JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Eric Mann, a dedicated leader at the YMCA, is preparing to retire next summer after an impressive 45-year career with the organization. His journey has taken him through multiple cities across the United States, culminating in his leadership role in Northeast Florida, where he has overseen significant growth and development.
Mann reflects on his long tenure with the YMCA, saying, “I have only worked for one organization for 45 years when I retire, and so I don’t know anything else. And so there’s a side of me that is excited for the next chapter.” He credits his start at the YMCA to a college internship, initially taking a youth worker job at an old church facility, which provided full-time employment with benefits. Early on, his career was not planned as a lifelong path: “It was fun, but it wasn’t like, okay, I want to grow up to be a Y person,” Mann admitted.
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However, as he progressed, Mann found alignment between his personal values and the mission of the YMCA. He remarked, “The mission of the Y... the key word in it is, values and Christian values. Not necessarily an evangelical side of it, but we live by... caring responsibility... and also for all.” This mission, focused on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, has guided his service and the organization’s work in the community.
The First Coast YMCA in Jacksonville, where Mann has served for over a decade, embodies these values by fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. “You can go to the Westside Y and it’s our most diverse YMCA. It has every type of person, from socioeconomics to race to whatever you want to look at who’s coming and they are coming together,” Mann explained.
Under Mann’s leadership, the YMCA has experienced substantial growth and expansion, even during challenging times like the pandemic. Mann highlighted new community branches, stating, “We opened the Wildlife Y, we opened the Nocatee Y, the Open Up Baptist North, and we opened up Flagler Health Village and World Golf Village. All four of those were open within a year each other from spring of ’19 to fall of ’20.” These developments position the YMCA strongly within Northeast Florida’s growing communities.
Discussing Jacksonville’s competitive advantage, Mann noted, “Jacksonville is known (as) one of the top cities for young adults employment wise. And so we’re... seeing much more growth than some of my colleagues that are maybe up north.” He further emphasized the organization’s strong recovery post-pandemic, contrasting it with other regions: “The pandemic kind of exposed a lot of the northern Ys because they couldn’t where we, we could. And so we were able to come out of the pandemic, much stronger.”
Looking ahead, Mann is confident in the future of the YMCA and its leadership. While admitting he is not worried about his replacement, he acknowledged, “The board is doing a national search as well as looking at internal candidates as well, but they will be YMCA people.” He also emphasized the importance of continued community engagement and philanthropy to support growth.
Upon retirement, Mann plans to remain active in Jacksonville civic life, saying, “I’ll remain engaged in my civic activities... I don’t want to do anything more than about 20 hours a month. That’s the big... I’ll probably play a little extra golf and do some travel.”
Eric Mann’s dedication has left a lasting impact on the YMCA and the broader Jacksonville community, where he has been a transformative figure in building inclusive, thriving community centers. His journey is a testament to the power of values-driven leadership and the positive role nonprofit organizations play in society.
