YMCA Leader Has Personal Role in Seeing Community Thrive

By: Mollie Shauger | Monday, June 21, 2021 | Leadership

Washima Redding, fourth from left, at the 2020 Annual Support Campaign kickoff.

Washima Redding is Executive Director of the East Orange YMCA, a branch of the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges. She was promoted to the role shortly before the COVID-19 crisis forced the shutdown of Ys across the state in March 2020. She reflects on her experience ascending from a director role at the Y to leading her Y and community during a pandemic.

Q: How did your YMCA career begin?

A: My YMCA career began almost 10 years ago in 2011 when I accepted a position as the Health and Wellness Director at the YMCA of Montclair. A few years later​​​​, I was promoted to Senior Health and Wellness Director. During my tenure with the YMCA of Montclair, my general responsibilities were directing and managing the operations of the health, fitness, wellness, and sports programs.  

My tenure with the Metro Y began in May of 2019 as the Associate Executive Director of the YMCA of Greater Bergen County, part of the Metro YMCA of the Oranges. Working alongside current Executive Director Glenn McAfee, I was responsible for directing the operational growth of the branch through program expansion and program quality enhancement. My time at Greater Bergen was essential in preparing me for the next step in my professional YMCA journey. In March of 2020, I was promoted to my current role of Executive Director at the East Orange Y. 

Q: What do you love about your leadership role at the Y?

A: I love the fact that I can directly foster change in my own community. Being a resident of the city, I have a personal investment, responsibility, and commitment to seeing East Orange thrive. Through servant leadership, it warms my heart to be in a position to provide for my community. Food, blood, and essential needs drives, alongside the multitude of Y programs and services, are just some of the ways that we are able to ensure that all members of our community have unlimited opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. I love seeing the bright smiles on the children's faces - whether it’s when they are learning how to swim, developing a new sports technique, expressing themselves creatively through the arts, or simply being a kid and sharing laughs with friends. 

Q: What skills can apply to your personal and professional lives?

 A: The most essential leadership skills that I’ve honed have been resiliency, innovation, vision, communication, and faith. With all that we were faced with during the pandemic, incorporating these skills into my mission-driven work allowed me to stay the course, focus on the priority needs of my community and team, and come out stronger on the other side. 

To learn more about  employment opportunities at the YMCA, visit metroymcas.org/jobs.