YMCA Executive Director Retires

Rick DuRei has seen a lot of change in his 11 years with the .

He came on board in 1999 and left his position this week; the new director will be Laura Perlowski, who has been running the Livonia YMCA.

"It's been a quick 11 years," DuRei said.

He remembers coming in to a "very strong YMCA". The non-profit, which provides an exercise center, youth sports and camping programs, child care and many family activities, has expanded over the last decade, with a peak summer staff of more than 300 – about twice the size it was when DuRei started.

But even as it has grown, he said, "This is probably one of the few YMCAs in the state where we represent our community (demographics) perfectly... The Y is looked on as a community place, where all races, religions and colors can come together. We've grown with our community."

DuRei's job grew as well, although he was still the guy who came in early to make sure the sidewalks and parking lot were clear after snow storms and went through the locker rooms to make sure everything was clean and in working order.

A familiar face at the , Call to Action Coalition and other organizations, DuRei has spread the message that the Y exists to serve the needs of the community.

Over the years, he said, those needs have grown. The agency now hands out many more scholarships to ensure families in need have access to youth sports programs, child care and other offerings. Most of the scholarships go towards child care, he said.

"I'm very, very proud that in 11 years, we've raised $1.5 million and we've distributed $2 million in scholarships," DuRei said. "We have a motto, no one's denied at the Y."

Annually, the amount of money raised has gone up 300 percent, from $40,000 to $200,000, DuRei said. "The thing about the money we raise, it stays in our community, and it helps people who live and work in our community," he said.

That includes helping members in need. If someone loses their job, DuRei said, the first 90-120 days, their membership continues without charge.

"That's where we get a tremendous amount of our Strong Kids volunteers," he said. "Just a little bit of help and sometimes they become some of our biggest advocates."

The source of donations has also changed over the past three or four years, from more corporate donors to more individual donors. When people give, he said, it's primarily out of a desire to help people and help the community, over and above getting a tax deduction.

DuRei has high praise for the Y's Board of Directors, "how hard they work for the Y and how strongly they believe in our mission. They are really connecting with contacts in the community and looking at what we can do together."

An awful lot of people, he said, have a YMCA story in their past. Many YMCA staff members grew up at the Farmington Family Y building, starting with day care and then moving into sports and camping programs.

That holds true for DuRei as well. He was 5 years old when his father passed away, leaving his mother with four children and no job. The Y provided him with a scholarship.

"I've been a staff member or a YMCA member for 55 years," DuRei said. "The Y has been a big part of everything I've done."

And it will continue to be, even after he retires, DuRei added. He'll be working with the Y's 10-week abstinence program for middle and high school students that is expanding from Macomb into Wayne County.

"I'm sure there'll be other things," he said. "We're going to sit back and rest and figure it out."

DuRei said he expects the transition to be "seamless. My goal is to support the new executive director as much as possible."

And he's looking forward to one more thing.

"It's going to be fun to come back and exercise," he said with a smile. "I can tell people, 'will you please shut your locker door' or 'pick up your towel', without them being offended."