About Us > Leadership Team
Leadership Team
Our Team

Stephen Ives
President & Chief Executive Officer
Stephen Ives
President & Chief Executive Officer
Over the past 30 plus years, Steve’s passion has been to help communities grow and thrive through programs and services at the YMCA. He remains committed to the Y’s mission of strengthening the foundations of community for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.
Having served in multiple executive roles during his tenure with the Y, Steve currently has the pleasure of working alongside a strong board and many cause-driven leaders that serve more than 177,000 families across our many locations in the Greater Houston Area.
Through successful collaborations, executing civic engagement and leading thousands of team members, Steve has played an integral role in bringing the following milestones to the YMCA of Greater Houston:
- Successful community partnerships which aid and foster social growth
- 200 childcare facilities
- Youth outreach programs and camps servicing thousands of students
- International partnerships in South America and Vietnam
- Group activities and social opportunities for active seniors
- Support for refugee resettlement services
- Leading the fight against human trafficking
Steve is a proud father, husband and community leader who enjoys outdoor activities, long-distance running, biking, and live music.
His vision is to continue to uphold the Y as a pillar in the community in which outreach and culture offer fellowship, solace, and support to individuals and families that call the YMCA home.

Jennifer Lopez
Chief of Staff
Jennifer Lopez

Chief of Staff

Jennifer Garcia
Chief Financial Officer
Jennifer Garcia

Chief Financial Officer
Jennifer Garcia currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer of the YMCA of Greater Houston. In this role she is responsible for all financial operations of the organization and oversees the Accounting, Procurement and Payables, Accounts Receivable, Payroll and Business Services teams. She assumed this role in early 2020, after previously serving as the Vice President of Financial Operations and Controller.
Jennifer joined the YMCA in 2014 with seven years experience in Public Accounting, focusing almost exclusively on Houston non-profit organizations. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a graduate of Tulane University. As a native Houstonian, she enjoys sharing her love of Texas and the Houston Astros with her husband, two children, and two dogs.

Marie Arcos
Chief Government Relations Officer
Marie Arcos
Chief Government Relations Officer
Marie Arcos is a native Houstonian and third-generation Texan. She has worked with the YMCA of Greater Houston for over 20 years and currently serves as the Chief Government Relations Officer. She has been with the YMCA of Greater Houston since 2001, and currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Government and Community Relations. In this role, Marie builds and strengthens partnerships with private and public organizations with the community and promotes our YMCA National and State Legislative agendas.
She began her career with the YMCA in 1996 as a volunteer board member then became the Executive Director for one of 36 YMCA’s in Houston. The first Latina in that role and the only Hispanic Executive Director in the organization at that time in 2001. She managed a budget of $ 1.3M, developed and maintained an active board of volunteers, was responsible for financial development to support the programming and initiatives, worked with her team and association in program development, and provided professional development and supervision of 8 full time staff and up to 40 part time staff. She served as an Executive Director for 16 years before moving into the corporate division of the organization as Executive Director of Community Development, a position created for her expertise to be carried out throughout the Greater Houston Area, then 3 years later promoted to Vice President. She is the first Latina to hold this position in Houston for this global organization.
Marie received her Master of Social Work from the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work in 1997 specializing in political and community organizing. She is committed to ensuring equity in education and health for Houston children and families. Growing up in a large family did not afford her the opportunities that she believes all youth should have. For these reasons, she strives to help build connections, resources, and support for families to reach their full potential – particularly in the neighborhoods of high Hispanic populations. In fact, she considers herself to have limited early career advancements to staying in one neighborhood too long. But if she had to do it all over again, she would. During the time she served as Executive Director at the MD Anderson Family YMCA, she helped generate over $3M in investments to the programs and families in this overlooked community. Her acceptance to move to a different position and expand her career opportunities was prompted by the rapid revitalization of the nearby Northside neighborhood and promising opportunities for a new YMCA to replace the aged building from the 1950’s.
Marie is deeply engaged in activities that continue her family’s legacy of making significant volunteer contributions to our community. Marie attributes her passion for the non-profit sector to her grandparents and parents. She is one of seven children and grew up very modestly and unknowingly at that time, poor. The triad of faith, family, and friends are at the heart of community building. It is her belief that without strong families and vibrant communities, we cannot have a strong economy to compete with global competition. While growing up, she remembers her grandparents being active in the church, parks, political campaigns and positions demonstrating the power of and educated voice in our society. These organizing skills have made her a strong servant leader to Houston for over three decades and sparked her desire to become a trailblazer by seeking out and following through with every opportunity that allowed her to positively influence change.
Marie currently serves on the local boards of Harris County Public Health Department’s Healthy Living Matters Executive Committee, Avenue CDC and The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. She has also served on special committees that advance the quality of life for Houston, including Harvey Relief collaborations, Go Neighborhoods Northside/LISC, NCAA Final Four Houston Local Organizing Committee, and Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Transition Team. She is also a volunteer with Spindletop Charities, Inc. and is a senior fellow with American Leadership Forum, Class XLVII (47).
Marie loves everything Houston, supports her Hispanic heritage through the arts and education, and can often be found at community events and exploring the hidden gems around town. Mr. Reddington is Marie’s running buddy and can be found with her at home, on social media, in the community, and special Y events.

Jeff Watkins
Chief International Initiatives Officer
Jeff Watkins
Chief International Initiatives Officer

Angela Hodson
Chief Philanthropy Officer
Angela Hodson

Chief Philanthropy Officer
Angela Hodson joins the YMCA of Greater Houston in May 2021 as the Chief Philanthropy Officer, bringing 28 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She has a unique and diverse perspective serving as a consultant with Dini Spheris for organizations of all sizes through capital campaigns and strategic planning for almost a decade. Providing a path for these organizations to create sustainable fundraising and reach their fullest potential is Angela’s passion and drive.
Angela honed her leadership skills while serving as President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, where she transitioned the organization from its previous leader of fifty years to a renewed approach and focus on impact, updated processes and quality programs.
Prior to this Angela served as Vice President of Baylor College of Medicine where foremost among her accomplishments was successfully managing their $1 billion capital campaign for five years. These roles have given her the knowledge and capability to lead teams and individuals to realize their greatest strengths and maximize their success.
In her role as Chief Philanthropy Officer, Angela will provide strategic leadership to advance sustainable and innovative development programs to further the YMCA of Greater Houston’s mission.
Angela has a B.A. in Journalism from Texas A&M University where she played on the women’s golf team.
She has two daughters and enjoys hiking, playing golf, and exploring national parks

Mary Dalencour
Chief Risk Officer
Mary Dalencour
Chief Risk Officer
Mary holds a degree in Psychology and has worked for the YMCA of Greater Houston for over 15 years serving in various areas. She has a history of working within the non-profit segment dealing with risk management, property & casualty insurance, child abuse prevention, ADA/Inclusion, contracts and litigation management.
She lives with her two children, two dogs and husband, Scott.

Rick Cruz
Chief Operating Officer
Rick Cruz
Chief Operating Officer
As the Chief Operating Officer for the YMCA of Greater Houston, Rick is responsible for overseeing the varied programming that the organization offers. This includes the YMCA’s health and fitness centers, youth programming, childcare, camps, swimming, enrichment, and more.
Prior to joining the YMCA, Rick founded EMERGE Fellowship, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that helps first-generation low-income students attend and graduate from top colleges. He also had a distinguished career in education. After joining Teach for America and serving as an award-winning bilingual teacher in a high-poverty school, he assumed numerous senior leadership roles for the largest school system in Texas. Most recently, as the school system’s deputy superintendent, he helped manage a $2.1 billion budget and supported over 27,000 employees across 273 schools. He has also taught at the University of Houston and Rice University.
A native of Mexico, Rick graduated with distinction from Yale University and holds a masters and a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. Rick enjoys traveling, going to the gym, trying new restaurants, listening to vinyl records, and spending time with this family.
We look forward to connecting with you. Please reach out at executiveteam@ymcahouston.org.