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Dan Gillan was raised in Chicago, IL and grew up cheering for the Bulls, White Sox, and Bears, and was welcomed to the Albany, GA area thanks to orders from the US Marine Corps in 2007. After a tour of duty in command of Maintenance Center Albany, and retirement from the Marine Corps after 32 years, he happened to be at the Y one day with his kids and was asked if he’d be interested in teaching Boot Camp-style fitness. Dan had never considered that, but said “yes”. So his Y “career” started in 2010, and he really enjoyed teaching the fitness classes.
Although Dan was retired from active duty in the Marine Corps, he was working as a full-time Defense Consultant and teaching Boot Camp fitness at the Y part-time. Through this he really developed an appreciation for what the Y brings to the community in terms of serving the community and ensuring everyone has access to the various programs the Y offers. The YMCA Core Values of Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility were appealing to him since he had led his adult life embracing the US Marine Corps Core Values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment.
In 2013 Dan applied for the CEO position at the Y and was hired. The sense of service he enjoyed as an active duty Marine was renewed in that instead of serving my country, he was now serving my community. He and his wife Andrea love this community and the people we serve. It really is about the people. They have genuinely appreciated the welcome they received and the continued enriching and fulfilling lives they lead in service through our church, the Y, Scouts, and other community organizations.
