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New YMCA Pittsburgh Head Excited about the Future of the Organization

Rig Riggins will soon take the reins of the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh. He said that he's excited about working with the community.

Most recently, Rig Riggins was head of the YMCA in Spokane, Washington. There, he oversaw the largest capital campaign in that city's history, and expanded Y membership there from 11,000 to 46,000 members. He said that his first priority upon arriving in Pittsburgh will be to ensure that the Y continues its mission while he gets to know the area.

"We're going to impact and change lives through a lot of different programs. There are a lot of communities that would love to see a YMCA as part of their presence. Initially we're going to be opening a new Y in the Hill District called the Thelma Lovett Y, and that will be open in April, so it's a pretty exciting time to be coming on board," said Riggins.

Riggins has a long history with the YMCA. Prior to heading the Spokane organization, he served as President of YMCA of Greater Long Beach, Executive Vice President of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, and served in several management roles at the YMCA of Greater Des Moines, Iowa.

"We can influence lives for a lifetime," said Riggins. "We have people that have gone to the Y, then their kids go to the Y, and their kids go to the Y — so generations after generations have benefitted from YMCA programs. It's also something the entire family can participate in, which distinguishes us from a lot of non-profits that serve just one part of the family. We serve the entire family."

Riggins will spend the first few months getting acquainted with the area and meeting with community leaders, the Y board, and others. He replaces Eric Mann, who left the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh earlier this year to the Jacksonville, Florida Y. Riggins will start on January 2.