Honor Hal Welsh’s Retirement

Senate Resolution No. 2870 BY: Senator DEFRANCISCO COMMENDING Hal Welsh upon the occasion of his retirement after 24 years of distinguished service to the YMCA of Greater Syracuse WHEREAS, It is the sense of the State of New York to recognize those skilled and dedicated individuals within our midst whose professional and personal accomplishments merit the recognition of their local communities and this great Empire State; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend Hal Welsh upon the occasion of his retirement after 24 years of distinguished service to the YMCA of Greater Syracuse; he will officially retire as Executive Director of the YMCA of Greater Syracuse later this year; and WHEREAS, Hal Welsh, a resident of Van Buren, New York, took the reins of running the YMCA of Greater Syracuse in 1993, after he was recruited from the Lancaster, New York, Family YMCA where he previously served for 15 years; and WHEREAS, Over the past 24 years, under the leadership of Hal Welsh, the YMCA of Greater Syracuse has more than doubled its number of branches and increased its membership from 3,500 to 57,000, while also increasing its operating budget to $22 million; and WHEREAS, Today, the YMCA of Greater Syracuse features a total of seven branches that are located in downtown Syracuse, Fayetteville, Manlius, Liverpool, Baldwinsville and Onondaga at the Onondaga Community College campus, as well as Camp Iroquois, a day camp for children; and WHEREAS, The YMCA of Greater Syracuse's expanded branches offer members a wide range of amenities, including swimming pools, workout facilities, meeting areas, children's programs, healthy living classes, and many more; and WHEREAS, During his tenure as Executive Director of the YMCA of Greater Syracuse, Hal Welsh oversaw many major projects, including building the Northwest Family YMCA in Baldwinsville, (which began when Radisson residents expressed the desire for a year-round recreational facility) that opened its doors in 2015; and WHEREAS, Hal Welsh was also instrumental in bringing arts programming and academic support to the YMCA of Greater Syracuse to meet the needs of more people in the Syracuse area; and WHEREAS, Hal Welsh has devoted his long and successful career to making communities stronger and healthier, and along the way have stood his supportive friends and family; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commend Hal Welsh upon the occasion of his retirement after 24 years of distinguished service to the YMCA of Greater Syracuse; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Hal Welsh.