Catalyze 2024: David Jezek

We’re asking thought leaders, business people and creatives to talk about the new year ahead and give us catalyzing ideas for making St. Pete a better place to live. What should our city look like? What are their hopes, their plans, their problem-solving ideas? This is Catalyze 2024.

It was a milestone year for YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, and as President and CEO, David Jezek is aiming for even more growth in 2024.

“We currently impact around 60,000 individuals on an annual basis, and this new facility should, as we grow as an association and expand services, membership and programs, allow us to reach over 100,000,” Jezek said. The new facility that’s catalyzing YMCA’s growth is the recently opened Speer YMCA, the area’s first joint YMCA and Pinellas County school campus.

The 111,757-square-foot complex has shared areas and amenities that will be used by YMCA members and 500 students at Mangrove Bay Middle School. Jezek said the project has been in the works since 2016 and is one of only 16 other joint YMCA and school campuses throughout the country.

“That’s the beauty of our partnership [with Pinellas County Schools], our opportunity to really activate the facility. If you think about it, a school is really open about 30% of the operating hours a day, so by being combined with the YMCA, it’s our intention to max that out to really ensure that what students are learning during the school day is enhanced in the after school activities,” Jezek said. “Those amenities, from the culinary center to the media center, Art Lab, Technology Lab; it’s just a campus full of opportunity and hope for what could be, and so that, obviously, is top of mind as we head into this new year.”

Not only is the Speer YMCA the nonprofit’s “new shiny object,” but it’s also a chance to increase awareness about the extensive roster of health and wellness programs the organization offers.

“One of our rationales for moving into that area was that we determined, through our studies and evaluations, that there was a gap in services. We felt that, although we had a number of our current participants in that part of the community, they were not fully engaged in all that we have to do,” Jezek said. “The YMCA has a large menu of programs and services: LIVESTRONG at the Y for adult cancer survivors, diabetes prevention, Parkinson’s programs, blood pressure self-monitoring programs, classes to teach seniors to prevent falls. I mean, I could go on and on about the community health initiatives that we have, which oftentimes go unnoticed.”

Although activating the Speer YMCA will be a major focus for the organization in 2024, Jezek said they are also working on plans to expand services at its Speer YMCA Preschool Academy on 26th Ave. South. The facility currently serves children ages 2 to 5 years but will add infant and toddler care, similar to its Lealman Preschool Academy.

“There’s a high demand for quality care in that age bracket, and we know that with getting to students, the sooner the better. We feel like that continuum of care of reaching families at an early age is important.”

Jezek also said the Y is continuing to pursue a redevelopment opportunity to transform the Jim and Heather Gills YMCA campus at the corner of First Avenue South and 34th Street “We’re excited about the prospects as we continue down that road and hope to announce something soon,” he said.

“There is a lot happening at the Y. There’s no idle time.”