{"id":58931,"date":"2025-11-24T16:12:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T16:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/58931\/"},"modified":"2025-11-24T16:12:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T16:12:07","slug":"st-pete-ymcas-new-ceo-sets-belonging-as-top-priority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/58931\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Pete YMCA\u2019s new CEO sets belonging as top priority"},"content":{"rendered":"

In her first two weeks as President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg<\/a>, Nicci Bucher has focused on learning the community<\/a> one visit at a time.<\/p>\n

She has been inside preschool classrooms, met with leadership<\/a> teams and taken calls from her car between appointments.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am in my car right now, driving around and getting used to the roads and the community,\u201d Bucher said. \u201cI am always going to be present. Do not sit me in an office for very long. I want to be out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her approach is steady and practical. She wants the YMCA<\/a> to reach more families across St. Petersburg<\/a>, and she believes that belonging should guide its growth in the years ahead.<\/p>\n

Understanding St. Pete<\/p>\n

St. Petersburg is dense and expanding. Families need affordable childcare. Older adults want to stay active and connected.<\/p>\n

Many neighborhoods want more community programs and safe places to gather. The YMCA<\/a> already supports many of these needs, but Bucher sees opportunities to do more.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people do not know we are a nonprofit<\/a>,\u201d she said. \u201cMany do not know we operate licensed preschool academies and school programs. We are the largest child care provider in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Outgoing CEO David Jezek<\/a> has helped her meet board members, partners and civic leaders. She said this support has given her a strong early foundation.<\/p>\n

READ DAVID JEZEK\u2019S EXIT INTERVIEW<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI have been really welcomed,\u201d she said. \u201cI was nervous following in David\u2019s footsteps, but people here have embraced me from the moment I arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n

She is also paying attention to areas that may be overlooked. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere may be underutilized buildings or green spaces where we can provide programming,\u201d she said. \u201cSome places may need revitalization and we can help bring people together there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Belonging comes first<\/p>\n

When Bucher talks about the YMCA\u2019s future, she starts with belonging.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo feel a sense of belonging is essential,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople want to feel connected and seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

This idea shapes how she thinks the YMCA should grow. She does not believe growth must always come from new buildings. <\/p>\n

Instead, she sees strong opportunities in partnerships with schools, hospitals, churches and other nonprofits.<\/p>\n

READ: Sarasota developer buys 69-acre Ruskin site for $4.5M<\/a><\/p>\n

She also supports bringing programs directly into neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

In Central Florida, she helped create mobile units that brought YMCA programs to communities on wheels.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could roll up with a van and offer volleyball, cornhole or even a DJ,\u201d she said. \u201cWe could address food insecurity with snacks. Families would look forward to us coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Early learning remains a major focus.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing around the early learning programs and the preschools feeds my soul,\u201d she said. \u201cThe 0 to 5 window is critical. Preparing kids for kindergarten is essential.\u201d<\/p>\n

How she leads<\/p>\n

Her first two weeks show what her leadership style looks like.<\/p>\n

1. She listens before she plans<\/p>\n

\u201cThese two weeks have been great because I have been able to connect with people,\u201d she said. \u201cI want to see it, touch it and understand where we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Partnerships will guide growth<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are plenty of people to go around,\u201d she said. \u201cWe can reach more families and more neighborhoods by working together.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Innovation must be practical<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can take YMCA experiences into places that need them,\u201d she said. \u201cIt could be youth activities, wellness for older adults or support for families.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Staff and volunteers drive impact<\/p>\n

\u201cI can create the best plan on paper,\u201d she said. \u201cIt only matters if our team has the support and recognition they need to carry it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

A clear moment<\/p>\n

During a visit to one of the Y\u2019s preschool academies, Bucher saw a construction project that needed adjustments due to rising costs. Even so, the children were smiling, learning and engaged.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were genuinely happy,\u201d she said. \u201cSeeing that made it clear how important these programs are.\u201d<\/p>\n

She explained how community support affects the YMCA\u2019s ability to expand and enhance its programs.<\/p>\n

READ: California investor buys 2 Tampa Bay properties for $10M<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe do not turn away people for their inability to pay,\u201d she said. \u201cSupport from the community helps us expand services and create better experiences for children and families.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said rising construction costs may limit some of the features they hoped to include. \u201cWithout additional funding, we may not be able to tap into some of the offerings we wanted to build,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

St. Petersburg is changing and the YMCA<\/a> plays a key role in youth development, family support and community health. Bucher\u2019s approach fits the moment.<\/p>\n

Her focus on belonging is practical and straightforward. It shows up in how she listens, how she plans and how she wants the Y to serve more people.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone deserves to feel connected,\u201d she said. \u201cThat is what we want to create.\u201d<\/p>\n

The road ahead<\/p>\n

Nicci Bucher is leading with presence and steady commitment. She is learning the community by moving through it every day. <\/p>\n

She respects the work the YMCA has already done and sees ways to reach more people with thoughtful programming and strong partnerships.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Y has done great work,\u201d she said. \u201cAfter my first 90 days, I might have even more answers for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stay Connected<\/p>\n

Sign up for TBBW\u2019s newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n

Watch TBBW\u2019s Podcast<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow TBBW on Social Media<\/a><\/p>\n

Read More TBBW stories<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In her first two weeks as President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, Nicci Bucher…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":58932,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[22406,35896,4364,5131,596,202,204,203,199,201,200,1526,27267,33150,597,5135],"class_list":["post-58931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-child-care","tag-community-development","tag-community-impact","tag-nonprofit-leadership","tag-pinellas-county","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news","tag-tampa-bay","tag-tampa-leadership","tag-tbbws-top-stories","tag-ymca","tag-youth-programs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58931"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58931\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}