Here at the Y, we have a great team of staff members! We’d love for you to put a face to a name and get to know them a little better.
Each month, we will feature a different director from either our Pabst Farms or Watertown branch locations.
We hope you enjoy this new opportunity to meet our incredible Y Team!
This month, we’d like you to meet…
Health & Wellness Director at the Watertown Area YMCA , Dawn Liddicoat.
Dawn enjoys encouraging members on their fitness journey. Here’s a bit more about Dawn…
How long have you worked for the Y? I worked for the HAWC before it became a Y, so officially 12 years at the Y, part-time, then full-time. In this building, since before 2008, I started with teaching Pilates while I worked another job.
My job at the Y is: Director of Health and Wellness, so I teach fitness classes, do personal training, lead the wellness center staff and instructors, oversee the wellness center, fitness schedules, workshops and events.
Pets: Our family dog, an English Springer Spaniel named Hallie. She will be the only pet I will ever have.
Hobbies include: Walking, hiking and bike riding, baking and watching sports
I work for the Y because: The Y’s mission aligns with my values and supports the community that I live in. I want to be around people that have a growth mindset and enjoy supporting people in their journey to make themselves better in mind, body and spirit.
Favorite music: I enjoy lots of different kinds of music, hymns and spiritual songs, workout music, piano, classical, pop, rock, but if I had to pick one, Top 10 from the 80’s.
Favorite movie: I haven’t watched too many movies since high school, but those that I have watched, I watched with my kids when they were little. Toy Story and High School Musical are my top choices.
The most fun part about my job is: Connecting with members and staff and encouraging them on their journey in a class.
Favorite sports team: Brewers, Bucks, Badgers and Packers and teams my kids played on.
Favorite restaurant: The Harvest Market, Café Hollander
The most meaningful part of my job is: Seeing people gain confidence and grow in his or her skills, whether it’s an instructor learning a new class format or a member learning about a particular interest and meeting a challenging fitness goal.
Favorite way to relax: Hiking in nature, massage, sauna and Infrared Light Therapy or just sitting outside on my back patio in the summer.
Favorite holiday: Christmas and Easter
The biggest lesson I’ve learned while working at the Y is: So many lessons! Community, leadership and it’s not about the money.
Community – Until I worked for the Y, I didn’t really understand community, what it means or how it is a part of who I am but also who I serve.
Leadership – While I didn’t have an interest or opportunity for much formal education beyond high school, I have always had a growth mind-set and I truly enjoy working. I love how the Y supports learning about leadership, growing as a person and how to better work with others.
Don’t work only for money – Do something you truly enjoy doing and embrace the journey of growing into the person God wants you to be. Working at the Y, you can make a difference in your community, your co-workers are your friends and you have all that you need inside yourself, you just need to discover it.