Each year, the McGaw YMCA Board of Directors nominates a new cohort of individuals to serve on the Board and the Membership of the McGaw YMCA votes to elect new board members during the virtual Board Election. The proposed slate is listed below.
This year’s virtual Board Election will be held November 30 – December 7. Current McGaw Y members will receive an email at 8:00 a.m. (CST) on Monday, November 30, with a link to the virtual ballot to cast their vote. The polls will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, December 7.
The Board election results will be shared at the Annual Meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, December 8 at 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the McGaw YMCA Chinnock Community Room. RSVP for the Annual Meeting.
Current Board Members Up for Re-Election
The following slate of current board members is up for re-election during the Board Election.
Three-Year Term:
Philina King
Constance Wright
Jeremy Yonan
New Board Member Nominees (3-year Term)
The following slate of new candidates is up for election during the Board Election (presented in alphabetical order).
Kathy Hayes is a proud mother, grandmother, community volunteer, and lifelong Evanston resident. Born and raised in the historic District of the Fifth Ward, she is honored to call Evanston home. Her twenty-four years of professional service in Cook County government, including the State’s Attorney’s Office and the Cook County Health System, have shaped her commitment to public service. With an educational background in human and social services, she has worked with diverse populations and systems, gaining valuable experience advocating for those often overlooked. She is passionate about empowering the disenfranchised and underserved, promoting equity, and helping build a stronger, more inclusive community. As a dedicated community advocate and public servant, she remains committed to serving others, uplifting families, and making a positive difference in the community she proudly calls home.
Kathy joined the Y in the 1970s as a youth member, at a time when the recent racial integration of YMCAs was reshaping the Y experience across the country and in Evanston. She took gymnastics, swimming, and lifeguard training at the Y and relied on those skills throughout high school and college.
After college, Kathy became a case manager with the Township of Evanston General Assistance Program, helping clients improve their quality of life. Many of her clients were men facing homelessness, and the YMCA provided residential support essential to helping them address other life challenges.
As a potential board member, Kathy is excited to support the Men’s Residence program in addressing medical, emotional, and housing needs and strengthening the expansion of the Y’s outreach across cultural barriers.
Liz Schroeder has been an Evanston resident for the majority of the past 25 years and has served at Evanston Township High School (ETHS) in the Special Education Department since 2005. Throughout her tenure at ETHS, she has served as a classroom teacher, case manager, and currently as the transition specialist. She holds an undergraduate degree from Hope College and a master’s degree from the University of Iowa, both in special education. Liz served on the PTA at King Arts in various leadership roles, and served as one of the school’s representatives on the PTA Equity Project (PEP) Committee. She was a member of the Evanston Baseball & Softball Association (EBSA) board, serving as secretary, and is in her second year as a member of the board of the ETHS Boosters. She and her husband have two sons, currently in their senior and sophomore years at ETHS.
Liz first connected to the McGaw YMCA through its youth basketball programs, where both of her sons participated. Since then, Liz and her sons have been members at various times and she has attended annual benefits. She currently serves on the Men’s Residence Capital Campaign committee and has helped coordinate YMCA memberships for ETHS Transition Program student participants, providing support to students as they access the facility.
As a potential board member, Liz is excited about the capital campaign and the plans to renovate the Men’s Residence. She looks forward to helping McGaw YMCA continue to meet the needs of the Evanston community, especially its youth.