San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)

Jackie Robinson Y has new chief

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The YMCA of San Diego County has chosen a new executive director for its southeast San Diego location after an 8month vacancy.

Interim director Anna Arancibia has been hired to lead the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA after working with the organizati­on for more than 16 years. She is replacing Michael Brunker, who was promoted last spring to a countywide position with the YMCA.

Arancibia was associate executive director for seven years before being named interim. She rose through the ranks, serving as site supervisor for after-school programs and director of several functions, including youth programmin­g, outreach and membership.

The San Diego native earned her undergradu­ate degree from Boston University and began working for the YMCA after college.

“To be able to build and grow upon my career all at Jackie Robinson is super meaningful,” Arancibia said. “I see kids that were in my day camp program or in my sports program, now they are bringing their kids.”

Arancibia has watched the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA evolve from a small branch into the 45,000-square-foot building it is today, thanks to a $28 million project to rebuild the facility.

Arancibia is the first Latina to serve as the executive director of the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA, beating out 65 other applicants after a nationwide search.

When Brunker announced his job move, some community members said the organizati­on should attempt to recruit an African American candidate, given that the facility is in an historical­ly black community and is named after baseball icon and trailblaze­r Jackie Robinson.

Political consultant Herman Collins engaged in conversati­ons about who should lead the YMCA back in July 2019. Collins said now that his concerns at the time did not pertain to Arancibia, who he congratula­tes. He sees it as part of a broader issue, given that the YMCA of San Diego County is a large employer and yet there are no African American executive directors.

“It’s a legitimate question,” Collins said. “It is a cultural issue.”

The Jackie Robinson Family YMCA serves neighborho­ods located in southeast San Diego, including Mountain View,

Southcrest, Logan Heights and surroundin­g communitie­s of Lincoln Park and Encanto. There are more than 6,500 enrolled members.

According to 2010 census data, 50 percent of residents in Encanto were Latino and 24 percent were black. Encanto includes the communitie­s east of Interstate-805 and south of state Route 96.

In the Southeaste­rn planning area, 83 percent of residents were Latino and 9 percent were black. Southeaste­rn includes neighborho­ods west of I-805 and east of I-5.

Arancibia said she plans to focus on engaging the YMCA in the community more and partnering with various community organizati­ons.

“I didn’t think that this would be where I would be, but I really love serving in this capacity,” Arancibia said. “For me it’s being able to see what other Latina and younger women of color see. I’m a mom of two and I’m also an executive... I think with them, they see themselves in me.”

The Jackie Robinson YMCA runs youth athletic programs, dance and martial arts classes and a day camp. It also partners with Kitchens for Good, serving kids 17 and under a free meal Monday through Thursday.

andrea.lopezvilla­fana @sduniontri­bune.com

 ?? ANDREA LOPEZ-VILLAFAÑA U-T ?? Anna Arancibia, new executive director of the Jackie Robinson Family Y.
ANDREA LOPEZ-VILLAFAÑA U-T Anna Arancibia, new executive director of the Jackie Robinson Family Y.

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