Salak hired as YMCA advancement director

The local YMCA project has a new leader in place.

Kelly R. Cantrall

Christine Salak has been hired as advancement director for the Hardin County YMCA project.

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Christine Salak has been named advancement director for the Hardin County YMCA project. Salak replaces Mark Eddy, who previously worked with the project.

Salak previously worked as an associate executive director and an interim executive director of a YMCA in Augusta, Ga., before her family was relocated to Fort Knox. She began looking for opportunities with the YMCA in this area and found the position.

“It’s a tremendously exciting opportunity,” she said.

Salak will be tasked with working with the committees involved in starting a YMCA in Hardin County, including the steering and founders committees, starting YMCA programs in the area before a physical building is in place, and fundraising.

Salak begins her new role on Jan. 5. While she knows there are many residents familiar with YMCAs, she wants to continue to educate the area of the benefits of a YMCA.

“I’ve just seen how the Y can change lives,” she said.

Salak said she’s thrilled to bring a new YMCA to a community.

“I just can’t express how excited I am,” she said.

The local YMCA project first began when Nannette Johnston, superintendent of Hardin County Schools, started searching for ideas to bring access to a pool to swim teams in the school district. She began working with Steve Tarver, CEO of the YMCA of Greater Louisville, to look at opportunities for opening a YMCA in Hardin County.

A market research study has been performed in the area, and 56.1 percent of survey respondents stated they had “a lot of interest” in a local YMCA. About 15.2 percent said they weren’t at all interested.

Tarver said he’s excited to have someone with Salak’s experience in the position.

Kelly Cantrall can be reached at (270) 505-1747 or

kcantrall@thenewsenterprise.com.