North Canton YMCA Names Ben Wheeler as Executive Director

Ben Wheeler is set to take over as executive director of the  after Paul Beinlich retired this past month.

Wheeler starts Feb. 13.

He and his wife Amanda have three children, 7 months to 6 years old, and are looking forward to their move to the North Canton community, according to a news release from the YMCA.

“I am looking forward to returning to the mid-west.” said Wheeler, who's originally from Michigan. “The North Canton community is a great place to raise a family.”

He's been with the Y for more than nine years and has completed work for the organizational leadership certification through the YMCA of the USA. Previous work experience includes serving as YMCA executive director in Lansing, MI, and most recently in Hollywood, FL.

Wheeler has been very active in community relations in both Lansing and Hollywood. The Hollywood Y, serving 8,000 members, is similar in size to the North Canton branch. The North Canton Y has about 13,000 members.

“We’re very happy to have Ben, and his family, join us here in Stark County,"YMCA CEO Tim Shetzer said. "We started out with 100 resumes, and the Y search group did an outstanding job throughout the entire process. I want to thank the volunteer search group of Y board members, Don Deitemyer, Chip Rennecker, Tim Hoover, Linda Nist, Scott Warburton and Larry Hoover. The North Canton community is blessed to have such a dedicated group of community leaders.”

For more information about the North Canton Community Building YMCA programs and services, check out the Y's website or become a fan of the North Canton YMCA Facebook page.