AUBURN — The Auburn-Lewiston YMCA has a new director, Steven Wallace of Auburn.

Wallace, who serves as president and CEO of the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber of Commerce in Topsham, is scheduled to begin work on April 28.

He was chosen after a four-month national search that included 40 candidates.

“(Wallace) came with a lot of energy and a lot of leadership experience,” said Mark Anthoine, board chairman of the Auburn-Lewiston YMCA. “I think he just made a good impression that matched up with those things we were looking for.”

High on the list of traits were leadership and experience in capital development projects, Anthoine said.

Before working for the midcoast chamber, Wallace served as executive director of the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce. He also worked as director of the Base Realignment and Closure Center at Brunswick Naval Air Station. And he served 21 years in the Marine Corps.

The local YMCA has been without a director since last June, when the organization parted ways with Brian DuBois, its director since 2009.

Following DuBois’ resignation, the YMCA board hired Jim Lawler to serve as an interim director. Lawler had spent 29 years with the local YMCA, serving the past 21 years as executive director. Though he had retired, he agreed to return temporarily.

“I can’t say enough about what Jim has meant to the YMCA over a long period of time,” Anthoine said. He praised Lawler’s “character, loyalty and passion.”

The Y’s board of directors plans to give Wallace about 90 days to learn about the agency, its staff and the community before pressing forward with ongoing initiatives.

“At the end of that 90 days, we’ll sit down and get back on the task of our direction and focus, which was to continue to grow membership as an organization and to continue to pursue getting a new facility,” Anthoine said.

In fall 2011, the YMCA announced plans to raise $15 million for a new campus on a 93-acre parcel on North River Road. The land is directly behind the Kmart store on Center Street. The organization would have room for a pool, modern child care facilities, fitness areas, a day camp and more parking than at its current location in downtown Auburn.

“These things take time,” Anthoine said. “We’ve had to focus on finding a new CEO the last four or five months. Our eyes haven’t been off the ball. We’ve just been playing a different game the last few months.”

dhartill@sunjournal.com

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