For Megan Benvenuto, new CEO of Boothbay Region YMCA, Boothbay is where she has found she and her family belong.

She said she and her partner Eric "had a lot of things on the list of where we wanted to settle down, but at the top of that list we wanted soul. And this community has so much heart and soul."

Benvenuto began her Y career at 19 as a lifeguard at YMCA Cape Cod’s Camp Lyndon. “That’s when I found out what the Y does to help families and communities. It really inspired me to learn more about the organization."

Her passion for the YMCA and its mission of serving communities large and small has continued to grow throughout the years, preparing her for the next chapter, at Boothbay Region YMCA.

“I feel like every step along the way, from being a lifeguard all the way through to being a group vice president at the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, has made me the leader I need to be for this YMCA."

Benvenuto worked her first day at Boothbay YMCA July 1, and said she could not be more excited to become part of the organization.

“This is a dream I’ve been chasing for 26 years. Since I first started at the Y, all the steps along the way — learning to fundraise, learning to lead a staff team, learning about developing others — have prepared me for this.”

But for her family and her, the move to Boothbay is about more than just the YMCA. It is about becoming part of a community that extends far beyond any single organization.

“Having lived in Atlanta for eight years, the sense of community in a small town is something we’ve genuinely missed, but I’m glad we found it here,” Benvenuto said.

She and Eric and their children Mark and Emma all grew up in New England and have been amazed by the welcoming spirit they have found in Boothbay.

“Seeing the Share Shed in action, talking to members of the Woodchucks, seeing farms come together to face the challenge of food insecurity—this community looks after one another, and I’m proud and excited to be a part of that going forward,” Benvenuto said.

As she begins her journey with BRYMCA, she hopes to continue building on the organization’s strengths while finding new ways to serve the community.

“I want to take on this role, to build on the fantastic foundation from past leaders, and figure out all of the amazing potential that’s out there in charting our own course, to listen to the community and to find a way that best serves the needs that are ever evolving,” Megan said. “That’s where I’m trying to drive this YMCA.”

After searching for a community with "heart and soul," Benvenuto believes she and her family have found it and now, as CEO, she hopes to give back what the community has already given her family, a place to belong.

Editor’s note: This article's writer, summer news contributor Emma Benvenuto, is Megan Benvenuto's daughter. The aspiring journalist will attend University of Maine in Orono this fall. She graduated from Harrison High School in Georgia with a 3.9 GPA and experience in newswriting, podcast production, photography and digital media.