Dean Jones, a graduate of Davidson College, was hired in 2000 to create a formalized fundraising department for the Charlotte YMCA. He began the interview with a discussion of the tutoring program Project Starfish, one of the Y's early efforts to expand engagement with challenged communities. He spoke at length about the building of the Stratford Richardson YMCA on West Blvd, and the challenges of building relationships with the area's African American residents, as well as equity work within the Y itself. The interview concluded with effects of the Covid pandemic on the YMCA, and challenges for the future.
