YMCA leader reflects on 30 years as the boss as he approaches March retirement

ASHEBORO — Patrick O’Hara took a long and winding road from Patterson, NJ, to Asheboro, NC. But after 30 years, he calls Asheboro his home.

O’Hara has spent those 30 years at his proclaimed home as president and CEO of the Randolph-Asheboro YMCA. He recently announced that he will be retiring at the end of March, 2026.

In a Dec. 17 interview, the 66-year-old said of his decision to call it quits: “I knew it was time, to get new ideas in here, a different perspective. I look forward to see how the Y grows.”

And if that weren’t enough reason to retire, he and his wife Denese have a 3-year-old grandson and are expecting a granddaughter in January. “I look forward to playing with the grands, playing golf and going to the beach,” he said.

O’Hara started his life in Patterson, NJ, but lived in four places before the age of 8. His father worked with a government contractor dealing with missiles. The O’Hara family spent some time in Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands, about halfway between the Hawaiian Islands and Australia.

Kwajalein measures about 2.5 miles long and a half mile wide. Some 1,000 people live there, mostly Americans. 

The family came to North Carolina when O’Hara was 8 years old. He eventually graduated from Western Carolina University with a degree in recreational leadership.

“My first job after college was at Thalheimers in Winston-Salem,” he said. His duties were in maintenance and security but he once was convinced to model clothing.

O’Hara’s first YMCA job was in Kernersville, where he served as the youth sports director. That was in 1985. He was able to move up the ladder and took national YMCA classes before becoming the associate executive.

“I applied for and got this job in 1995, Oct. 10,” he said. “I’ve been here pretty much since.

“This is a great place, a great job. I wasn’t expecting to be here but three or four years. But Asheboro got in my blood. The people will do anything for you.”

He recounted the traumatic time when his son, Ryan, died unexpectedly in October 2023. “The love and compassion, the visits, the cards, the phone calls were overwhelming.”

Then in 2020, O’Hara was diagnosed with cancer and “people worried about me and would help me.” Fortunately, he’s been cancer-free for more than two years.

Asked about the accomplishments during his 30 years at the Y, O’Hara said there were “ups and downs here and problems paying bills. There were 550 members when I took the job. One of the first things I did, I invited the community to help us paint. Lowe’s (Hardware) gave us free paint and 80 people showed up and painted seven different colors.”

With the help of the late Glenn Dawson, O’Hara ordered new exercise machines and he also started hiring people.

“It took a while,” he said. “We had to get the confidence of Asheboro back. We owed a lot of people. But we got back on our feet.”

Then representatives from the national YMCA came and said they needed to hold a capital campaign. The ensuing campaign was in 2008 and led by Fran and Warren Knapp. O’Hara said that as a result, “we forged ahead and made changes. We renovated and made changes to the building.”

The additional 35,000 square feet allowed the Y to expand the group exercise rooms and add new machines. Plus, a splash pad was created outside the indoor swimming pool.

“We could not have done it without the Knapps,” O’Hara said. “I’m proud we never closed down.”

With an expanded YMCA, the membership rose to about 7,000, plus 2,000 seniors under the Silver Sneakers program.

Then COVID-19 hit in 2020 and the Y had to close from March to Labor Day, O’Hara said. “We lost 50 percent of our members. But we were one of just a few Y’s that didn’t lay off anybody.” He credits the Armfield Foundation and other “people who still gave. I never want to go through that again. But we came out good.”

O’Hara sees the YMCA as a community space, exercising versatility, from Special Olympics to Boys & Girls Club to Hispanic groups. “I feel like we’ve done a good job on that. We have as many kids programs as anybody. And 20,000 people a month come through here.

“The staff is the best, so good,” he said. “They really care about our members. Some (of the staff) have been with me 30 years. They stay a long time.”

O’Hara said he’s especially proud of the Y’s missions, such as BooFest at Halloween with help from local businesses and nonprofits. There was no charge to the public and 4,000 attended the event.

Every year the Y holds its Craft Fair with about 120 booths in the gym. And they’ve instituted second grade swimming in collaboration with the Asheboro City Schools. A grant from the national YMCA along with volunteer instructors allows them to teach second graders how to be safe in the water.

The YMCA holds fundraisers to help with the annual budget. Those include a dinner-dance, the Sam Bossong Golf Tournament, high school volleyball and the annual Jayvee Basketball Tournament.

“Without volunteers, the Y wouldn’t be as well off,” O’Hara said.

“We’ve done a good job with the money, fixing things that need to be fixed,” he said, adding that they currently need a new heater for the swimming pool, which will cost an estimated $35,000.

They’ve found enough funds to build an 8,000-square-foot indoor soccer arena, with a grand opening scheduled for Jan. 24. Besides soccer, the facility will be used for summer camp, Beast Mode and fitness classes.

“What I will miss the most is the people,” O’Hara said of retiring. He had quipped during the annual senior lunch that members spend five hours at the Y: An hour exercising and four hours talking.

“I want to see new things, new ideas,” he said. “The good thing is we’re stable.”

O’Hara described his job as “someone wearing eight different hats. That’s what I’ve always loved about it. It’s not the same every day. You don’t know what’s going to happen.”

His 30 years at the YMCA in Asheboro have left their mark on him. “I’ve got a lot more Christianity in me since I’ve been here.

“I’m going to miss it but I’m not moving,” O’Hara said. “I’ll be back working out, playing pool and learning pickleball.”

And spending time talking to anyone and everyone.