Gateway Region YMCA Staff Leadership

Tim Helm currently serves as the 12th President and Chief Executive Officer of the Gateway Region YMCA, one of the region’s leading nonprofits serving more than a quarter-million individuals annually through programs and services that nurture the potential of children and teens, promote health and well-being, and encourage positive social change.

Tim came to the Gateway Region YMCA in 2014, and in his first year, led the successful merger of the YMCA of Greater St. Louis and the YMCA of Southwest Illinois to become the Gateway Region YMCA. Tim also launched the Association’s long-term strategic planning process that guides organizational excellence, cultural improvement, and social responsibility to most effectively respond to growing community needs and position the Y for continued growth in the region. Tim has grown the Association from just over 38,000 membership units with an annual budget of $52 million, to more than 48,000 membership units on a budget of $75 million, which includes significant growth after recovering from the impacts of the COVID pandemic.

The Gateway Region Y is celebrating the recent completion of its five-year, comprehensive “Opportunity for All” capital campaign, launched in 2018. Under Tim’s leadership, the Y raised more than $59 million on a goal of $55 million, with the campaign focused on three primary strategies – bridging the opportunity gap, connecting communities and cultivating health equity in order to help those most in need in our region.

Before 2002, Tim held several other positions with the Dayton Y, including Branch Executive, Vice President of Operations and Senior Vice President. Before joining the Dayton Y in 1996, Tim served a variety of roles for the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati from 1989-1996. Tim has also assumed leadership positions on a number of national committees, including as the Chair of the YMCA Mid-Majors Group and as the Vice Chair for the National Board of Directors for the Association of YMCA Professionals. Tim currently serves on the YMCA Employee Benefits Committee, and is the past Chair of the YMCA Champions for Child Protection and for the Missouri State Alliance of YMCAs.

Tim is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Tim is married to Heather May, and between the two of them, they have seven children and five grandchildren.

Jared Beard is the Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the Gateway Region YMCA. In this role, Jared provides executive leadership for all of the Y's operating units and program areas, including health & well-being, camp, before and after school enrichment, and early childhood development.

Previously, Jared led the YMCA of Southwest Illinois as the interim President and CEO through a 2015 merger with the YMCA of Greater St Louis. In that role, he worked directly with volunteers and staff on the final phase of a strategic alliance to form the Gateway Region YMCA. The combined association now serves 13 counties, provides $6.3 million in financial assistance, relies on 7,000 volunteers and serves nearly 300,000 individuals through 24 branches across diverse communities in Missouri and Illinois.

Over the last ten years as the EVP and COO, Jared has built the reputation of the Y into one known for service and community throughout the region. Through strategic planning and execution, the organization has embraced a more inclusive and diverse culture. During the COVID-pandemic, the Y led vital programs to help communities recover and when met with social challenges, all levels of staff pulled together to deliver the Y’s mission.

As an advocate for lifelong learning, Jared holds a PhD in Nonprofit Management, a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management, a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science/Sports Management and a Certificate in Fund Raising Management. He is also a Certified Fund-Raising Executive through CFRE International.

He and his wife Rachael, who is a researcher for the VA Health Care System, live in the Metro East with their son, Cole.