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Hi, I’m Lucas Hughes, the Chief Executive Officer. I have worked at the Newton YMCA since October 2017 and I'm loving it! I am happily married to my beautiful wife, Jennah and parents to our daughters, Remi and Chloe. We also have two dogs, Margo and Tucker. Jennah and I recently moved back from Denver, Colorado where I held a youth sports coordinator position for the City of Lakewood. While living in Colorado, we loved going skiing, hiking, and enjoyed long walks with our dogs, but Iowa was calling for us to come back home.
My background in member acquisition/retention, fitness, and athletics allow me to lend my expertise in certain areas of our YMCA, but it’s my passion to help others that gives me the gratitude to come to my job every day with a smile. Contact lucas.hughes@newtonymca.org or call (641) 792-4006 |
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Hi, I'm Kevin Clark, Property Director at the Newton YMCA. I have been with the Newton YMCA going on 9 years now and I can honestly say that it's the best job I've ever had!
I have lived in Newton all of my life and I previously worked for Maytag, Brockway Mechanical and TPI. I am married to Krista (Roper) and we have 5 children. Derrike (24) works for PDI in Ankeny IA, Kelsey (22) is a dental assistant with Fuller Associates Family Dentistry in Altoona IA, Denae (18) is attending DMACC and works at Kayla's Dance Studio right here in Newton, Mac (15) is a Freshman here at Newton High School, and Jackson (9) is in 3rd grade at Aurora Heights. My passion in life is auto racing and my son Derrike and I race karts together at the Newton Kart Klub. He has moved onto micro sprints and in a couple of years he will be moving onto sprint cars. My other favorite past time is taking trips with my wife to Las Vegas where we enjoy the shows, food, and have been known to catch a Def Leppard concert here and there. Contact Kevin at kevin.clark@newtonymca.org or by calling (641) 792-4006 |
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Hi, I’m Andy Karr, Director of Finance and Human Resources, at the Newton YMCA. That job title really just means I get to handle all sorts of office-related activities, like billing, human resources, record keeping, budgeting, payroll and dancing … well, everything except that last one. I don’t dance. At least not very well.
I came to Newton in 2004, chasing a job and a girl to central Iowa from my hometown in St. Paul, Minn. The job’s changed but the woman remains the same – my lovely wife, Amanda. We have one child, our beautiful daughter Amelia, born in 2015. I’m a big sports fan and, much to the chagrin of my Chicago-loving co-workers, I root for the Minnesota Vikings, Twins, Wild and Wolves. I love to read, everything from fiction to stuff about cool theoretical physics, most of which I don’t really understand. I like to unwind with a craft beer at our local brewery and playing catch or tennis with my daughter. Contact Andy at andy.karr@newtonymca.org or by calling (641) 792-4006. |
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I was born and raised in Hampton, Illinois. Hampton is a small town on the banks of the Mississippi river near the Quad City area. I have worked for the Y movement for close to 20 years and have loved every minute of it.
Instilling the values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility through sports is my passion. I am an avid sports fan. My favorite thing to do is watch the St. Louis Cardinals play baseball on TV. Newton has a radio affiliate for Cardinal baseball ~ KCOB AM 1280 on the dial ~ this will make me very happy during the summer months and into October (Sorry Cub fans)! My hobbies include working out, listening to music, and an occasional game of golf. One of my most memorable experiences is playing basketball in Cal Ripken’s house. I really look forward to making Newton a better place for children and families. Contact Scott at scott.taylor@newtonymca.org or call (641) 792-4006. |
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Hi, I’m Serenity Bookout, Child Care Director at the Newton YMCA. I have been with the Y for three years but have grown up inside the Y my entire life. I started in childcare at the age of 6 weeks old, left when I turned twelve, and came back at the age of eighteen and haven’t left. You can say this place is a part of me.
I am married to my middle school sweetheart, Cameron. We have two dogs and two cats. As you can imagine, we are quite busy. I am currently pursuing a double major in Human Services and Psychology from Buena Vista University. I am expected to graduate May 2022. While I am not at work, you can find me riding my motorcycle, laying on my hammock with my dogs, or shopping at the mall. Contact Serenity at serenity.bookout@newtonymca.org or call (641) 792-4006 |
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Hi, I’m Austin Rushford, the Membership Director at the Newton YMCA. I grew up in Tama, Iowa and received my BA in Exercise Science from Simpson College. Since 2013, I have held various management positions in the fitness industry as an ACE-CPT. I have loved helping people achieve their fitness goals and impacting their lives for long-term success.
My true passion over the years has been the relationships I have built with members over the previous years. I hope to bring that same passion with our current and future members of the Newton YMCA, as well as getting to know the amazing people around the community of Newton. I’m very much looking forward to the transition to a Non-Profit organization and hope to make an impact for this community and make the Newton YMCA the best fitness facility for all families in Central Iowa. Away from work, I enjoy my beloved Starbucks Coffee, working out, watching movies, and trying out new recipes in the kitchen. I’m excited to see what the Newton YMCA has in store for the future and look forward in working with all our amazing team and community. Contact Austin at austin.rushford@newtonymca.org or call (641) 792-4006 |
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Hi, I’m Sarah Pittman, Fitness Coordinator at the Newton YMCA. I live just outside Newton with my husband, two boys, a high-spirited dog, an irritable old cat, and two leopard geckos. I grew up in a very small town about 30 minutes north of Ames so my husband and I were excited to move to a “big town” when we came here in 2010. I have my degree in Kinesiology and Health from Iowa State University and I am also a Certified Personal Trainer and Health Coach through the American Council on Exercise.
My life revolves around coffee, dinosaurs, legos, keeping our dog out of trouble and a never ending to do list to fix up our old house. We enjoy anytime we can spend with our families and travel as often as possible. I started at the YMCA in September 2019 as a fitness instructor/personal trainer and am excited about this new opportunity to serve the YMCA and community. Contact Sarah at sarah.pittman@newtonymca.org or call (641) 792-4006 |
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Hello, I am Ashlee Crawford, the Aquatics Director for the Newton YMCA. I was born and raised in the Des Moines area and graduated from Ellsworth Community College with a degree in Equine Science & Business Management. My past experience involves positions at both “The Aqua Tots Swim School” as well as “The Echo Valley Country Club,” where I had the opportunity to serve as their Aquatics Director, to lead their swim teams, as well as to provide swim lessons for youth. During that time, my goal has always been to encourage others to have fun, to build confidence in the water, all while developing a strong passion for swimming.
On a personal note, in August of 2021 I moved back from living in New Zealand for 3 years. There, I had the opportunity to travel, to learn to scuba dive, to hike, to find adventures beyond my comfort zone, and where I found a strong passion for photography. In my free time, you can typically find me with my amazing fur baby, a black lab named Layla, doing something active; like, exploring outside with my friends, Layla, and our dogs, training and showing my client horses, and rock climbing in different parts of the world. Contact Ashlee at ashlee.crawford@newtonymca.org or call (641) 792-4006 |
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