and her MBA from Babson College. Ann and her husband Mark Sullivan and their two daughters currently live in Cambridge.
Natalie Norton, Senior Vice President, Operations
Natalie A. Norton joined the YMCA of Greater Boston as a Senior Vice President of Operations in April 2011. Natalie is a career YMCA employee, and joins the Y from the YMCA of the USA, where she was the Associate Resource Director for the largest YMCA’s in the United States. She provided strategic planning leadership, visioning and operational assessments for YMCAs in Pittsburgh, Greensboro and Providence, among others. Prior to that, she served at the South Shore YMCA as Vice President of Operations, and Executive Director of the YMCA at Mill Pond. In this capacity, Natalie led a $9 million building renovation, grew membership, and met or exceeded annual campaign goals each year. As part of a five member team from the South Shore Y, she served as the Interim Executive Director of the Cape Cod YMCA, where she assisted with reorganization to prevent the Y from closing. Natalie received her Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and Health Fitness from Springfield College.
Mark Dengler, Senior Vice President, Operations
Mark Dengler joined the YMCA of Greater Boston as a Senior Vice President of Operations in April 2011. Mark is a nationally recognized YMCA executive with extensive experience in directing urban, suburban and rural YMCAs of all sizes and diversities. For the last few years he served as Vice President for Sales and Service for SEER Analytics LLC, a YMCA research partner. Mark was the Vice President of Special and New Initiative at the YMCA of Middle Tennessee in Nashville, where he opened two new sites that exceeded all membership goals established. As the Group Vice President/Executive Director at the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Hollywood Wilshire YMCA, he established this Y as the charity of choice in the community, dramatically increased financial development and doubled membership. Mark served on the board of the Association of YMCA Professionals (AYP) and has authored several articles for AYP’s Perspective Magazine. Mark received his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiological Sciences of Physical Education with an emphasis in Dance from the University of Maryland.
Harold Sparrow, Senior Vice President, Operations
Harold Sparrow has served as the Senior Vice President of Operations for the YMCA of Greater Boston since February 2011. Mr. Sparrow oversees and manages operations at our city YMCAs. Previously, Harold served as the Senior Vice President of Development for the YMCA of Greater Boston, Executive Director of the Black Ministerial Alliance and the Executive Director of the Roxbury Family YMCA. Prior to his YMCA career, Harold held positions at the Medical Foundation and the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts. He began his career as the Athletic Director for the Jackson/Mann Community School in Allston in 1987.
Harold is a vice president of Save the Harbor, Save the Bay; vice president of the Board of Trustees for the Children's Museum; and former co-chair of the Municipal Harbor Planning Committee. He has been honored with the African American Achievement Award by the City of Boston, as well as the Golden Triangle Award from the YMCA Professional Society. He also served as a member for the Governor's Commission on Criminal Justice Innovation and as a class president of the YMCA Black Achievers. Harold graduated from Tufts University and received his Masters in Education from Cambridge College.
Kelley Rice, Senior Vice President, Development & Communications
Kelley Rice has served as the Senior Vice President of Development & Communications for the YMCA of Greater Boston since February 2011. She oversees the branding, communication and financial development strategies for the Y, its 16 branches and related programs. Her responsibilities include oversight of the Y's financial development initiatives including the Y's annual support campaign - Reach Out, major gifts, planned giving and corporate and foundation support. In addition, she is responsible for all corporate communication and social media outreach strategy; media relations; cultivation for support from business and civic partners; and, public policy at the local, state and federal level.
In addition, Ms. Rice is a registered lobbyist in Massachusetts for the Y. Previously, Ms. Rice served as the Vice President of External Affairs for the YMCA of Greater Boston and as communications director for the City of Boston’s Chief Economic Development Officer and Boston Redevelopment Authority. Prior to joining Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s Administration, she served as the communications director for the Massachusetts Industrial Finance Agency. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications and Public Relations from Boston University.
Edward Dahlstedt, Vice President, Property Management
Mr. Dahlstedt has served as Vice President of Facilities since 1999. He has more than 30 years experience in property management. Prior to the Y, he served as the Building Manager for Harvard University from 1981 to 1998 and as the General Manager for Harvard University Real Estate. From 1978 to 1981, he was the Building Manager at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mr. Dahlstedt received his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Suffolk University.
Paul Mantell, Vice President, Human Resources
Paul Mantell joined the YMCA of Greater Boston as the Vice President of Human Resources in March 2008. Paul comes to the Y with over 25 years of management and human resources leadership experience.
Prior to joining the YMCA, Paul was the Vice President of Human Resources at Unidine Corporation, a 75 unit health care dining services management company based in Newton. Before that Paul was HR Director for UNICCO Service Company, a leading facilities maintenance firm. Paul's earlier career experience includes fourteen years with large retail chains (Filene's and Marshall's) and six years in the technology sector with Arch Wireless. Paul received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Northeastern University in 1982.
