Ozarks Regional YMCA CEO exits

The nearly six-year CEO of the Ozarks Regional YMCA has left the nonprofit.

A statement issued to Springfield Business Journal this morning by the Ozarks Regional YMCA Board of Directors confirmed Kathryn Custer's exit.

"Kathryn Custer resigned from the Ozarks Regional YMCA. We thank her for her service and wish her the best of luck in the future," the statement reads.

The statement did not disclose a reason for Custer's exit or her last day on the job. Custer's LinkedIn profile has not been updated, and an attempt to immediately reach her for comment was unsuccessful by deadline.

Custer became the Ozarks Regional YMCA's CEO in 2018, when she succeeded the retiring Steve Gimenez, according to past reporting. A veteran in the national YMCA system, Custer was named the Ozarks Regional YMCA's chief operations officer in 2017.

As CEO, Custer helped oversee the Ozarks Regional YMCA's sale last year of its Ward Downtown branch building to Phelps County Bank, as well as the purchase of the Yellow Bonnet building, also in downtown Springfield.

A leadership announcement at the Ozarks Regional YMCA may be coming soon.

"We will be engaged in a thorough and thoughtful executive transition process over the coming weeks as we consider the best leadership path forward for our Y," the statement reads. "We look forward to announcing our new leadership plan soon and are grateful for the support of our Y as we work through this transition."