Molly Congdon-Hunsdon
Executive Director
Molly earned her BA in English with a History minor from Union College (2012) and her Master's in Journalism from New York University (2014). She has worked at the Youth Center for the last 16 years! Molly was a Youth Center kid, and grew up within the walls of this organization. Aside from her many years of personal experience in the nonprofit sector, she is also a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist with additional certifications in Youth Fitness and Life Coaching. As a driving force of our Health and Wellness Program, she is able to provide the guidance our kids need to gain healthy habits that will continue into adulthood, including: fitness, nutrition, mindset, goal setting, lifestyle changes and strategies, sports psychology principles, conquering self-doubt, overcoming mental obstacles, as well as increasing motivation and drive. She is also CPR and AED Certified!
Carly LaMay (Merrill)
Assistant Director
Carly earned her BA in Musical Theatre from SUNY Cortland (2013). Carly has been our Assistant Director for the last three years. Carly came in with a decade of experience from Six Flags! She is certified through Florida Atlantic University in Hospitality and Tourism Management. During her time at Six Flags, she specialized in operations, human resources, entertainment, and training as well as coordinating and planning team-member events. With her knowledge and expertise, she is vital to helping our youngsters prepare for the workforce. She is also a key player in our fundraising efforts and strategies. She has a lot of passion and is a tremendous asset to the Youth Center. She is also trained through IBCCES on how to interact with individuals with autism.
Anthony Rivera
Program Supervisor
Anthony is also a former Youth Center member who wants to make an impact with the next generation(s) of kids. He understands the importance of our mission, and—most importantly— can relate to every child who walks through our doors. The Youth Center provided him with food security as a child; in fact, our Food Program is initially what made him walk through our doors. So it comes as no surprise that he now spearheads our Food Program. With his background in food service, he is the “King of our Kitchen,” creating delicious and nutritious meals each night for our members.
Nate Mattison
Program Coordinator
Nate is the newest member of our staff, but it feels like he has been part of our team for many years. Nate earned his BA from Southern New Hampshire University! He has great rapport with the children that we serve as well as our staff. This is key to our success, because at the Youth Center we are a family, a home away from home. Nate also has a great deal of experience with kids coaching football at one of our local high schools. He is our recreation specialist, constantly coming up with new games and activities to keep our kids engaged while promoting sportsmanship and team building.
Our entire staff is certified through the Youth Intervention Programs Association(YIPA) in The Art and Science of Youth Workers, which blends technical competency with personal growth strategies ensuring that we are at our best for the young people we serve. Additionally, we are constantly continuing our education in the areas of youth development, mental health, communications, at-risk behaviors, SEL strategies, educational strategies, and behavioral integration through various training and workshops.
