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Mr. Belden, who is vice president for Business Development at International Business Machines and also serves as the vice chairman of the Brookfield Board of Finance, said that instead of holding the annual three-car raffle in the fall, the area YMCA benefited last year from instead sponsoring a giving campaign that netted $110,000, with a goal of $130,000 for this year.
"One of the advantages of that over a car raffle is that all of the money goes straight to the programs since you don't have to buy the cars," he said in a phone interview.
The regional YMCA has two main branches-at Greenknoll on Huckleberry Hill Road in Brookfield and the older, smaller Boughton Street facility in Danbury-as well as satellite facilities at Escape To The Arts on Main Street in Danbury, the Great Hollow Wilderness School & Conference Center in New Fairfield and the Children's Center child care facility at Grassy Plain in Bethel.
"Our board is now bigger, at 31 members, than it ever has been, and we have eight new people on the board" said Mr. Belden, who has a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and a master's degree from Harvard University in Massachusetts.
"We have a diverse group of board members representing every segment of the people that we serve," he said.
The YMCA has been restructuring its operations for more than a year, after Dan McCain, who had been president of facilities in the Essex County, N.J., area began serving as the interim president and chief executive officer after Gary Kozak, who had held those positions since the mid-1980's, stepped down in February of last year.
During Mr. McCain's brief tenure, the YMCA launched its giving campaign and closed its two- to four-year old child care program at Green knoll, which gave it the space to offer additional fitness and wellness programs, which have reportedly taken on greater importance as people live longer and members of the Baby Boom generation start to retire.
Mr. Belden, who has been a member of the YMCA's board since 2004, said that the physical restructuring of the Green Knoll facility, which initially opened in December 1988, has allowed for more fitness classes to be held, expanded the weight-training facilities and provided an area for spinning classes to be held on stationary bicycles.
"It's worked well," the new chairman said. "We have expanded our offerings to the point that we're reaching more people than ever."
Marie Miszewski, who has worked at YMCA facilities for 29 years and had 12 years of experience in executive positions at the YMCA in Albany, N.Y., became the new president and chief executive officer at the YMCA of Western Connecticut late last summer.
Mr. Belden said that Mrs. Miszewski has been able to build upon the reorganization that Mr. McCain began last year, which, among other things, included a restructuring of the leadership as the organization went from three to two vice presidents.
Sandi Lubin is the vice president in charge of the Green Knoll facility and Gail Null, the other vice president, oversees the other operations. Both are longtime executives for the regional YMCA.
Mr. Belden said that since arriving last September, Mrs. Miszewski has developed "a very detailed, well-structured business plan, focused on membership and membership services, established capital priorities and introduced new fitness programs," including a popular team weight-loss competition that is being held at both the Boughton Street and Green Knoll branches.
He said that the Grassy Plain facility has a huge enrollment in its child care facility, making the YMCA the largest child care provider in the Greater Danbury area, a distinction that it has held for many years.
"We always try to find room for kids," Mr. Belden said.
About four years ago there were discussions regarding closing the Boughton Street facility because of its low membership.
However, through fund-raising, physical improvements and support from municipal officials in Danbury, the facility remained open and membership has continued to increase in the recent months even during an economic recession.
Mr. Belden said that membership is down slightly at the Greenknoll branch.
"In this economy, every organization is feeling the pinch," he said regarding the decline in economic indicators over the recent months.
Three years ago this month, the regional YMCA launched a capital fund-raising campaign to build an aquatic center on the day camp at the Green Knoll branch.
A $1.7 million Olympic-sized pool opened in June 2007 and fund-raising has continued to potentially finance an enclosure to the facility, locker rooms and parking improvements.
Mr. Belden said that the regional YMCA has plans to "launch a new phase" of fund-raising in the near future.
Mr. Kozak has said that an enclosed pool at the day camp would allow the YMCA to accommodate up to an additional 2,000 swimmers.
Mr. Belden said that the Escape To The Arts program has a large enrollment and the Great Hollow wilderness programs remain popular and the site is even used for physical education classes by students that are home-schooled.
"We have a strong organization," said the new chairman, who is familiar to some Brookfield residents as a result of the PowerPoint slide shows on the town's municipal budget that he has delivered at public hearings and at the annual town meeting since he was elected to the finance board in 2003.
"You usually find when there is an economic downturn, such as we're having now, there are even more people who are looking for a place like the YMCA to get fit and reduce stress," Mr. Belden said.
