THE VANDERBILT YMCA HONORS TWO CHAPTERS OF THEIR STORY Ginette Thomas & Denise Romain Celebrate 35 Years of Service

By LeeAnn Kelley

Every day is a new story at the Vanderbilt YMCA and this month we celebrate two Member Service Representatives

who have held these stories together for 35 years. Ginette Thomas and Denise Romain were honored for their incredible

years of service at the YMCA of Greater NY Staff Recognition Luncheon held on January 22nd at the Plataforma

Churrascarria Restaurant. Being hired within two months of each other, both women also originate from Haiti, speak

French, and have become prominent faces on the membership team. Though Denise closes the Y at night and Ginette

opens the next morning, these colleagues and close friends work as a team to ensure that members, guests, and staff

have a smooth start each day.

Ginette began her career at the Vanderbilt Y in August of 1977 to support her family

while attending night school. She was hired in the Residence Department, but has

since served as a Lifeguard, Switchboard Operator, and now a Member Service

Representative. Members of her own family, including her two sons, have held

positions at Vanderbilt over the years. She has experienced some great moments in

her career, including visits by Tipper Gore, Sean Penn, and Mayor Bloomberg.

Though, she has also faced some darker times in the city’s history when she tirelessly

focused her efforts to connect hotel guests and members with their loved ones on

9/11 while working the switchboard. Through it all Ginette remains dedicated to

members and staff who are like family to her, being just one of the many reasons

she says, “I hold the Y very dear to my heart.”

Denise Romain was hired just two months after Ginette in October of 1977 in the

Membership Department. It was the people she met when visiting NYC that

convinced her to make it her permanent home. Denise’s son and daughter grew up in

the Y, taking swim lessons and participating in Day Camp. Being a native French

speaker and having picked up the basics of other languages while working at the

desk, Denise quickly breaks language barriers with guests. The kindness and

patience she extends to guests stems from her own experience of being looked after

her first time in NYC. She says, “The way you want it to be for yourself, you want

to do for others.” As Denise plans to retire in the near future, she knows leaving

will be difficult explaining, “The YMCA is like home for me, it’s a part of me.”

Ginette and Denise truly exemplify the service, kindness, and dedication of the

Vanderbilt YMCA and we thank them for their 35 years of service. With each new

story every day brings, Ginette’s beginning and Denise’s ending chapters help to

make it a good one.

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Jack Lund (CEO & President of YMCA of Greater NY) & Ginette Thomas at the Staff Recognition Luncheon

Denise Romain (who was unable to attend the Luncheon event) ready to go at the start of her shift