Ronald Kinnamon
Ron serves on the board and is a past chair of the Interfaith Youth Core and services on the Executive Committee and Board. The IFYC is a new organization that is created by and for young people with a profound belief in the power of youth to change the world. The IFYC seeks to build a movement that encourages religious young people to strengthen their religious identity, foster inter-religious understanding and cooperate to serve the common good.
Ron is a board member of the Josephson Institute of Ethics. Based in Los Angeles, the Josephson Institute of Ethics is committed to improving the ethical quality of society by changing personal and organizational decision-making and behavior.
Mr. Kinnamon served as past Chair of the Character Counts! Coalition, a coalition of more than 550 of America's leading youth serving, educational organizations, and cities that strive to improve the character of America's youth by teaching and demonstrating six basic values. Over seven million children and youth are impacted by CHARACTER COUNTS! every day.
Ron helped develop America's Promise. For the first four years of America's Promise he volunteered as Vice President and then Senior Advisor, to Colon Powell's America's Promise, during which he developed the 5 Promises Checklist project, to help individuals and organizations provide five essential promises to every child in the country.
Ron serves as Chair of the YMCA National Board Nominating Committee. This committee has the responsibility of recruiting future board members of the YMCA of the USA. He is also a trustee of Aurora University, where the George Williams School of Social Work is located.
Ron has been on the board of UCAN for over 18 years. He is also active in St. Pauls United Church of Christ.
After 38 years of service, Ron retired as Assistant National Executive Director of the YMCA of the USA. The YMCA of the USA represents the 2,200 YMCAs in the United States. Prior YMCA assignments have included West Field Executive in San Francisco, South Field Executive in Atlanta, CEO of the YMCA of Greater Miami, and Branch Executive and Camp Director with the Dallas YMCA.
Ron is an active speaker and trainer on topics regarding youth, character development, organizational culture change, team building, and creativity.
Having received a B.A. from Southern Methodist University with a double major in sociology and social science, he went on to earn his Master of Science degree from George Williams College with a major in Group Work. Other significant training experiences have been with the American Management Association in New York, the Western Institute of Group and Family Therapy at Watsonville, California, the Vance Creative Thinking Center in Ohio and Orlando and Josephson Institute of Ethics. Ron appears in the Millennium edition of Who's Who in America. A great deal of his time, energy and enthusiasm goes to his exceptional wife, Sally and the families of their three sons.
