Kurtis Dawson

BizTUCSONDecember 21, 2024

1 minute read

President and CEO
YMCA of Southern Arizona

By Loni Nannini

For more than 25 years, Kurtis Dawson has encouraged people of all ages to live their best lives through the YMCA.

Since 2017, Dawson—who began his Y journey with a part-time job as a teenager—has worked to address community needs while advancing program impact at the YMCA of Southern Arizona. He led a $6 million capital renovation for the Lohse Family YMCA; upgraded facilities and equipment; and implemented performance and service-centered metrics to boost community impact. Dawson, with his team, helped facilitate emergency childcare for first responders during COVID-19 and has championed the Y’s Safety Around Water initiative for kids.

“The Y is the heartbeat of our community and has been since 1914. . .We are committed to ensuring everyone has the chance to thrive.”

The husband and father of four, who “loves Tucson’s people, food and the five minutes it takes to go through airport security,” is a member of Southern Arizona Leadership Council and is current president of the Rotary Club of Tucson.