WESTFIELD — The Westfield Area YMCA Board of Directors announced at the February 26 board meeting that Susan Morton has been named the organization’s next president and chief executive officer, effective June 2024. Mark Elsasser, who has held the position since 2002, will retire in June 2024 after 44 years of YMCA service.
Mr. Elsasser thanked the board and staff for their commitment to the Y’s mission and congratulated Ms. Morton on her new role. “Susan Morton’s dedication and leadership has helped the Westfield Area YMCA be the strong mission driven organization it is today,” he stated. “I am pleased and proud that she will succeed me as CEO and confident that the future of the Westfield Area YMCA is in excellent hands.”
Ms. Morton has held a variety of management and executive positions over the past 35 years at the Westfield Area YMCA. In 2015, she became the vice president of operations and was promoted to her current position as chief operating officer in 2023. She holds responsibility for developing and managing the overall organization’s budget, strategic planning, community relationships, and mentoring and developing the professional staff.
Over her tenure, Ms. Morton managed the early-learning, school-age child care, camp and teen programs and played an integral role in the expansion of the Y’s child-care programs from a single Main Y facility location to include an additional four early-learning facilities. Ms. Morton was instrumental in working with the towns and the boards of education for all four of the Y’s service area towns of Westfield, Cranford, Garwood and Mountainside to grow before- and after-school programs and launch the Garwood Family Center YMCA in 2012 and the Cranford YMCA in 2024. Ms. Morton also shepherds the Y’s financial-assistance program.
Ms. Morton holds various YMCA leadership certifications, a bachelor’s degree in early childhood and elementary education from Kean University, and a New Jersey teaching certification.
“Susan is an exceptional missiondriven leader with the abilities, qualities and expertise that represent what we are looking for in the next Y’s CEO,” said Peter Burtness, Westfield Area YMCABoard chair. “I’m confident that she is the best person to take on this exciting and challenging role and lead the Y into a bright future.”
Mr. Elsasser has led the Westfield Area YMCA as CEO for almost 22 years through significant growth and expansion of facilities, programs and services throughout the community. Prior, he served six years as executive vice president of operations for the YMCA of Central Maryland and in various professional and executive roles at the YMCA in Philadelphia, where he began his fulltime YMCA career in 1980. He also was an adjunct professor at Springfield College in Massachusetts and served as president of the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance. Additionally, he is an EMT and a Certified Fundraising Executive.
“On behalf of the board, I want to thank Mark for his decades of service and the long-term impact his leadership has had on this YMCA and the community it serves,” said Mr. Burtness. “His belief in professional development and growth of talented staff provides us the next generation of staff leaders for the Westfield Area YMCA.”
