Meet Family Programs Director Maura

My name is Maura Parkhurst and I am the Family Programs Director at the Dale Turner Family YMCA.

I grew up in Southern California but I have always been a true Seattleite at heart. Even back in high school I would always root for the Huskies and Seahawks when everyone else was a USC and 49er fans.

I moved to Seattle right after high school and have called the northwest my home ever since. I went to Shoreline Community College for my AA degree and then transferred to Western Washington University where I then received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology.

I started at the Shoreline YMCA over 17 years ago as a Child Care Director and moved into my new position as a Family Programs Director once the Dale Turner Family Y opened its doors in 2008.  It has been an amazing experience to be a part of opening this branch for our community and watch how it continues to serve more and more families each and every day. My favorite program is our family nights—it’s great to see families doing things together while meeting other families at our Y.

Some of the most rewarding things about my job is when I get to see the families connect with one another and grow lasting friendships because of the Y. I also love it when kids that were once in my programs, come back as young adults and want to work for the Y. Although this makes me feel old, I still get the satisfaction from knowing that the Y had enough of a positive impact on them that they wanted their first job to be here.