BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – March 1st marks the beginning of Women’s History Month, a month dedicated to the celebration of women putting their heads down and working hard to change the world for the better. The Y as an organization has a history of women serving their communities through the YMCA as far back as 1886, but in recent years women have been occupying more and more leadership positions in the Y on a national and local level, including our current president and CEO of Y-USA being Suzanne McCormick, the first woman ever to hold the position.
The Bloomington-Normal YMCA is proud to take part in this push for more leadership by women with our current Board President recently starting her second year in the position, Christy Bazan.
“Diversity and inclusion within our staff is always important,” said Bazan. “We should always push to represent our community in the make-up of our staff and volunteers, with a diverse staff that mirrors the diversity of the Y community.”
Bazan has served the Board for about three years, but she’s been a member of our Y community for about six years. When she’s not working as our Board president, Bazan has a fairly busy schedule working as a professor at both Illinois State and the University of Illinois, where she teaches students about health education and environmental health.
“The Y’s mission aligns well with my own personal beliefs, and being able to lead the organization in some capacity has been a huge honor,” said Bazan. “Being in these positions, it’s important for me to be able to show young women that they should believe in themselves, and that they should believe they can be leaders as well, and I think having diversity in your leadership is a very important way to show that to the community.”
While finding their niche of work might be the most pressing thing on any of her students’ minds, Bazan likes to stress the importance of patience, and the importance of trust while working in any profession.
“It took a while for me to figure out exactly how I wanted to serve my community, which is why I think it’s important to allow yourself to wait if you need to,” said Bazan. “I waited until I found myself in a position where I had the time to give to the Y, and that’s why I can go into it every day giving 100%.”
“It’s also important to listen to the advice of people who know you when they recommend you for an opportunity,” Bazan continued. “When Dr. Kim Marshall recommended that I join the Board, I knew it would be a good opportunity for me because I trusted her judgment. It’s important to follow the lead of people who have your best interests in mind.”
Established in 1855, the Bloomington-Normal YMCA is the oldest continually existing human service organization in McLean County. Serving more than 5,000 people annually, the YMCA is dedicated to instilling Christian principles through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. As a charitable, nonprofit organization, the Y seeks to establish programming in the community for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. For more information, please visit www.bnymca.org.