By Donna Dass
Strong Kids Victory Celebration Also Held After the Annual Meeting
The Board of Directors of the Somerset Valley YMCA welcomed their new Board President, Andrea Thorne, new Treasurer, Joe Del Buono and three new board members – Jeffrey Newland, John Richardson, and Laura Shreve at the Y’s annual meeting and Strong Kids victory celebration held on Tuesday, March 15th at the Somerville Elks.
“We’re proud to welcome our newest members to a strong Board that is dedicated to the Y’s mission of strengthening the foundation of community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility,” said Somerset Valley YMCA CEO, Paul Kieltyka.
Andrea Thorne, Board Chair, lives in Somerville with her husband and three children.
Andrea works for NJ Press Media Solutions, a regional division of Gannett as the Regional B2B Marketing Manager for the State of New Jersey where she oversees business-to-business marketing for six newspapers in the state. She has been involved with the Somerset Valley YMCA since early 2001 and on the Board of Directors since 2003, most recently as Vice-Chair. Andrea agreed to become Board Chair, replacing Rachel Wingerter. Said Thorne, “I am someone who likes to be involved. I love being a part of the Y family at every level and I am proud of the work we do for the community.”
Joe Del Buono, Treasurer, has been a Somerset Valley YMCA Board Member since 2010 and lives in Hillsborough. Joe works for Alpharma LLC, subsidiary of Pfizer, Inc. where he is VP of Finance and CFO. He has agreed to take on the position of Treasurer from Randall Enterline. He has been involved with the Y for over 30 years. Joe and his family have been active members of the Hillsborough YMCA since it first opened in 1996. Both of Joe’s children have been swimmers on the Somerset Valley YMCA Swim Team (SVY) for several years. He is also a member of the SVY Swim Team Parent Board.
Jeffrey Newland lives in Hunterdon County with his wife and two children, but wanted to be more involved in the Somerville community he works in. His first exposure to the Somerset Valley YMCA was over 20 years ago through a Corporate Membership with a prior employer. Also, his mom took aqua exercise classes at the Bridgewater Family YMCA following her heart surgery. Jeffrey is currently Senior Vice President with Team Capital Bank.
John Richardson was born and raised in North Plainfield. He has practiced law in the Borough of Somerville for the past 43 years and is presently with Nee, Beacham & Gantner in Hillsborough. John rejoined the Y several years ago after being an active member for some 20 years. He and his wife live in Green Brook.
Laura Shreve lives in Somerville with her husband and four children. Her family has a membership at the Somerville Family YMCA where she has seen first hand what the Y has to offer the community. “After volunteering for a number of events at the Y, I was impressed by the commitment of the Y staff. The Y has so much to offer, especially with all of its youth programs”, said Ms. Shreve. Laura grew up in Somerset County and her father served on the Y board for many years. She grew up swimming, playing and participating in many activities at the Y.
The second half of the evening was devoted to celebrating the end of the Strong Kids Campaign. Each year, the Somerset Valley YMCA conducts its annual Strong Kids Campaign to raise funds to support youth, teens, families and seniors in Somerset County. Co-Chairs of the Campaign, Steve Emr of Team Capital Bank and Peter Schobel of Community First Bank were this year’s co-chairs. The 2011 campaign goal was $200,000. At the victory celebration, the Y reported raising $100,692 towards their goal.
About the Somerset Valley YMCA
The Somerset Valley YMCA believes in strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. By nurturing the potential of children and teens, helping to improve members’ health and well-being, and providing opportunities to give back and support neighbors, the Y hopes to deliver lasting personal and social change. Find out more about what the Somerset Valley YMCA has to offer and visit www.ymcasomersetvalley.org.

