Kristen Cole proudly serves as Executive Director of the Downtown Orlando YMCA. Originally from outside the Poughkeepsie, New York area, Kristen now lives in Central Florida with her husband and two daughters. As an avid runner in high school, Kristen pursued a degree in sports management and began her career at the YMCA as a Youth Sports Coordinator. Since then, she has served in several different roles at the Y, including in sports, child programs, aquatics, wellness, and membership.
Throughout her career, Kristen's proudest accomplishment has been the South Orlando YMCA's response to Hurricane Irma in 2017. The storm caused prolonged power outages in the South Orlando community, and many people were in desperate need of ice to keep their food and medicine chilled. Thanks to support and resources, the YMCA was able to provide over 3,500 pounds of ice to people in need. When she's not working at the family center, Kristen enjoys traveling and going to Disney with her family.
My Y: "I literally get to change lives for a living! I can't think of a job more rewarding than that!"