YMCA Celebrates Two Consecutive National Women of Excellence Awards

YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties presented the 2023 YMCA of the USA Women of Excellence Award to Trish Feinthel at its quarterly staff leadership meeting on Friday, March 22. The award was presented by Fran Cardaci, winner of the 2022 award when she served as chief volunteer officer for the association.

A career YMCA servant leader in NJ and PA, Trish Feinthel has been chief operations officer for YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties since 2014. Her many accomplishments include leading the Y’s operational teams through four significant mergers since 2018; seeing the association through the COVID-19 pandemic; providing leadership and guidance to YMCA COOs across the USA via a nationally recognized peer group during pandemic times.

Feinthel, a NJ native currently living in East Amwell, is highly regarded as an innovator within the YMCA movement as well, implementing the Y Wellness 24/7 virtual health platform in 2020, and subsequently driving over 50 additional YMCAs across the country to participate in offering the virtual wellness platform to their members. Through her leadership of free, donor-funded Pathway programs, Trish has impacted the lives of over 12,000 participants who have come to the Y to be healthier from a chronic illness like Diabetes, recover from Cancer treatments, or find camaraderie and wellness in the Veterans Wellness Pathway program.

“Trish is highly skilled at meeting both our employees and members ‘where they are,’” stated Fran Cardaci, currently the chief human resources officer for YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties. “She understands the need for diversity of thought and background so that our programs and services to the community are just what are needed at just the right time.”

Cardaci was presented the National Women of Excellence award by YMCA of the USA last year. Fran was the first female chief volunteer officer (association board chair) in the association’s history. She established YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties’ first Diversity, Inclusion and Global Engagement (DIG) committee, and led the organization through a three-year, $30 million capital campaign which revitalized the Fairless Hills branch and made improvements to the branch in Doylestown.

“Fran and Trish are peerless leaders in the YMCA movement,” said Zane Moore, president/CEO of YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties. “The impact of their innovation and thoughtful care is felt throughout our communities, as well as YMCAs across all of PA and NJ. I consider myself blessed to serve with them, and could not be prouder of their accomplishments.”

The YMCA Women's Leadership Resource Network (WRLN) accepts nominations each year for the National Women of Excellence Award from YMCAs throughout the US. As stated on their Facebook private group page, the WLRN works for the empowerment, advancement and inspirational leadership of female-identifying staff in the YMCA movement.