CHESTER COUNTY, PA—The YMCA of Greater Brandywine (YGBW) has appointed Keith Rice as its new Vice President of Information Technology. Rice brings decades of experience in elementary and secondary education to his new role at the Y.
“I have a passion for serving youth in the community,” Rice said. “Both throughout my career and as a father, I’ve had the opportunity to witness the growth and development of children – and it always motivates me. I look forward to supporting the growth of YGBW in our community.”
Rice previously served as Director of Technology at Girard College, a tuition-free boarding school for students from single-parent and guardian households. He started his career at Mastery Charter Schools, where he helped expand the network from three to 15 locations.
YGBW is a leading nonprofit in Chester County, supporting over 80,000 members and 2,000 employees annually. The organization offers a variety of programs, including swim lessons and group exercise classes, but also relies heavily on technology to serve its community.
“It might surprise folks to know how robust our tech stack is here at the Y,” Rice explained. “Technology may not be a core service that first comes to mind when folks think of the Y, but we heavily rely on technology to connect our community to the vital services that we provide. Without our website, app, and registration systems, members would not be able to find and register for programs, camps, fitness classes, and more.”
President and CEO Bertram L. Lawson II emphasized the importance of technology to the Y’s operations. “YGBW is not exclusively a tech company – but we need technology to serve our members and participants,” Lawson said. “Most modern companies rely heavily on technology these days. While most of our services are delivered in our gyms, pools, and classrooms, they are enabled by technology. And, just like any tech company, we have to think about data security, user experience, digital transformation, and more. Keith’s role is vital to our organization, and we’re excited to welcome him.”
YGBW operates nine branches and program centers across Chester County and plans to expand its services. The organization will introduce a Fit Truk this fall and recently rolled out new cardio equipment and EVOLT 360 body scanners.
“Fitness and technology are becoming increasingly intertwined,” said Chief Strategy and Growth Officer Heather W. Wilson. “Our YGBW App enables members to register for Group Ex classes and our YMCA360 App enables them to work out on the go with our library of classes that have been filmed in our virtual studio. The presence of technology goes beyond the digital experience and into our branches with recently installed touch-screen enabled cardio equipment.”
“We are thrilled that Keith has joined our team to streamline IT efforts and support our continued growth and ability to serve members more efficiently,” Wilson added.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.