alan bergeron – a place of refuge

Chairman of the Board, Houston Texans YMCA

The future of the soon-to-be constructed Houston Texans YMCA is in good, capable hands. In fact, the chairman of the board, Alan Bergeron, and the YMCA have a history together. As a child growing up in Houston, the Y helped Bergeron harness and cultivate many of the positive personal traits he now uses to uplift the community that gave him so much.

“The Y was in my neighborhood. I learned how to swim at the Y. For a child in the African American community to learn how to swim back in the ’60s was a big deal,” recalls Bergeron, reminiscing about all of the things he learned about himself during that swimming program. “That’s what makes a Y so vital in our community, programs like [that swimming program] that [many parents] wouldn’t be able to give [their] children otherwise.” Located in the Third Ward, the state-of-the-art facility will provide the types of services and character-building programs that contributed to Bergeron’s life during his formative years.

“This Y is unlike some of the others that might be out there,” says Bergeron of the center, which marks the first time a major sports franchise has partnered with the YMCA in this manner. “This Y has history. This is the second phase of the Y that was built in the 1950s, so this is exciting because we’re bringing the history from the past to the future.” –terry shropshire

Recommended reading: The Bible

Bergeron’s keys to success:

1. “You need to be self-disciplined.”

2. “You must have familial support.”

3. “You have to be goal-oriented.”