Ridgewood YMCA President, CEO Appointed To Rochester

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — The president and CEO of Ridgewood YMCA is looking forward to planting roots in Rochester as the new leader of the YMCA of Greater Rochester, the New York association said.

Ernest Lamour was appointed president and CEO of the Rochester association and will assume the role in January 2023, after George Romell retires at the end of this year, the association said.

Romell, who served as leader of the Greater Rochester YMCA for 24 years, said that the future of the association is "bright" with Lamour at the helm.

"I know he will receive the same level of support that I enjoyed in order to allow this association to reach new heights in service to others," Romell said in a news release.

Lamour's appointment is the culmination of a process that began in early 2022, when a transition committee was established to lead the nationwide search for the next president and CEO.

"We had an extraordinary pool of candidates for this position, and we are confident Ernie is the right person to guide our association into the future,” said committee Chair Maureen Mulholland, who is also Chair of the Greater Rochester YMCA Board of Directors.

Born in Haiti, Lamour chairs the YMCA d'Haiti Coalition, and holds a master's degree in sports management from West Virginia University. He also serves on the YMCA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Global Engagement Committee.

“This is a proud, and somewhat surreal, appointment for me,” said Lamour in the news release. “It is an honor and privilege to be selected for this position."

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Lamour is the former president and CEO of Ridgewood YMCA. He will continue to serve in that capacity til the end of the year.