Grey Bruce YMCA welcomes a new Executive Director

“On behalf of the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Sarah Cowley as the Executive Director of the YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce effective on Monday, March 22, 2021,” says Cortney O’Donoghue, YMCA Communications Lead.

Cowley lives in rural Grey County where she resides with her family and serves her local community. With over 10 years of operational and strategic leadership experience in health and social services, and having been responsible for local, regional, provincial and nationally-renowned programs, she is an experienced and enthusiastic community leader who is known in the Grey Bruce community as someone who is passionate about building strategic and collaborative relationships that drive efficient, effective service delivery and positive outcomes for clients, staff and the communities at large.

Cowley holds a Master in Nursing degree (University of Toronto) and is a Certified Health Executive (Canadian College of Health Leaders) and has expertise in system planning, governance, and administrative and operational management of not-for-profit organizations. It is these same skills that allowed her to serve HopeGreyBruce Mental Health and Addiction Services as their Executive Director during a time of significant organizational change. This was prior to moving into management consulting where she successfully facilitated the creation of an integrated Community Safety and Well-Being Plan (CSWBP) for 16 Municipalities of Bruce and Grey Counties, supported by both counties and 54 community partners – the largest formal collaboration for CSWBP in Ontario.

Her appointment is the result of an intensive search process the Board has undertaken with the guidance and support of YMCA Canada through the YMCA Ontario Regional Development Centre. The Executive Director Search committee was led by the YMCA Board President and included three representatives of the Board. The thorough process, including input and participation of the full Board in a full job posting.