WILMINGTON — Carolan Cross will serve as the new senior executive director at the Brandywine Y located on Mount Lebanon Road just off Concord Pike.

Ms. Cross comes to the YMCA of Delaware team with more than a decade of Y experience. She has been a cause driven leader within the Y movement since 2009, serving across six diverse communities. Most recently, she was the executive director of the Dale Turner Family Y with the YMCA of Greater Seattle and worked for their association since 2017. Additionally, she has been a leader of equity work, serving on various committees as well as the Y National LGBTQ cohort. At the core of Carolan’s leadership philosophy is nurturing a values-based environment rooted in trust, cultivating a culture of excellence and accountability, and working towards infusing equity in all we do.

“We are thrilled to welcome Carolan to our Y of Delaware team,”  Deborah Bagatta-Bowles, chief executive officer of the YMCA of Delaware, said in a prepared statement. “With her passion and dedication to the YMCA mission, she will be a great fit to meet the needs of the Brandywine community.”

Born in Scotland, Ms. Cross moved to the U.S. in 2002 and became a citizen in 2019. She is a former National Scottish and U.S. Nationals Masters swimmer and swim coach.  She started her Y career as an aquatics and fitness director in St. Louis after working as a swim coach in Florida.

“I am excited to continue my YMCA journey here in Delaware. I hope to use my diverse experience and leadership skills to continue to grow our Y’s presence, relevance, and mission work through the Brandywine community,” she said. “I look forward to developing relationships with Y staff, our members, and community partners.”

In recent years, the Brandywine YMCA completed a major 19,000 square foot expansion project which includes a state-of-the-art fitness center, two additional fitness studios, cycle studio, babysitting room, youth wellness and activity center, adaptive fitness equipment, and a teen and active older adult lounge. Many programs are available at the Y including babysitting and youth fitness while you work out, swim lessons, summer camp, before and after school care, teen programs, free group exercise classes, personal training, and more. The Brandywine Y proudly provides nearly $500,000 in financial assistance each year, ensuring that everyone, regardless of income, has access to all the Y has to offer.