Meet The Team
Dear YMCA Members and Participants,
I am pleased to present to you our team at The Granite YMCA. Together, we are a dedicated group of individuals connected by a shared passion and commitment to serving our members and strengthening the foundations of our community through youth development, healthy living, social responsibility, and family strengthening. Our talented staff are well vetted through a thorough interview and reference checking process. All must pass a criminal investigative check and go through both formal and on the job training programs. I am very proud of all our team members, and invite you to ask any of them for assistance to better improve your Y experience.
Enjoy your YMCA.
John Harris
President and CEO of The Granite YMCA
Association Team
John Harris
President/CEO
John graduated from Springfield College in 1983 with a degree in Health Fitness. He began his career at FitCorp Healthcare Centers in Boston, Massachusetts as the Regional Manager where he was responsible for the operations, sales, and budgeting for three fitness center and two physical therapy practices. After an eight-year tenure, he brought his leadership experience to other premier athletic clubs including The Wellbridge Company, the Health Development Corporation, and the Flatley Company.
In 1996, John joined Midtown Athletic Clubs in Chicago, IL as the Regional Vice President. He managed health and wellness partnerships with major healthcare systems aimed at helping employer’s lower healthcare costs and better manage chronic disease. He spent ten years with Midtown Athletic Clubs before joining the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit in 2006, where he served as Vice President of Branch Operations. John led five urban and suburban branches, which served 25,000 members and 2,500 community participants. He also oversaw two camp properties serving more than 2,800 day and overnight campers. Additionally, he created a wellness partnership with a local healthcare provider serving 1,000 employees and patients.
On February 22, 2017, John began his journey as President and CEO of The Granite YMCA.
Tom Archer
Vice President of Camping Services
Tom grew up in Manchester, NH where he regularly attended programming at the Manchester YMCA as well as Camp Mi-Te-Na for boys. During high school he worked at camp during the summer and the YMCA during the off season and was a member of the Leader Corps. Upon graduation in 1978 from Plymouth State University with a BS in physical education and athletic training, he was hired as the assistant camp director at Camp Mi-Te-Na and associate PE director at the YMCA of Downtown Manchester. Tom has worked for the YMCA for more than 40 years holding various positions including aquatics director, resident camp director, director of camping services and is currently VP of camping services with direct responsibilities for Camp Mi-Te-Na for boys, Camp Foss for girls and day camp programming at the YMCA of Strafford County.
Janis Clark
Vice President of Finance
Janis is the vice president of finance for the Granite YMCA where she oversees finance, human resources and IT. In her 25 years, she has managed the business office while the Y has grown from a single branch with revenues of $1 million to six branches with revenues of $10 million.
Prior to the Y, Janis worked for Newton & DiBenedetto, a CPA firm for two years and for the Merrimack County purchasing department. She received her bachelor's degree in management advisory services from New Hampshire College (now Southern NH University).
Jamie Demetry
Association Marketing Director
Cathy La Forge
VP of Community Development
Cathy graduated from Columbia University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Literature and Writing. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Non-Fiction from Stonecoast at the University of Southern Maine. Cathy has spent her career working with non-profit organizations throughout the Northeast such as Metropolitan Opera Association, Churchill School and Center for Learning Disabilities, Strawbery Banke Museum, Manchester Historic Association, and the School for Community Economic Development at Southern New Hampshire University.
With an extensive knowledge base in foundation and government grant writing and management, strategic planning, annual and major gifts, capital campaigns, and special events planning, her thirty years of fundraising experience encompasses all aspects of advancement for large and small fundraising organizations.
Cindy Lafond
Director of Healthy Living
Cindy Lafond has worked at the Granite YMCA since 1994 in many capacities. She started as a volunteer teaching group exercise moved on to become the Wellness Director, and slowly moved up the ladder from Association Health & Wellness Director, Senior Director, Branch Executive and finally to her dream job for the past 2 years as the Association Director of Healthy Living. This job allows her to work with many people, ages and organizations to provide wellness throughout our community and state. After 32 years of wellness experience, Cindy holds numerous certifications in group exercise, LiveSTRONG at the Y, Cancer Exercise and Fitness Specialist, 500 hour Yoga instructor and this list will continue to grow as she pursues new and exciting ways to help individuals reach their wellness potential.
Laura Nese
Association Director of Member Experience
Laura is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in Recreation and Leisure Administration. She began her career with the YMCA shortly after graduation, moving her to the northeast. Laura began her career at the YMCA of Greater Westfield where she was the Director of Outdoor Education/Aquatics Director. She was with this YMCA for 3 years where she then was hired at the Frost Valley YMCA where she remained for 9 years as the Group and Retreats Director. She has held many roles within the YMCA and is excited to join her skills and experience with the amazing team at the YMCA of Downtown Manchester and the entire Granite YMCA association. She considers herself to be a student of life, and recently earned her 200 hour Yoga Instructor Certification and is continuing to work towards becoming a Yoga Therapist.
Diane Sawyer
Director of Human Resources
Michele Sheppard
Chief Operating Officer
Michele holds a BS in kinesiology from the University of Maryland. She began her career in 1986 as physical director at the Chambersburg Pennsylvania YMCA where she oversaw fitness, sports, gymnastics and aquatics. Michele then moved on to the Watertown NY Family YMCA as health and PE director in charge of all health, wellness, and sports programs. For a brief time, she worked in the private fitness sector as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. She later returned to the Chambersburg YMCA as the program services director and was promoted two years later to associate executive director. While there, she earned her program and senior program director certifications from Y-USA, attended the Indiana University School of Fund Raising, and was certified in personal training, spinning, and yoga. Michele's unwavering commitment to health and wellness is so strong, that when she left the Chambersburg YMCA in 2009 they named their youth fitness facility in her honor. In 2009, Michele joined the Granite YMCA as the Allard Center branch director where she is delighted to be helping the Allard Center team provide a variety of high quality health and wellness options to the greater Goffstown community.
