Merrimack Valley YMCA competitors

Kenyatta T Brunson is a dedicated nonprofit professional with over 20 years of experience in direct care and managerial positions. She has worked with individuals who tend to be the most vulnerable populations in society; at risk youth, those with substance use disorders, mental health issues, and the chronically homeless. Mrs. Brunson has utilized her leadership and communication skills with the ability to develop programs to effectively and efficiently oversee social service programs. She is a proven leader that has successfully overseen and managed the fiscal and operational components of programs to ensure that clients receive outstanding customer service.Mrs. Brunson has been awarded the Community Champion Award from Capital One Bank and was featured in Essence Magazine as the first runner-up for the Hardest Working Black Woman Award. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Women.

James Morton serves as the 13th President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston. The YMCA of Greater Boston, America’s first YMCA, is one of the largest private social services providers in Massachusetts, offering programs and services that nurture the potential of every child and teen, supporting healthy living and well-being, and promoting social responsibility. He began his role on April 6, 2015. Morton joined the YMCA of Greater Boston after serving YMCAs in Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts. Morton also has a deep personal and professional connection to work force development and education having served as a leader of two work force development agencies and as an educator in the Springfield (MA) Public Schools, before joining the YMCA movement in 2006. Morton earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin, a Juris Doctorate from Northeastern University School of Law, and an Honorary Doctorate from Salem State University. Morton serves on numerous boards and committees, including the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership, Boston After School and Beyond, My Brother’s Keeper Advisory Board, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Community Advisory Board, and Rockland Trust Board of Directors. In addition, he is and has been an active participant on numerous Y-USA committees on youth development, executive leadership development, and multiculturalism. He is an active member of the African-American YMCA CEO Network. In 2020 he was recognized as one of Boston’s Power 50 by the Boston Business Journal for his leadership during the Coronavirus health crisis and in 2021 he was named one of the 100 Most Influential People by Boston magazine. Morton is a former All-American Masters track and field athlete and holder of several national Masters titles. He is married, with one adult son, lots of nieces and nephews, and two dogs. Learn more about James by visiting the Y Way, a collection of letters of hope and love, plus listen to his podcast For Love.