After 46 years of service in YMCAs across the country, Brad Martell will be retiring at the end of this year from the YMCA of the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley, based in Davenport.
Mr. Martell has served as the president/CEO of(formerly Scott County Family Y) since 2013, overseeing a massive expansion in all aspects of our YMCA in his time here. His final day on the job will be Dec. 31.
Under his leadership, the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley has continued to grow as the Quad City leader in health, fitness, and recreation.
“I have enjoyed my time here at our YMCA,” Mr. Martell said in a news release. “I’m very proud of what the staff and volunteers have accomplished. The future is bright for the Y to keep growing and serving more people.”
“Brad’s strong leadership and strategic vision, coupled with his relentless commitment to the Y’s mission, has resulted in the creation of one of the top performing Y’s in the entire country,” added, Todd Gipple, QCR Holdings CEO and president and a board member of YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley, added. “Thousands of children and families in the Quad Cities region have benefited from his work and I want to thank and congratulate Brad on the culmination of an incredibly successful career.”
Mr. Martell began his career in 1979 with the YMCA in Salina, Kansas, while he was still a college student, working as a camp counselor, referee for youth sports, along with many other roles. Over the next 46 years, his journey with the Y would lead him to several leadership positions, rising to his first CEO position with the McPherson YMCA (1991-1995). He became district branch executive for the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City in 1995 serving through 1997, branch executive of the Wichita East YMCA (1997-2001), and chief operating officer of the Greater Wichita YMCA (2001-2012).
In 2013, Mr. Martell assumed the role of president/CEO of what today is known as YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley, where he has served for the past 12 years.
“When Brad Martell was appointed to lead the Scott County Family Y, he inherited a very sound and successful organization,” said Ed Rogalski, former St. Ambrose University president and a longtime Y board member. “Not only did he enhance it, but expanded it to become the Y of the Iowa Mississippi Valley. One of the strongest Y’s in the country.”
Since Mr. Martell’s appointment, the organization has undergone massive expansion to continue spreading the YMCA’s mission. Some of that growth includes:
- Membership: Increased from 22,000 in 2012 to nearly 53,000 members today.
- Facility expansion: Newly constructed and acquired facilities include the Utica Ridge YMCA, R. Richard Bittner YMCA, North Scott Community YMCA, YMCA Sports Center and Water Park at The Landing, and the LeClaire YMCA, now under construction.
- Giving: Annual Campaign donations have increased from $550,000 in 2012 to over $1.1 million in 2025.
- Financial assistance: The Y provides more than $1.8 million in assistance for membership and programs, with 22% of association members on some form of financial assistance and income-based pricing.
The Y’s volunteer board is conducting a selection committee to pick the organization’s next CEO.
