Deborah MacDonald promoted to Associate Branch Executive, Spokane Valley YMCA
The YMCA recently promoted Deborah MacDonald as the new Associate Branch Executive of the Spokane Valley YMCA. Deborah has a long career with the YMCA beginning in 2006 working with the Grand Rapids, MI YMCA until she joined the YMCA of the Inland Northwest in 2012, most recently serving as the Health and Wellness Director for the North Spokane Y. She has an extensive background in health and wellness, group fitness, personal training, community outreach and more. She is committed to the mission of the Y and looks forward to bringing her experience and energy to this new role.
“I started my career at the YMCA in Grand Rapids, MI back in 2006 and once I was a part of the YMCA, I never wanted to work anywhere else. I started as a group exercise instructor just for fun, then got my personal training certification, became a Y-USA Trainer and Faculty Trainer for various courses and ultimately became involved with community outreach and programming that took me outside of the walls of the YMCA buildings into the community fostering relationships and partnerships with people and organizations that had a mission and values that were in line with the YMCA.
I moved to Spokane in June of 2013 and even before we had left Michigan, I reached out to see if I could find a job at the YMCA in Spokane. I started working for our association at the Valley branch as a Wellness Coach and Group Ex instructor in July of 2013. I then moved into a Group Ex Lead position at North in 2014 and accepted the Health and Wellness Director position in March of 2017. I have been a coach for LIVESTRONG®, Diabetes Prevention Program, Weight Loss Program and Pathways to Wellness as well as continue to teach and personal train at the North branch (and sub at the other locations on occasion). I still hold a Faculty Trainer certification with Y-USA for Enhance Fitness, an evidence-based program that I continue to train instructors for around the country. I am so grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to get started!“