The Merrimack Valley YMCA is pleased to announce that Claudia Soo Hoo has been named Senior Executive Director of the Andover/North Andover YMCA. Soo Hoo replaces former Executive Director Alex Turek, who left earlier this year to become CEO of the Southern District YMCA in Exeter, NH.

If it seems like Soo Hoo is already a familiar face in the Andover/North Andover YMCA, it’s because she has spent more than a decade working for the Merrimack Valley YMCA in various roles, and has been a member and program enthusiast for even longer than that. In fact, Claudia attended preschool at the Andover/North Andover Y!

Claudia will serve as Senior Executive Director of the $8.5 million Andover/North Andover Branch, which serves more than 16,000 members, with a total of 319 full and part time staff.

She will be responsible for daily operations of the branch, recruitment and management of the volunteer Board of Managers, and annual fundraising. The Andover/North Andover Y features three indoor pools, 13,000 square feet of wellness space, a café, a commercial teaching kitchen, a preschool and school age childcare wing, four group exercise studios, a gymnasium, and the Active Living Center for older adults.

Claudia has worked full time at the Merrimack Valley YMCA for 12 years, serving most recently as the District Executive Director, which included oversight of the Camping Services branch as well as the Lawrence Branch. Since starting her career at the Y, she has overseen aquatics, youth and teen programming, branch operations, and more.  She is also currently serving on the Y-USA Diversity, Inclusion and Global (DIG) Innovation Y Steering and Strategy Council.

Merrimack Valley YMCA Chief Operating Officer Frank Kenneally says Claudia’s deep roots and commitment to the community make her the obvious choice for this role.

“Throughout Claudia’s career she has demonstrated success in the five key areas that we look for in this role: operational excellence, community connections, program development, fundraising, and staff development,” said Kenneally.

In her tenure she has grown the three camps’ enrollment by 37% and the annual campaign by more than $100,000.  She sat on the New Hampshire Camp Director’s Association Board and also volunteers as a mentor for the Y-USA Multicultural Mentoring Program.

Claudia holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University and lives in North Andover with her husband and two children. In her spare time she enjoys being active, cooking, reading, and coaching and volunteering in her kid’s schools and sports.