Merrimack Valley YMCA CEO Receives Chamber’s Highest Honor
Merrimack Valley YMCA President and CEO Francis J. Kenneally III was honored for his decades of leadership and community service with the Ralph B. Wilkinson Good Citizenship Award from Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce.
The award is the chamber’s highest individual honor and is presented annually to a community leader for their significant and meaningful impacts to the Merrimack Valley.
“Frank Kenneally was selected for the Ralph B. Wilkinson Good Citizenship Award because he consistently embodies the spirit of community service — always giving back and putting others before himself,” Michael Bevilacqua, President/CEO, Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce. “His dedication to helping those around him reflects the very qualities this award represents.”
The award was presented Monday, November 3 at the chamber’s annual dinner in Haverhill, which featured Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll as the keynote speaker.
“Thank you to the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce for this honor,” Kenneally said. “I feel so fortunate to have spent my career working in the community where I grew up and where I raised my family. I am proud to be a leader in this community and incredibly proud of the work of our entire YMCA team to create meaningful change and progress every day to improve the lives of the people who call the Merrimack Valley region their home.”
For more than 37 years, Frank has dedicated his career to strengthening the Merrimack Valley community through his leadership at the Merrimack Valley YMCA. A lifelong advocate for youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, he has risen through the ranks of the organization—from his first summer as a camp counselor to his current role as President and CEO.
Frank began his YMCA journey at the Lawrence branch, where he served as Youth and Aquatics Director. Over the years, Frank has held nearly every role at the Y, rising to leadership, including Branch Executive Director and, later, Chief Operating Officer. In 2019, following a national search, he was named President and CEO of the Merrimack Valley YMCA.
Under his leadership, the YMCA has flourished—navigating the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while achieving more than $12 million in capital investments for facility improvements and child care expansion. During his tenure, the organization has realized a 28% growth in revenue, strengthened its financial foundation, and set a bold, innovative strategic direction to serve future generations. Today, the Merrimack Valley YMCA impacts one in three residents in the region.
Beyond his work at the YMCA, Frank is a respected leader in the broader nonprofit community. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Alliance of Massachusetts YMCAs, where he has chaired the Public Policy Committee and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors. Passionate about education and leadership development, he has also been an adjunct faculty member at Merrimack College for the past nine years, teaching graduate courses in the School of Health Sciences.
Deeply committed to civic engagement, Frank serves on the boards of the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Lawrence Partnership, and the Andover Service Club.
