Executive Team
Kathy Kuras
President & CEO
Kathy Kuras
Kathy Kuras is President and CEO of the YMCA of Austin, the first woman to hold this position in the organization’s 65+ year history.
“I am inspired by what can be achieved when a diverse group of caring people come together.”
Kathy grew up in Dallas, and brings 30 years of Y experience in large metropolitan areas (Dallas, Charlotte and Boston) as well as with YMCA of the USA, the organization’s national resource center, where she pioneered an enterprise-wide leadership development effort and helped revitalize the organization’s culture.
Throughout her community-focused career, she has led the development of strategic partnerships, implemented innovation strategies, and scaled multiple initiatives to 800+ local YMCA associations, resulting in organizational growth and positive outcomes in youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Notable examples include co-founding the Know Before You Go (now Safety Around Water) drowning prevention program, collaborating initially with Children’s Medical Center, National Safe Kids Coalition and American Red Cross in Dallas; enhancing a medical referral program through a shared nurse staffing model with the YMCA and Carolinas Healthcare System (now Atrium Health); engaging Northwestern University’s graduate program in Organizational Learning and Change to enhance storytelling and engagement, mobilizing 500 YMCA change champions across the U.S.; and launching a comprehensive virtual health and fitness platform (www.ymcago.org) serving the Greater Boston community in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Drawing from her arts background, she is also a filmmaker and co-founder of an independent music and film company, Vanguard Muse. In 2021, Kathy received the Breaking Barriers Award from the Women’s Football Alliance at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Stadium for her first feature documentary film, OPEN FIELD, which premiered at the Austin Film Festival in 2020 and won Best Documentary Audience Awards at the Alexandria, Riverside International and Angeles Doc Film Festivals in 2021.
Kathy is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and holds an undergraduate degree in music from Loyola University of New Orleans and a Masters of Organizational Management & Leadership from Springfield College in Massachusetts.
Shaquan Brown
Chief Operating Officer
Shaquan Brown
Chief Operating Officer
Shaquan, better known as “Shaq”, has worn multiple hats throughout his career. He began his career in New Jersey in 2007, where he worked his way through the YMHA and YMCA ranks, gathering meaningful experiences along the way. Shaq has hands-on and supervisory experience in all departments of the YMCA and is responsible for implementing of the first Day Camp and school-aged childcare site for the Wayne community. While in NJ, Shaq led the development of the multi-statewide strategy for engaging at-risk youth, which led to the development of the 7th Grade Initiative. He continued to work with the NJ and PA State Alliance to create the Middle School Initiative – where all Middle School students received access to the Y to increase physical activity, develop social skills and improve leadership skills. Shaq later partnered with Board members and led the opening of a 25,000 sq. ft. satellite branch in an underserved community, focused on providing access to those who otherwise couldn’t afford the YMCA.
In 2017, Shaq transitioned to the YMCA of Greater Seattle where he took on multiple Executive roles, including Executive Director & Senior Executive Director. While in Seattle, Shaq supported multiple South King County YMCAs, expanded childcare in Centers and childcare site, launched the Lea Hill Early Education Center, supported the opening of the Kent YMCA, and developed community partnerships by serving on the Youth Advisory Council with the Seattle Kraken. While improving operations at the Center level, Shaq also worked closely on multiple capital projects, including an $800K gift for expanding Whole Person Health (Community Health Navigators) resources in the SeaTac community, increased volunteer opportunities at the Advisory Board and local engagement level, and led the partnership with government agencies on grants to subsidize lifeguard training for H.S students (Global Guards).
During his time in Seattle, Shaq played integral roles across various committees, spearheading organizational change, system enhancements, and strategic initiatives. Notably, he contributed to the Executive Compensation Committee, overseeing incentive structures, benefits, and rewards. Additionally, his leadership on Project Unify drove standardization and centralization efforts, while his involvement in the IS Governance Committee focused on refining systems and processes. Moreover, Shaq not only led the African American Resource Network (AARN) but also played a pivotal role in advancing the goals of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee, showcasing his dedication to nurturing an inclusive and supportive atmosphere. His contributions extended beyond internal initiatives, as shown by his efforts in cultivating and sustaining a partnership with DIG Global Partner: Nicaragua YMCA, furthering our commitment to global community engagement.
Sara Harwood
Chief Development Officer
Sarah Harwood
Chief Development Officer
Sara comes to the Y from the American Heart Association, where she has served for more than 15 years, most recently as Regional Senior Vice President of Development covering the 6 states of the Southwest Region – Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, and Oklahoma.
Sara brings an award-winning track record of leading large teams, engaging volunteers and raising more than $10 million annually. She is a graduate of Wayne State University in Detroit. She and her family have called Texas home for the last nine years, during which time she has worked extensively in the Greater Austin area and participated with her family in YMCA programs, including volleyball, swim lessons and t-ball.
“From her work with the American Heart Association, Sara understands how philanthropy can power transformational change across communities,” said Kathy Kuras, Greater Austin YMCA President & CEO. “At the Greater Austin Y, we see immediate opportunities to scale our impact and build healthy people, healthy places and a healthy planet. We are called to serve growing needs in areas such as early education and childcare, civic education, workforce development, and mental health services that require significant community investment.”
“The Y has the unique ability to shape community wellbeing across multiple dimensions and age groups,” Harwood said. “It’s an honor to join an organization with such a rich history of innovation and yet one that has its sights focused squarely on the future.”
At the Y, Sara will help fulfill the vision for a new Y facility in the Four Points area of West Austin, a second phase at YMCA Camp Moody, and future projects such as the redevelopment of the TownLake YMCA.
Betsy Shelton
Chief of Staff
Betsy Shelton
Chief of Staff
Betsy brings over 20 years of leadership experience in continuous improvement, safety and quality, operational excellence, and organizational change management.
Betsy spent the most current 10 years of her career as a leader in a large, national healthcare system as the Director of Performance Improvement and Project Management Office. Before joining healthcare, Betsy was recognized internationally as an expert in carbon nanotube occupational exposure and product safety, resulting in The National Institutes of Health research funding, several publications, and keynote addresses. Betsy also has experience in pharmaceutical and biotech occupational health and safety, analytical chemistry, business development, and education.
Betsy is a Baldrige Excellence Framework Examiner, Certified Safety Professional, Certified Quality Engineer, and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. She holds a BS in Chemistry and Molecular Biology from Texas Lutheran University and an MS in Industrial Hygiene from Montana Tech-College of Technology. Betsy has served on the central Texas executive committees of the American Chemical Society and American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), and served as the majority owner Director on the Board of Directors for Central Texas Laundry, LLC.
Her leadership extends into her community as the Committee Chair of her local Boy Scouts of America Troop and Meet Director/Board Member for her neighborhood swim team.
Sean Doles
Strategic Communications & Public Affairs Officer
Sean Doles
Strategic Communications & Public Affairs Officer
Sean Doles began his YMCA career in 1999 and currently serves as the Strategic Communications & Public Affairs Officer. During his tenure with the Austin Y, Sean has overseen significant growth in membership, programs and fundraising along with the launch of innovative programming to address childhood obesity, drowning prevention and chronic disease prevention. A native of New Orleans, Sean is a graduate of the University of Southern California and author of two books about his hometown, Saving Mr. Bingle, and All Saints Day. Married for nearly 20 years, he is the proud father of two sons.
Andrew Wiggins
SVP of Finance & Risk
Andrew Wiggins
Vice President of Finance & Risk
Andrew Wiggins began his Y experience as a youngster playing basketball and flag football at the TownLake YMCA. While looking for a job after his freshman year at the University of Texas, he launched his Y career in 1999 as a summer camp counselor. After that first summer, Andrew was hooked and worked as an afterschool and camp staff member throughout the remainder of his time at UT.
After briefly studying in Spain after graduation, Andrew was given the opportunity to join the YMCA of Austin as a full time staff person in 2003 and has never left – rising in the ranks from Program Coordinator, Program Director, Associate Executive Director, Executive Director, District Executive, and Vice President.
Andrew holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance & Business Honors from UT. He takes pride in using his business acumen to guide the Y strategically, organizationally, and financially. During his time with the Austin Y, Andrew has overseen traditional Y programs, like afterschool, camp, youth and government, and youth sports, as well as guided the inceptions of Project SAFE, Early Learning Readiness, and MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It!). He is particularly proud of his efforts to promote water safety and downing prevention, help close the opportunity gap, promote civic education, and combat childhood obesity.
He is married and the proud father of two young children. Andrew loves UT sports and co-founded a blog, BurntOrangeNation.com, in the mid-2000s. When not at the Y, Andrew enjoys podcasts, long walks, playing golf, traveling, and playing with his kids.
Wendell McClellon
VP of Property & Facility Management
Wendell McClellon
VP of Property & Facility Management
Wendell McClellon began his YMCA career in 2022 and currently is the Vice President of Property and Facility Management. As a longtime Y member, Wendell has spent countless hours lifting weights and playing basketball at Y facilities across the country.
After spending 34 years in Manufacturing, Aerospace and Healthcare, the opportunity was presented to join the Y. During his long career, Wendell has successfully led multi-million-dollar facilities, advanced customer relations and innovation. Calling Altus, OK home, Wendell holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.
He has 2 sons, Brice and Jarren. Wendell is a lifelong OU (Boomer) Sooner fan with a love of jazz music.
Jason Gindele
VP of Youth Development
Jason Gindele
Vice President of Youth Development
I’m a progressive executive focused on making a real difference in our community. As a former tech professional, I’m passionate about building organizations and systems that operate efficiently and effectively, take care of staff members, embrace new ideas, act as thought leaders in the field and serve the greater good.
Sarah Inbau
VP of Marketing
Sarah Inbau
Vice President of Marketing
Sarah comes to the Y with more than 15 years of experience growing iconic brands, including Huggies® and Kleenex® with Kimberly-Clark Corporation and, most recently, served as Chief Growth Officer with Austin-based nonprofit Hand to Hold. During her two years at Hand to Hold, she helped grow the mission impact by fifty percent, removed barriers for early intervention mental health support through tech innovation, and established strategic foundations to enable sustainable mission growth. Prior to being on staff, Sarah volunteered her time as a member of the Hand to Hold Executive Board of Directors.
Sarah is a seasoned leader with depth of experience in brand, product, performance, and growth marketing. Her multi-disciplinary career makes her a versatile marketing leader and effective cross-functional integrator. Sarah’s mix of corporate and nonprofit experiences will help us position the Greater Austin Y for our next phase of growth and impact.
Kyle Carroll
Associate VP of Development
Kyle Carroll
Associate Vice President of Development
Kyle is a senior development professional with over 15 years of experience consistently achieving and exceeding non-profit contributed revenue goals through successful fundraising strategies, effective relationship building, and donor-centric approaches. She has held key positions on philanthropy teams for large organizations such as Asia Society in NYC, an international policy and cultural non-profit, and on the national team for the March of Dimes, driving major gift strategies for 10 markets in the Southeast Region. In her current role with the Greater Austin YMCA, she works closely with executive leadership and volunteers across the organization to ensure resources are mobilized to adapt to new challenges and needs in the community, with a focus on the strategy, success, and growth of a $2M annual fund, major giving and corporate pipeline building, grant funding, and legacy giving. She prides herself on being community-focused, collaborative, passionate and mission-driven, with an analytical mind, servant heart, and creative spirit. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylecarroll
Sarah Rinner
Associate VP of Out-of-School Time
Sarah Rinner
Associate VP of Operations & Out-of-School Time
Sarah has worked in the youth development field for over 20 years. With a background in arts education and theatre for youth, she developed and taught afterschool classes, school residencies and summer arts programs in Iowa, Minnesota and Texas. Sarah most recently held the position of Chief Program Officer at Creative Action, and throughout the past 15 years with the organization, helped develop their out of school time program model and improve organization systems, cross-departmental processes and staff support including hundreds of hours of training to teaching artists and program leaders. Throughout her career, she has engaged with many youth-serving and nonprofit organizations across the central Texas community to develop partnerships and deepen collaboration to create high quality youth experiences. She is deeply dedicated to youth development and the importance of high quality out of school time learning spaces that nurture, promote and encourage the growth and individuality of young people.
Sarah is a former president of the Central Texas Afterschool Network (now Learn All the Time network) and is trained as a Methods Trainer and external assessor through the Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality. She is a proud 2016 alum of the Community Arts Education Leadership Institute through the National Guild for Community Arts Education. Additionally, she participated in Mission Capital’s Measuring What Matters program and was a member of the inaugural cohort of their Data Leaders Academy. Sarah holds an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin’s Drama and Theatre for Youth Program. Sarah holds true to her purpose as a dynamic leader who builds meaningful and authentic relationships, guides program development to further support quality and impact and believes in the potential and possibility within learners of all ages.
Kristen Pierce
Associate VP of Operations
Kristen Pierce
Associate Vice President of Operations
Kristen Pierce is a licensed marriage and family therapist and is the Associate Vice President of Operations at The Greater Austin YMCA. She is the creator of Everline Counseling, the Austin YMCA’s new mental health initiative. Prior to joining the YMCA, she served as the Executive Director of Austin Child Guidance Center, the first person of color to do so in their 70-year history.
Before moving into nonprofit leadership, Kristen spent over a decade helping couples and families curate relationships rooted in trust, collaboration, and fun. An AAMFT and Texas approved supervisor since 2011, she has supervised dozens of master’s level and provisionally licensed therapists over her 20+ year career.
Born and raised in Newton Massachusetts, she moved to Austin in 2011 with her family and currently lives in Northwest Austin with her husband and three very busy fur babies. She is the mother of two amazing adult children and loves anything to do with music and performing arts.
Adrienne Barnett
Associate VP of Operations
Adrienne Barnett
Associate Vice President of Operations
Adrienne Barnett serves as the Associate Vice President, Operations overseeing Northwest Family YMCA and the future Four Points YMCA. Additionally, she serves as the Executive Sponsor for the Youth & Family Impact Team working with the team across the Greater Austin YMCA association to bring innovative, educational, and fun programs serving youth and families in our communities. She brought with her over 20 years of experience in informal STEM education, nonprofit operations/administrative management, and executive leadership from her career in science and children’s museums. Her museum career was spent at Exploratorium in San Francisco, Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, and Thinkery – right here in Austin. Adrienne holds a B.S. in geology from The University of Texas at Austin and received her MBA and a Master’s in museum studies from John F. Kennedy University. In her role at YMCA, she gets to serve her local community – the community she grew up in and currently resides in. She moved to Northwest Austin at the age of seven attending Purple Sage Elementary, Grisham Middle School, and Westwood High School. She also attended McNeil High School (before it opened) when it served as Westwood’s ninth grade annex. When she’s not at work you’ll find her exploring and hiking in Austin parks or biking the neighborhood with her wife, two children, and their labradoodles (yes, the dogs go biking too). You may also find her and her family at the pool – her lifelong love of swimming began when she learned to swim at the Y! Adrienne’s work is driven by a passion for creating fun, interactive, transformative experiences that are inclusive and welcoming to all.
Dione Booker
Associate VP of Operations
Dione Booker
Associate VP of Operations
I grew up in Louisiana and received my master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from LSU. My passions for helping others took root in fitness then expanded into leading others. I strive to build positive relationships within the work environment and community to allow for personal and professional growth.
I served the YMCA for 17 years in Greater Houston Texas where I grew my career from membership sales to Fitness Director to Center Executive. I then moved on to develop a successful corporate membership program for Gold’s Gym Houston. Later served as Vice President of Operations for Fitness Project where I lead teams in a rebrand from Gold’s Gym at the same time rebuilt membership base following COVID.
I have been blessed with a beautiful family to include my husband John of 29 years, son Jett and twin daughters Cannon and Jene’.
Ami Cortes-Castillo
Associate VP of Early Learning
Ami Cortes-Castillo
Associate VP of Early Learning
Ami joined the YMCA in October of 2022 bringing 27 years of education experience including 10 years focused on early learning to the organization. She is a transformative early learning leader with a track record of implementing collaborative partnerships that support system improvements in early learning programs. Ami is passionate about ensuring that all children have access to high quality programming and is energized by supporting teachers in developing their practice. She also has a deep commitment to the social and emotional development of young children. Before joining the YMCA, Ami served as a campus principal in both Austin and Elgin ISDs and as Director of Early Childhood in Austin ISD.
Ami holds a Master’s of Education from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After teaching for 6 years, she completed the educational administration program at the University of Texas at Austin. Additionally, she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in History.
Ami enjoys living in South Austin with her husband and her two teenage children. She enjoys traveling with her family, learning about new places and cultures. Ami is excited to continue work to increase access to high quality early learning programs for all families in the greater Austin community.
Greater Austin YMCA Metropolitan Board of Directors
Reagan Nash
Chair
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Dorothee Auldridge
Vice Chair
Realtor, Keller Williams Lake Travis
Brian Haulotte
Previous Board Chair
Vice President, JE Dunn Construction
Mariko Boswell
Treasurer & Chair: Finance
Pacific Investment Management Company – Austin
JaNet Barkley-Booher
Board Member At Large
Roberta Benham
Board Member At Large
Dell Employee Matching
Jeremy Blackman
Board Member At Large
Luther King Capital Management
Blaine Brunson
Board Member At Large
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Susan Burton
Board Member At Large
Cornell Smith Mierl Brutacao Burton, LLP
Katherine Butler
Board Member At Large
Managing Director at Melba Investments
Andy Carlson
Facilities & Growth Committee Chair
Cushman and Wakefield
Sam Greer
Board Member At Large
Austin Community College
Bart Gunkel
Board Member at Large
Covert Chrysler Dodge Jeep and Ram
Kate Henderson
Task Force Chair
Healthcare Executive
Linda Y. Jackson
Board Member At Large
VP for Institutional Advancement, Huston-Tillotson University
Evan Johnson
General Counsel
Coffin Renner LLP
Sharmila Kassam
Board Member at Large
Nasdaq World Headquarters
Kelly Latz
Board Member at Large
Fritz, Byrne, Head & Gilstrap, PLLC
Nichole Newlan
Board Member at Large
Whole Foods Market
David Quintanilla
Board Member at Large
Red McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin
Kierstan Schwab
Board Engagement & Philanthropy Committee Chair
Executive Director, Texas PBS
Sean Taylor
Board Member at Large
ERCOT
