Jeffrey Shimizu

Always a Champion: “Jeff is the ideal example of a YMCA champion. Throughout his four years of volunteering, Jeff leads by example and has always stepped up to the challenge. He discovered ways to position our adult hockey program into one that is growing daily. Jeff is about solutions, not problems,” says Keith Quick, Northeast Cobb YMCA executive director.

Why the Y: “The YMCA is a very unique organization. They live out their values through the organization. What I love most about the Y is the incredible involvement with the community and the staff’s genuine care for others.”

Persistence Pays Off: “One season I coached beginner youth roller hockey. The team lost the first five or six games of the season, but the players never quit or got down. Our teams truly play for the love of the game. The Y embraces a spirit of competition and sportsmanship in victory and defeat.”

Community Involvement: Associate pastor of First Christian Church of Marietta; founder of Soulfire Ministries, a music ministry; and a student at Columbia Theological Seminary.

Career: Director of Frontline Support Operations for Philips Healthcare, a division of Philips Electronics