South Shore YMCA CEO Paul Gorman wins Triangle Award for Outstanding Leadership

The YMCA’s logo features a triangle symbolizing the unification of spirit, mind, and body, and it also represents one of the YMCA of Massachusetts highest honors: The Triangle Award.

On November 19, 2024, over 500 YMCA leaders from across the commonwealth gathered at Gillette Stadium for the Massachusetts Alliance of YMCA’s 2024 Annual Meeting. During this event, South Shore YMCA President and CEO, Paul Gorman, was honored with the 2024 Triangle Award for his outstanding leadership and dedication to advancing the Y mission.

The Triangle Award recognizes a long-standing YMCA professional who has driven substantial positive advancements for their YMCA and its members. This includes significant development, implementation, and management that incorporates and interprets the YMCA mission, emphasizing values, creativity, innovation, volunteer involvement, positive measurable results, and a positive impact on the Association, community, and peers.

“Paul Gorman is a visionary who has served the YMCA community for nearly 30 years, always seeking new ways to improve the lives of those we serve,” said South Shore YMCA Chief Development Officer, Mary Orne, who presented the award.

A strategic and experienced nonprofit executive, Gorman has been a passionate advocate for access and inclusion in community health and wellness for decades, leading with the perspective earned as a world-class elite runner: through hard work, discipline, and perseverance. Gorman has played a major role in advancing the local YMCA movement throughout his career, developing robust nonprofit executive boards that share his deep commitment to the mission of the organization. With a vision to understand the growing needs of each community served, Paul has raised over $50 million in capital funds and forges lasting partnerships to develop new state-of-the-art urban and suburban Y facilities, ensuring the Y remains relevant, sustainable, and impactful for generations to come.

In his leadership roles at the Greater Boston YMCA, North Shore YMCA and now the South Shore YMCA, Gorman has been the driving force to construct some of the largest, most transformational Y facilities in the country. The fundraising, planning, and construction of these modern, world-class YMCAs with leading-edge amenities has allowed for expanded programming, improved accessibility, increased community engagement, and the ability to serve a larger population with diverse needs.

“Paul takes on tasks to the fullest,” added Orne. “He does his research to seek out the trends, the newest equipment, the best techniques and the most relevant programs to ensure that the result is the best offering and yields the best results for the community.”

Since becoming President and CEO of the South Shore YMCA in 2009, Gorman has successfully doubled program participation and membership to serve 45,000 adults and children. He has increased charitable donations from $1.3 million to $5.2 million for one of the oldest and most successful Y associations in the nation, managing a $40 million annual budget and investing over $65 million in new facility development and capital projects. In 2019, he launched the “Leave Your Mark” campaign with a goal of raising $9 million in capital funds to expand and improve South Shore Y facilities for the community. With his leadership, the campaign raised over $10 million in just nine months.

Gorman drives the financial and operational growth of seven South Shore YMCA program sites and major branches, including the new and soon to be expanded Hale Family YMCA, a dynamic urban Y branch in Quincy; the Emilson YMCA, a 30-acre suburban Y that includes a new state-of-the-art Outdoor Aquatic Center and vibrant Arts Center; an expanded SSYMCA Nature Center and Preschool in Norwell; the SSYMCA Germantown Neighborhood Center and Food Pantry in Quincy; two certified SSYMCA Early Learning Centers, the SSYMCA Gymnastics Training Center; a community teaching farm; and the historic SSYMCA Camp Burgess & Hayward overnight camps on 300 acres of Cape Cod. Additionally, Gorman championed the Staystrong cancer support program, bringing free Y membership, camps, childcare, and other wraparound services to hundreds of cancer survivors and patients on the South Shore.

“As you all know, none of this could happen without a dedicated staff. I certainly have a great one here at the South Shore Y and throughout my tenure,” said Gorman as he thanked the crowd. “There are so many pieces that must come together and must be in place for any success that happens in our communities. You need good staff, you need strong volunteers, and you need strong leadership. I’ve been very fortunate to have all those and to have great mentors during that time.”

South Shore Y Staff Recognized for Leadership

We are so proud of these South Shore YMCA staff members who were also honored at the event by the local YMCA Professional Network, including Kathy Quigley, Director of Development, who won “Director of the Year” and the Emilson Y Membership Team, who took home the “Team Recognition Award.”