Our Leadership
Elaine Glissmeyer
Executive Director
Elaine Glissmeyer is Executive Director of El Camino YMCA. She began her YMCA career as a lifeguard at the Stonestown Family YMCA in San Francisco. After serving in a variety of positions, including Active Older Adults Director and Health and Fitness Director, she was named Associate Executive. She relocated to San Diego as Associate Executive of Development at the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA in Encinitas. In 2005 she returned to the Bay Area as Executive Director at Northwest YMCA in Cupertino. Elaine is now pleased to provide her leadership to the El Camino YMCA.
Jenny-Rebecca Saccardo
Associate Executive Director
Jenny-Rebecca began her YMCA career in 1999 as a childcare counselor in Plymouth, Massachusetts. She held several positions throughout the Old Colony YMCA Association including Program Director, Camp Director and Senior Program Director for the Youth Division. After a short hiatus working in the for profit sector, she is now back at the YMCA as the Associate Executive Director for the El Camino YMCA.
Jenny-Rebecca holds a BA in Psychology and Business from Elmira College. She recently moved to California with her husband and is extremely excited to rejoin the YMCA family. She enjoys spending time with family, hiking and traveling.
Juan Gomez
Director of Facilities and Maintenance
Juan has served at the YMCA of Silicon Valley, El Camino Branch since October of 2006. His previous experience was working as Operations Manager for the National Head Start Program in Southern Alameda County where he was responsible for all custodial, building engineering, security and access controls, monitoring staff safety, emergency responses, property management, and design and project oversight for all major and minor maintenance related to capital improvement projects.
Juan has a degree in Early Childhood Development, is a Certified Pool/Spa Operator of Aquatic Facilities through the National Swimming Pool Foundation, and was recognized as Director of the Year in 2007 by the YMCA of Silicon Valley association. He is certified by the American Red Cross and American Safety & Health Institute as a CPR/AED & First Aid Instructor. Juan also serves as a member of the Board of Director of Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center and Regional Council member of the American Cancer Society Greater Bay Area.
Saadia Aurakzai
Childcare Program Director
Saadia joined the El Camino YMCA in Spring, 2001. She started as a Kids' Place childcare leader, and then went on to serve seven years as the Site Director at Huff Kids' Place. She is currently the Childcare Program Director and oversees our preschool, childcare, and child watch programs.
Saadia grew up in Los Altos and has lived and worked in Mountain View since 2000. She grew up in YMCA resident camps, day camps, and after school childcare, and is truly proud to be part of this organization and amazing community. She has dual Bachelor degrees in Psychology and Behavioral Science from San Jose State University, and in her free time, loves visiting her favorite places: Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, and Disneyland.
Nicole Pillatsch
Director of Administration
Nicole joined the El Camino YMCA in 1998, when she started her Y career as a Member Services Associate. In 1999, after graduation, she moved to San Diego where she then began work for the Mission Valley YMCA. There, she worked as the Site Director of a government funded Before and After School Program, "6 to 6." Upon her return to the Bay Area in 2005, Nicole was lucky enough to return to her home branch as the Child Care Coordinator. Over the past 4 years, Nicole has had the opportunity to work in several departments of the branch, including Child Care and Administration. In her spare time, Nicole loves to travel, attend local sporting events, and spend time with her new family.
Grace Ihn
Youth and Community Program Director
Grace joined El Camino YMCA in January 2011 as our Youth & Community Program Director. She began her YMCA career in 2004 as a Childcare Youth Leader in San Diego. She was promoted through many positions, including Assistant Site Supervisor, Camp Leader, Camp Unit Leader, Camp Coordinator and Camp & Teen Program Director.
Grace has a BA in Art and a Teaching Credential from University of San Diego. She enjoys drawing, painting, going to the movies and local art and music scenes.
Fawn Usher
Director of Member Services
Fawn grew up in the YMCA while her mother was a Group Exercise Instructor. As a young girl, she enjoyed going to Camp Redwood and Camp Gaines at Sequoia Lake. She says being a YMCA kid was one of the best experiences she ever had. Fawn joined the YMCA staff at Central YMCA in 2008. She transferred to El Camino YMCA in 2011. She received a bachelor's degree in communications from California State University-Fresno.
Sha Foland
Director of Health & Well-Being
Sha began her YMCA career in 2001 at the Downtown YMCA in Omaha, Nebraska. She completed her internship there while earning her degree in Exercise Science from Creighton University. Soon after graduating, she had a brief opportunity to serve as Fitness Director on two cruise ships. After that, she knew that she wanted to return to the YMCA and moved to California for an opportunity at the Page Mill YMCA, where she was the Healthy Lifestyles Director. Sha has held a variety of positions with the YMCA in fitness and membership departments. She has also had the opportunity to teach YMCA trainings in Taiwan. She is passionate about the mission and the ability to make an impact each and every day. When not at the YMCA, she enjoys training for endurance events, spending time with friends, traveling, and exploring the beautiful Bay Area.
Jeanette Somo
Group Exercise Director
Jeanette YMCA experience began with swim lessons and tumbling classes as a child. The gentle instructors and encouraging atmosphere were memorable and influenced Jeanette to bring her own children for swim lessons and camps at the El Camino YMCA. Encouragement from an instructor persuaded Jeanette to pursue a Pilates certification in 2003 and she soon after began teaching classes. In 2006, she was hired as a Group Exercise Coordinator, and was recently promoted to her current position as Group Exercise Director. Jeanette is thrilled to be working with an organization that has a mission and focus to help children and adults be as healthy and happy as they can be. She looks forward to serving the staff and members at El Camino YMCA.
Chaz Pillatsch
Associate Sports Director
Chaz began his YMCA career in 1995 and has worked at El Camino YMCA since 2004. He has an extensive background in directing and coordinating a variety of youth, teen and family programs. Before coming to the Y, he volunteered as chair of several committees developing youth in underserved communities.
Heidi Peterson
Associate Child Care Program Director
Heidi began her Y story in 2003 at the Eugene Family YMCA in Eugene, Oregon. There she worked as a childcare teacher and later as a Site Coordinator after receiving degrees in Psychology and Political Science from the University of Oregon. In addition to her eight years at the Y, she spent eight summers working for the Girl Scouts as a resident camp counselor, climbing instructor, lifeguard and Camp Director in Oregon and Colorado.
After moving to the Bay Area in 2010, Heidi was able to join the El Camino Y team and loves supporting the Y mission through building relationships in our community. In her free time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, outdoor climbing, swimming, and watching plenty of Oregon football.
