Spotlight on David Carcieri
David Carcieri is currently the CEO of the Somerset County YMCA in New Jersey. The 30,000-plus membership includes four YMCA branches: Bridgewater, Hillsborough, Somerset Hills and Somerville. His day-to-day responsibilities include guiding the strategic direction, expanding volunteer and philanthropic support, and capital improvement along with the long-range vitality and financial stability of the organization.
David also serves as the president of the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance, which is comprised of 35-YMCA member associations across the state serving both children and adults.
David began his Y career at the YMCA of Greater Providence in Rhode Island in 1996, more than 22 years ago. He then relocated to New Jersey where he served as senior executive director for the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges and oversaw total operations for both the Sussex County YMCA and Wayne YMCA branches. In 2012, he became president and chief executive officer of the Somerset Hills YMCA.
“The Y staff and members became a true magnet for me, along with the variety of experiences, and being able to see firsthand the positive impact the Y had on the lives of others,” stated David, referring to his extensive tenure.
Among his greatest accomplishments in his current role is overseeing the successful merger of the Somerset Valley and Somerset Hills YMCAs in 2014. According to David, “Several factors led to the successful integration of the YMCAs including getting the volunteers and staff of both Ys working together and building trust.” Along the way, they also involved as many board members as possible in the process and created a vision of what the merger would look like from a governance, staffing, facility and program perspective. “We’ve already recognized the benefits from our merger. By sharing resources, we’ve been able to invest more in the mission,” stated David.
Under David’s leadership, the annual fundraising campaign also increased from $185,000 in 2012 to over $1 million in 2018, a 480% increase. “I attribute the outstanding annual fundraising results to our board development, specifically the board’s commitment to philanthropy and their willingness to go out and tell the Y story,” stated David.
The Somerset County YMCAs are currently in the middle of a capital campaign, “Strong Past, Bright Future,” campaign to support reinvestment projects at all four branches of the Somerset County YMCA. “We are setting our sights higher because we believe our Y holds great promise,” stated David. Their goal is to raise $10 million for $30 million in capital improvements. “This project is about more than bricks and mortar,” he added. “It’s about the impact it will have in the community by removing barriers so everyone can be more physically active; by creating a safe, positive environment for social connections; by expanding programs for children, adults, seniors, and individuals with special needs and all abilities; and by offering even more for preventive health programs and addressing social issues.”
As the president of the NJ YMCA State Alliance, he initially facilitated the board in working through the transition of executive directors, including upgrading the role from a part-time to full-time position and appointing Darrin Anderson as Executive Director earlier this year. He also works with YUSA on national changes including its recent decision to integrate the resource delivery system into the state alliances around the country. He ensures that the New Jersey CEOs are informed of all changes and that their voices are heard. “My goal is to get CEOs to work together to help transition shared resources and services to more effectively lift up all Ys.”
David is past president of the New Jersey Chapter of the Association of YMCA Professions and also sits on the board of the Somerset County Business Partnership. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Rhode Island.
A native of Rhode Island, his biggest influence was his father where he learned family values and his impressive work ethics. David also has three adult children and is looking forward to welcoming his first grandchild in December 2018. He is an avid runner and has completed five marathons in five different states in the northeast.