Community partnership shapes the next generation of leaders

Designed to equip professionals with the tools, mindset and real-world experience to excel, Mount Royal University’s custom learning programs blend academic insight with practical application. 

YMCA Calgary’s successful Emerging Leaders Development Program is a custom leadership training initiative delivered in partnership with Mount Royal’s Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension.

For Casey Plettell, now General Manager of the Shawnessy YMCA, the training has been a transformative part of his career journey.

Plettell’s professional path began in aquatics in 2009, when he began working as a swim instructor and lifeguard. After joining YMCA Calgary in 2017 to help open the Shane Homes YMCA at Rocky Ridge, he quickly progressed through roles in leadership, eventually overseeing aquatic programs across the city before stepping into his current role.

It was during that transition that Plettell first joined the Emerging Leaders Development Program, which was then in its pilot phase. “The Mount Royal program was super helpful,” he says. “Being able to actually implement and use some of those tools we learned was really powerful. It wasn’t just someone talking at you, but working with you.”

Longtime Mount Royal instructor Mary-Jo Williams designed and developed the program content, drawing on the best of Mount Royal’s Continuing Education content and Mojo Training, Coaching and Consulting content. As the dedicated facilitator of the program, she has led seven cohorts so far.

After consultation with then-vice president of YMCA Calgary, Brian Gervais (YMCA), the two realized that the vision for the YMCA Emerging Leaders Development Program would not be realized with a purely academic approach. The conversations resulted in a custom designed five-module program focused on the foundational attributes, abilities and actions all leaders – emerging and growing – need to succeed in the community and workplace. 

In the three-stage initiative, participants begin with foundational online modules delivered by the YMCA that focus on core leadership competencies. From there, they attend in-person workshops led by Williams. The third stage, also delivered by the YMCA, is a weekend at Camp Chief Hector, where the participants meet to practice and get feedback on their skills. 

“When leaders at all organizational levels participate in foundational skills-based training and integrate it into their day-to-day leadership practice, it benefits everyone: the leader, the team, the organization and the clients they serve,” Williams says. “It creates a healthy, consistent leadership culture that inspires people to be and do their best. 

The experienced leaders who participate in this type of training always tell me that they wish they had learned the basics – like how to delegate or provide feedback – when they first started leading a team.”

 

Plettell wasted no time putting his newly acquired skills into practice, taking on a year-long project that significantly impacted YMCA operations – rewriting the organization’s entire aquatics policies and procedures manual. “It was a massive project,” he admits. “But we needed something usable that made sense to our 16-year-old first-time lifeguards as much as to our senior staff. I took everything I had learned and poured it into that document.”

The final result was a fully indexed, clickable PDF alongside printed copies at every facility. With clear visuals, maps and cheat sheets, the manual became a practical, accessible tool for staff across the city. “Even now, they’ve taken it further and developed a pocket handbook for lifeguards. It’s great to see it evolve and continue to be useful.”

But the impact of the Emerging Leaders Development Program extended far beyond technical documents. For Plettell, it sparked personal growth in unexpected areas, including public speaking. “I used to be terrified,” he shares. “I remember being asked to speak at a national event and saying no. But just recently, I co-hosted our AGM with our COO. That never would’ve happened without the program pushing me out of my comfort zone.”

“Casey was a very engaged participant and is a stellar example of how actively participating in this program combined with a commitment to integrating the learning into daily activities accelerates career success and makes a meaningful difference in the workplace and in our community,” says Williams.

That culture of encouragement is central to the YMCA’s leadership philosophy. While the program began as an initiative for employees aged 18 to 30, it has since expanded to include others with a passion for growth. “I’m a huge advocate,” Plettell says. “Yes, it’s work on top of your job, but it’s meaningful. Even if you only walk away with a few key skills, they’re going to help you grow whether you're leading a team now or preparing to in the future.”

While the program ends with a certificate, many alumni go on to take on senior roles within the YMCA or beyond and the relationships formed during the program continue to shape their professional paths. “There’s still a bond among those of us who went through it,” Plettell says. “That shared experience stays with us even if people have moved on to new opportunities.”

As someone who now helps encourage other team members to enroll in the program, Plettell has come full circle. “I try to tell our staff that they’re not going to be here forever and that’s okay. But while they are, they should get everything they can out of the experience. No matter what field they go into, these tools are going to help them.”

“It really helped me step out of my shell,” Plettell reflects. “And now I get to pay it forward.”