Sault YMCA gets a new CEO from the healthcare field

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The Sault Ste. Marie YMCA is getting a new chief executive officer.

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James Chan has been appointed the new CEO of the Sault Ste. Marie YMCA, effective May 20.

Following an “extensive” recruitment process in partnership with YMCA Canada and the YMCA Ontario Resource Development Centre, Chan was selected for his “significant” experience in health-care leadership and his alignment with the YMCA’s core values, says a Thursday press release.

“The YMCA in Sault Ste. Marie will benefit from the experience of a long-standing health leader as its next CEO,” said Virginia McLeod, co-chair of the local YMCA board of directors. “We are excited by the remarkable spectrum of talent, skills, and successful achievements James brings to our organization and to the community.”

The CEO search committee was co-chaired by McLeod and fellow board member Chris Graham.

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The process was supported by Jim Janzen, senior vice-president of the YMCA Ontario Regional Development Centre, Kevin Muir, chief operating officer of YMCA Canada, and members of the Sault Ste. Marie YMCA board of directors, with additional support from the community.

This follows some time of uncertainty.

It was a little more than a year ago when the then cash-strapped Y announced it was planning to shut its doors due to major financial operational challenges that included dwindling memberships of its gym facilities and massive costs to maintain an aging facility. The closure would have resulted in dozens of families without day-care services, vulnerable community members without a place to go and fitness enthusiasts with one less workout option.  

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The community rallied and, with the support of the City of Sault Ste. Marie and a local fundraising campaign, the long-time institution was saved.  The Lukenda Foundation purchased the building, and the city partnered to enter into a long-time lease agreement for the facility that allowed the YMCA to continue as a building tenant and continue operations.  

Council was recently told the YMCA is back in the black and may even see a slight surplus at the end of this fiscal year.

Chan brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in large, complex health systems. His career began at Vancouver International Airport with major airlines before transitioning to health care.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Simon Fraser University and a master’s degree from the University of British Columbia. He later completed a PhD in health sciences, focusing his research on health system measurement and evaluation.

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He has served in both clinical and senior management roles, including mental health and addictions, research and evaluation, and quality systems development in northern and interior British Columbia.

In 2020, Chan relocated to Sault Ste. Marie to be closer to family and, most recently, served as director of innovation at Sault Area Hospital. There, he led the development of a Remote Care Monitoring program that gained national and international recognition in the digital health space.

“It is both an honour and a privilege to join an organization with over a century of history in Sault Ste. Marie,” said Chan. “It’s also a perfect alignment of values, given the YMCA’s principles of caring, honesty, respect, responsibility, excellence, and inclusiveness. I am absolutely thrilled to join a great team and have the opportunity to serve the people of Sault Ste. Marie and surrounding communities in this new capacity.”

Chan also holds the designation of Fellow with the Canadian College of Health Leaders, the highest designation offered by the national professional association.

The Sault Ste. Marie YMCA has served the community for more than 125 years.

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