Record-Journal
10-10-2007, 01:31 AM
MERIDEN — Bruce Miller has retired as executive director of the Meriden YMCA. His replacement, John Benigni, a 15-year employee, served his first day as executive director Tuesday.
Miller will remain involved with the YMCA for the next few months. “So it isn’t like I’m going away,” he said.
Miller spent 32 years in the organization, the last 18 with the Meriden YMCA, and was eligible to retire after 30 years.
He said he’d been thinking about retiring since he’d reached the eligibility mark.
“Change is good for the individual, meaning me, and change is good for the organization,” said Miller, 56.
In June, Miller notified the Meriden YMCA executive board of his intent to retire. He’d wanted to wait for the completion of a major project, the child care center on Crown Street, before stepping down.
Benigni, 32, has been a full-time employee for the past nine years in a number of positions. Most recently, he was membership and program director. A 1993 graduate of Platt High School, Benigni has a degree in sociology from Central Connecticut State University.
“I’m honored that the board has entrusted me to be director of the Meriden YMCA,” Benigni said.
The YMCA’s 22-member board of directors chose not to conduct a nationwide search for Miller’s replacement, and voted on Thursday to offer the position to Benigni.
A national search would have cost the organization $15,000, according to Jackie Fordiani, board president. “We’d rather spend that in serving the citizens of Meriden,” she said.
“I based my decision on the savings from the search and my confidence in John,” Fordiani said. “I believe that he will be able to keep us going.”
The local YMCA contends with its fair share of the financial challenges faced by nonprofit organizations.
“The biggest challenges are the same as they always are,” said Miller, “to move from fiscal stability to fiscal health.”
Miller was earning $104,000 a year, with benefits and a pension. With his retirement, the organization could save up to $70,000 annually, Fordiani said.
Benigni was earning about $40,000 annually. The board is still putting together the terms of Benigni’s employment and salary as executive director, said Fordiani, and has not made him a salary offer yet.
But Benigni is “confident they’re going to be fair,” Miller said.
The YMCA has an overall membership of about 4,000, an exponential growth from when Miller started as executive director in 1989.
He had come to Meriden from the Westbrook YMCA. Today, there are 14 full-time positions in the Meriden organization, and 200 employees.
Benigni is the brother of Meriden’s mayor, Mark D. Benigni, who also has a long-term close relationship with Miller.
Miller hired Mark Benigni as a youth sports director shortly after Miller came to Meriden, and the mayor, now an assistant principal of Berlin High School, credited Miller with allowing him to create new programs “and give it a shot.”
“Bruce hired me years ago, to work for the YMCA, and I hired John, so it’s sort of come full circle,” the mayor said.
Miller was ready for a new challenge, Mark Benigni said. “I’m also really excited for my brother, who grew up with the YMCA in his blood.”
In some respects, the leadership transition at the YMCA mirrors that of the Meriden Boys & Girls Club a couple of years ago.
When the club’s longtime executive director, Gary “Tex” Burt, retired, his replacement was a young man who’d grown up in Meriden and had extensive work experience in the organization.
“I think it’s important for a leader to have had their hands in an organization in many areas,” said Donald Maleto, who took over from Burt as executive director in January 2006. “And, obviously, John’s been there a long time, so he understands how to run the place.”
“I think you get a benefit,” Mark Benigni said. “With John you get somebody who grew up with the organization and the community.”
Miller has no plans to leave Meriden in the short term. He listed a couple of activities that he’d like to spend more time pursuing, including writing and his work as director of Christian education at Center Congregational Church.
There’s also his involvement with Builders Beyond Borders, which engages high school students in humanitarian efforts.
“The Y absorbs you, as John knows in the position he has,” Miller said. “So it’s a bit of a sacrifice; so this is a chance to get that time back.”
Miller said he’ll remain involved in the community. “I plan to continue to come into the Y,” he said. “We want people to have a sense that it’s going to be a comfortable transition.”
Miller will remain involved with the YMCA for the next few months. “So it isn’t like I’m going away,” he said.
Miller spent 32 years in the organization, the last 18 with the Meriden YMCA, and was eligible to retire after 30 years.
He said he’d been thinking about retiring since he’d reached the eligibility mark.
“Change is good for the individual, meaning me, and change is good for the organization,” said Miller, 56.
In June, Miller notified the Meriden YMCA executive board of his intent to retire. He’d wanted to wait for the completion of a major project, the child care center on Crown Street, before stepping down.
Benigni, 32, has been a full-time employee for the past nine years in a number of positions. Most recently, he was membership and program director. A 1993 graduate of Platt High School, Benigni has a degree in sociology from Central Connecticut State University.
“I’m honored that the board has entrusted me to be director of the Meriden YMCA,” Benigni said.
The YMCA’s 22-member board of directors chose not to conduct a nationwide search for Miller’s replacement, and voted on Thursday to offer the position to Benigni.
A national search would have cost the organization $15,000, according to Jackie Fordiani, board president. “We’d rather spend that in serving the citizens of Meriden,” she said.
“I based my decision on the savings from the search and my confidence in John,” Fordiani said. “I believe that he will be able to keep us going.”
The local YMCA contends with its fair share of the financial challenges faced by nonprofit organizations.
“The biggest challenges are the same as they always are,” said Miller, “to move from fiscal stability to fiscal health.”
Miller was earning $104,000 a year, with benefits and a pension. With his retirement, the organization could save up to $70,000 annually, Fordiani said.
Benigni was earning about $40,000 annually. The board is still putting together the terms of Benigni’s employment and salary as executive director, said Fordiani, and has not made him a salary offer yet.
But Benigni is “confident they’re going to be fair,” Miller said.
The YMCA has an overall membership of about 4,000, an exponential growth from when Miller started as executive director in 1989.
He had come to Meriden from the Westbrook YMCA. Today, there are 14 full-time positions in the Meriden organization, and 200 employees.
Benigni is the brother of Meriden’s mayor, Mark D. Benigni, who also has a long-term close relationship with Miller.
Miller hired Mark Benigni as a youth sports director shortly after Miller came to Meriden, and the mayor, now an assistant principal of Berlin High School, credited Miller with allowing him to create new programs “and give it a shot.”
“Bruce hired me years ago, to work for the YMCA, and I hired John, so it’s sort of come full circle,” the mayor said.
Miller was ready for a new challenge, Mark Benigni said. “I’m also really excited for my brother, who grew up with the YMCA in his blood.”
In some respects, the leadership transition at the YMCA mirrors that of the Meriden Boys & Girls Club a couple of years ago.
When the club’s longtime executive director, Gary “Tex” Burt, retired, his replacement was a young man who’d grown up in Meriden and had extensive work experience in the organization.
“I think it’s important for a leader to have had their hands in an organization in many areas,” said Donald Maleto, who took over from Burt as executive director in January 2006. “And, obviously, John’s been there a long time, so he understands how to run the place.”
“I think you get a benefit,” Mark Benigni said. “With John you get somebody who grew up with the organization and the community.”
Miller has no plans to leave Meriden in the short term. He listed a couple of activities that he’d like to spend more time pursuing, including writing and his work as director of Christian education at Center Congregational Church.
There’s also his involvement with Builders Beyond Borders, which engages high school students in humanitarian efforts.
“The Y absorbs you, as John knows in the position he has,” Miller said. “So it’s a bit of a sacrifice; so this is a chance to get that time back.”
Miller said he’ll remain involved in the community. “I plan to continue to come into the Y,” he said. “We want people to have a sense that it’s going to be a comfortable transition.”