O'Connor and Bakas Among New West Roxbury YMCA Board Members

Some familiar faces were unanimously voted onto the Board of Advisors - Janet Bakas, Anne Green, Robert McLaughlin and Jack O’Connor.

Many people may recognize Janet Bakas with , as well is the health care industry for the past 17 years, where she currently works at Faulkner Hospital and Harvard Vanguard.

YMCA leaders praised Bakas' instrumental involvement in raising thousands for the Jimmy Fund and Main Streets through the “Pitching In” event. 

Parkway-area resident Anne Green, AVP/Branch Manager of , spoke about why she wanted to become board member.

"We want to be very supportove of community. Some big commercial banks don’t give a hoot about what goes on in the neighborhoods - like . They don’t get involved with community events. Being a small community bank we have to - that’s our thing," said Green.

Green said the Cooperative Bank and the YMCA are more than 100 years and both are community-based organizations, "We both have the same types of core values with community." The Cooperative Bank is also a corporate sponsor of the YMCA.  

Green is also very involved with the West Roxbury community, as an active member with the , Kiwanis and West Roxbury Main Streets. 

She added that she will be rejoining the YMCA, so she can get back into shape.

The West Roxbury YMCA has also used the new community room at the bank, as has WRMS. Added Green, "I'm looking forward to some type of committee and I have to find my niche."

Also joining Green and Bakas on the board, are Robert McLaughlin and Jack O'Connor.

McLaughlin is the chief of staff for state Sen. James Timilty. McLaughlin coaches Parkway Little League and other youth groups. YMCA leaders praised his expertise in community development and his ability to assist the Y in public policy.

O’Connor is a retired business executive who worked for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital System, who specialized in marketing and stategic planning. Now retired, O'Connor assists many non-profits (Big Brothers, Boston Health Care for the Homeless) with their strategic planning and fundraising efforts.