LEADERSHIP TEAM

ANJALI MCCORMICK, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Anjali found fitness and community at the Summit YMCA in NJ as a young mother. The Y is also where her three children learned to swim and play soccer, attended summer camp, and competed in Y Travel basketball for many years.

Anjali’s current role leverages her days at Harvard College and the NYU Stern School of Business, as well as her work experience in the private sector, and integrates her love of learning and commitment to serving members, staff, and the community in a positive and meaningful way. She feels joyous and privileged to have the opportunity to connect purpose and passion, and to be a steward of the Y’s mission in the WWFY’s milestone 100th anniversary year.

GLEN HALE, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Glen comes to the WWFY with over 25 years of experience working for a variety of non-profit organizations, including serving as the CFO for multiple entities. Glen joined the WWFY due to the depth and breadth of the scope of its mission, from the wide range of programmatic offerings to community support via grants.

He has a lifelong interest in athletics and sports, both as a participant and a fan, which was an additional draw for him. Additionally, the focus on nurturing the potential of youth was another key factor, since he has two children of his own. Glen finds that being part of a team that assists kids in their development is rewarding.

CHRISTINA SCHERWIN, CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
Christina has been involved in the WWFY and community since moving to Westport in 2014. She leverages her background in competitive fitness, coaching and consulting to enhance WWFY’s program offerings and make a meaningful difference in our community.

Christina is a two-time Olympian in the javelin for her native Denmark in 2004 and 2008 and a finisher at the 2005 World Championships. In 2022, as a collegiate athlete she was elected to the NCAA Hall of Fame. She has served on the Danish Olympic Athlete Commission and the World Athletics Athlete Commission. While at the University of Oregon, Christina coached athletes to an NCAA Championship, US Olympic Trials, World Championships, and the London and Rio Olympics.

She enjoys playing tennis and working out at the Y. Her daughter Emilia is part of the YMCA competitive gymnastics team, and her son Luka enjoys playing basketball and tennis.

KATE GUTHRIE, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Kate serves as Westport Weston Family YMCA’s Director of Development. She and her family recently moved from Ridgefield to Westport, and are enjoying reacquainting themselves with the YMCA community. Kate has fond memories of working as a camp counselor at the Wilton YMCA during high school summers in CT, in addition to organizing art camps at the Charleston SC YMCA during her college years. Fast forward 15 years, and the Y is now where her daughter has learned to swim and is gaining confidence in the impressive Westport gymnastics program.

She is passionate about helping people improve their lives and developing accessible, equitable, and enriching resources for communities. Her current role utilizes her non-profit financial studies at Cornell University, tutelage under Joan Garry, in addition to 10+ years working in grant writing and development work for non-profit community resources in Fairfield County. Kate has a sincere love of learning and commitment to serving her community in a positive and meaningful way. She feels privileged to have the opportunity to champion the Y’s mission in the WWFY’s milestone 100th anniversary year.

Outside of her time at the YMCA, Kate can often be found in the garden, on local hiking trails, at the beach, or anywhere nature, art, and creative cooking can be enjoyed among friends and family.

BRIAN KUZMIAK, DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Brian grew up on Long Island where he was a member of the local YMCA. He always had a positive experience there, so when an opportunity presented itself to join the WWFY, he was definitely open to the possibility.

When Brian came to the WWFY for an interview, he was impressed by the facility and felt the energy and excitement as he watched some of the interactions that were taking place between staff and members. Brian was looking forward to being a part of this environment and serve his community. Since joining WWFY, he has enjoyed watching the children have fun in Adventure Gym or watching members compete at basketball.

KATHY GIGLIO, CHILDCARE & YOUTH SERVICES DIRECTOR
Kathy Giglio is our Childcare and Youth Services Director. She comes to us with over 15 years of experience in the private childcare sector, both in daycares working with children 3 months through 5 years and their families and in youth centers providing both academic and recreational programs for children 4 years through adulthood throughout the school year and summer camp. Kathy has a BA in Child Studies and Early Childhood Education and brings a wealth of knowledge with her on child and family relations, as well as program policies.

She comes from a Hispanic background and enjoys using her fluency in Spanish to help others. Along with leading our before and after-school care programs, she is also one of the faces behind our family events, Camp Hafaday, SpEd programming, and child-related staff trainings.

When she’s not working, Kathy enjoys a house full of kids, friends, extended family, and her dog, Maluma. The WWFY has quickly became a second home and she is excited each day to make a difference in the lives of the children, families, and members here.   

ELLEN JOHNSTON, COMPETITIVE SWIMMING DIRECTOR
When Ellen was in high school, she joined the Fairfield YMCA Swim Team. Swimming helped define her as a person. She was the team’s representative for CT Swimming and coached the 8 & under swimmers. Ellen continued coaching at the Fairfield Y through high school.

In 1986, Ellen suffered a knee injury and was unable to coach. While doing physical therapy at the Fairfield Y pool, she was approached by a former teammate’s sibling who told her the WWFY Swim Team was looking for a coach. And a few months later she was on deck. Opportunities have come along, though Ellen has always felt there is more to accomplish with the Water Rats. With support, she has expanded her swimming beyond the pool deck and became a volunteer at the local and national level that has had an impact in the direction and governance in the sport of swimming. Ellen is proud to be associated with the WWFY Swim Team and appreciates all she has experienced.

BYRON KNOX, DIRECTOR OF GYMNATICS
Byron Knox, a former USA National Team gymnast himself, brings over 40 years of competition, coaching and program development experience, at both the collegiate and club levels. Byron has been with the WWFY, part-time since Oct 22 and full time since June 23, coaching the competitive girls’ team and overseeing the gymnastics department. Byron has been the Head Gymnastics Coach at Southern CT State University for the last three years. Prior to that he led the University of Bridgeport to six-straight USA Gymnastics/NCAA Division II National Championships. Byron has coached 70 USA Gymnastics/Individual All-Americans and 150 Scholar Athletes. He is a former USA Women’s Gymnastics National Team Coach and has trained multiple student athletes to go on to compete with the USA Women’s National Team. In addition, he served on the USA Gymnastics Women’s Regional Elite Committee and was the Director for Women’s International Olympic Gymnastics Course, representing the United States in Tobago, Trinidad. He has a record of excellence and is known to build a solid trusting relationship with both gymnasts and parents.

ALISON LIGI, DANCE CENTER COORDINATOR
Alison’s love of dance began at 5 years old when she started taking ballet, tap and jazz. Over the years she expanded her repertoire to include hip-hop, lyrical and pointe and pursued her love at Springfield College where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Dance, with a minor in psychology in 2006. While in school she was a member of the SC Dancers and the CT Titan All-Star Open Dance Team. She has continued her education by taking master classes and attending dance conventions throughout the tri-state area.

She has taught all ages and genres at studios, educational programs and summer camps in CT and MA, and has coached and choreographed for local CT high school dance teams. A featured dancer in Mike Lembo’s “Can’t Come Down” and Bgirl Trinity’s “Dance With Me” music videos, Alison has a fun, high-energy approach to teaching and hopes to instill her passion for the art in the students at the WWFY Dance Center!

BRIAN MARAZZI, DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP
Brian’s “Y story” started at the Valley YMCA in Ansonia, CT. in the early 1980’s. It was at this YMCA that he learned to swim, attended various camps, and held his first job as a summer camp counselor in 1994.  For the last 30 years he has been a part of the YMCA movement as an employee, and the last 21 years now in a professional capacity.  The YMCA communities he has had the opportunity to serve include Cheshire-Southington, Stamford, Norwalk, Hamden-North Haven, and the WWFY now for the last 10 years.

Brian is passionate about helping people improve their lives and serving the community. Being part of the WWFY has been a blessing in his life as he has had the privilege to work with many great people and create lasting relationships with many members and families.

Positively impacting so many lives on a daily basis is what drives Brian to continue as a YMCA professional and he looks forward to doing so for years to come.

EMILY REGAN, CAMP & RECREATION DIRECTOR
Emily is our new Camp and Recreation Director. She comes to us with 15 years of camp, youth sports, and school-aged children experience. Emily graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a double major in Sport Management & Youth and Community Recreation.

Emily brings her relevant experience to the WWFY. In her spare time she is an avid sports card collector, even starting up her own business buying, selling and trading sports cards at card shows and through social media. Being a hardcore sports fan, she is excited to bring new sports classes to the community. In her spare time Emily likes traveling and spending time with family.

JOSEPHINE ROJAS, AQUATICS DIRECTOR
Josephine’s journey with the YMCA began in Norwalk in 1982. What began as an after-school job turned into a long and successful career. She began working at the YMCA with children in the after-school program. That opened the door to so many opportunities to gain experience working with different people in different departments. Josephine floated around for a while before finding her home in aquatics and never looked back.

Josephine loves to be in the water and teach people of all ages and walks of life how to swim. After 16 years, she moved over to the New Canaan YMCA where she spent 22 years before coming to the WWFY in 2020. Josephine has spent her whole career at YMCAs because they embody the values of Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility; all of which she tries to spread to the community through teaching.

The most rewarding thing about Josephine’s journey has been being able to teach generations of children who later bring their own children to learn to swim.

PATRICK FREEMAN, HEALTH & WELLNESS DIRECTOR
Patrick brings over 25 years’ experience to the WWFY in the commercial and corporate health and wellness sectors.  His athletic background and competitive spirit complement previous roles – as a fitness manager, personal training manager, and regional director.  He wants to impact member satisfaction, staff development, and motivate everyone to lead stronger and healthier lives.

Following his college baseball days as a pitcher at The University of Rhode Island, Patrick decided to pursue natural fitness and bodybuilding with a subtle nudge from his wife, Michelle (a former regional Fitness America champion).  Inspiring many along the way, he has competed in numerous amateur and pro-level shows up & down the East Coast.

Patrick recently served as Associate Editor for the Business Edge column (ACSM Journal) for several years.  Aside from his medical fitness leadership at Premise Health, Patrick garnered appreciable sales experience while supervising teams at Equinox and The Edge Fitness Clubs.

Patrick enjoys hiking, family time and is very proud of his two boys, Nolan and Logan.  Nolan is an avid track athlete at Southern CT State, pursuing a degree in Exercise Science, while Logan is a former 2-time state powerlifting teen record holder and plays varsity soccer at New Milford High School.