The Bainbridge-Decatur County YMCA is pleased to announce the selection of Kevin Angell as the new CEO of the Y.

Mr. Angell was CEO of the Tifton Y for over three years and was the Associate Executive Director of the Bainbridge Y for two years and has experience managing recreation programs for communities. Currently, he is the Director of Human Resources at Stones Home Centers.

“I’m extremely excited about the opportunities in this position,” Angell said. “I can’t wait.”

President of the Board of Directors Wheat Kirbo said the Y was in an extensive search process for nearly five months after the previous CEO resigned, and through their efforts, the organization received a strong pool of applicants. After much deliberation, the selection committee chose Angell.

“We know he is a man who has extensive experience managing people,” Kirbo said. “We know he is well respected in our community. He is a man of integrity.” Regarding the skills and disposition necessary to run the Y successfully, Kirbo added that, “He has a leadership style that builds up other key employees for success. In his personal life, he stands for the YMCA mission.”

During the time the Y has been without a permanent CEO, Crystal Hines, Director of Membership, stepped in as the Interim CEO, and, as Kirbo said, “did an outstanding job.” “We are grateful for the tremendous leadership and dedication Crystal exhibited,” he adds. “She is a vital member of our team.”

Angell officially starts on April 13. Although he has a lot to do working with current staff to understand the challenges and opportunities at the Y, Angell says he knows that his message to the community will be that the Y is “as strong as ever, unwavering in our commitment. This is their Y.” He believes in the mission of the Y and asserted that “when somebody becomes involved in the Y, they become involved in life changing experiences that hopefully take them from where they were to levels they never thought they could reach.”

Angell is a graduate of Bainbridge College and Georgia Southwestern State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education with a Concentration in Recreation Administration. He enjoys most any outdoor activity, he says, and is a certified, active referee with high school and college football programs. He is married to Suzanne Angell, Deputy Director for the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission and has a daughter, Sara, a junior at Bainbridge High School.