Former Iowa Gov. Chet Culver out at YMCA of Des Moines

Former Iowa Gov. Chet Culver is out as president of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines seven months after taking the job, a Y spokesman confirmed Friday.

Culver was hired in June to serve as the second in command of the organization. Ruth Comer, the local YMCA’s director of media relations and marketing, said Culver’s last day was Jan. 27. She declined to say whether Culver elected to leave the organization or was fired.

“This is an employment matter, so we cannot comment on it any further,” she said.

In a prepared statement sent to The Register, Culver called the end of his tenure "disappointing" and seemed to question decisions made by other YMCA officials.

Culver said during his tenure he advocated for a new aquatic center, tried to improve the YMCA's finances by conducting an energy efficiency review of its facilities and worked to expand membership by reaching out to universities, veterans and corporate groups.

"The list goes on, but, unfortunately, my role as President of the YMCA of Des Moines, does not," Culver's statement said.

"Time will tell whether this disappointing turn of events, along with others resulting from decisions made by the current executive leadership team of the Des Moines YMCA, have been the right ones and whether those decisions have served the best interests of this fine organization."

Culver's statement did not say whether he chose to leave the YMCA or was forced out.

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Culver was part of a new, two-headed leadership team at the YMCA. Serving under CEO Dave Schwartz, who was hired in May, Culver was expected to focus on fundraising and promoting the YMCA, while Schwartz was tasked with managing membership, programming and budgeting.

Schwartz will assume the role of president and CEO. The YMCA’s previous top executive, Vernon Delpesce, had also held both titles. Deplesce was pushed out in January 2016 after donors became agitated by the stalled progress on an aquatic center at the new $30 million Wellmark YMCA in downtown Des Moines.

Culver and other YMCA officials recently notched a victory on that front, announcing they had raised enough money to re-start construction of the aquatic center. It is scheduled to open in March 2018.

Culver served as governor from 2007 to 2011, losing his re-election bid to current Gov. Terry Branstad.

His position at the YMCA stands in stark contrast to the jobs other former Iowa governors have taken after leaving office. Gov. Tom Vilsack served for eight years as U.S. secretary of agriculture and, Branstad has been nominated as President Donald Trump's ambassador to China.

A call to Rick Tollakson, chairman of the YMCA board and CEO of Hubbell Realty Co., was not immediately returned.

Check back later for more information.