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YMCA chief resigns for job in east

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BURBANK — Bryan Madden, chief executive officer of the Burbank YMCA, recently announced his resignation after accepting an offer at the YMCA in his hometown of Columbia, S.C.

Madden, 36, moved to Burbank three years ago to take over the YMCA’s top position.

“It’s going to be tough leaving Burbank though, it’s an awesome community and it’s a great Y,” Madden said. “This community reminds me a lot of a small town in South Carolina. It’s got front porches and people who have lived here for generations and people that care about each other.”

After coming to the Burbank YMCA, Madden worked closely with the board of directors to set goals and create a vision for achieving them over the next five years.

Under Madden’s leadership, the board of directors addressed the issue of childhood obesity and continues to do so through nutrition education, with a focus on a new youth fitness center.

“We spent a lot of time dealing with this issue,” Madden said. “Youth obesity is preventive, we can prevent it. I really do think with the city leadership we have in place, there is not much this community can’t do.”

During his three years as chief executive officer, Madden also worked with the city’s service clubs and nonprofits to find ways to provide better services at the YMCA, he said.

“He’s put in some exemplary staff, from the senior staff to low staff level we have,” said Sunder Ramani, president of the Burbank YMCA board of directors. “He’s instilled an attitude of can-do, and ‘how high can I reach?’ That has helped the YMCA grow by leaps and bounds.”

But leaving the Burbank YMCA is going to be difficult for Madden, who credits the staff and volunteer board of directors for their hard work and dedication.

“I think that we have a very empowered staff,” Madden said. “I bring the quality of letting them grow as programmers and marketers, helping them feel comfortable moving in their area. We spend a lot of time and energy making the Y a very family-oriented and safe place to be.”

Madden already knows what he wants to do once he takes the post as chief executive officer of the YMCA in Columbia, S.C.

He wants to work on developing an effective management team, which includes tackling issues dealing with customer service, fundraising and retrofitting of the facility, he said.

He will also collaborate with the board of directors on a strategic plan, he added.

“The programs that we are offering and the services we are offering are second to none,” Ramani said. It’s especially because of Bryan’s leadership. The direction of the organization starts from the top.”

Madden, who announced his resignation three weeks ago, will depart the Burbank Y the end of December, he said.

The board of directors will designate a search committee to fill Madden’s position, Ramani said.

“We are going through the process to figure out what we need to do for the immediate steps,” Ramani said.

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