Gold Spirit Award: Robert Howard

Name a recent Rye Y building improvement and there’s a good chance Rob Howard had a hand in it. The Rye native has been involved in the Facilities Committee for the past several years, using his experience in construction and design to make the Y more attractive and user friendly for members and staff. He has been involved with the renovation of the indoor cycling studio; men’s, women’s, boys and girls locker rooms; and the member lounge. He also helped design the universal locker room, which opened in 2017.

A graduate of Rye High School, Rob received his Associate’s Degree from the Culinary Institute of America and his Bachelor’s Degree from Cornell. He began his career in the culinary arts field, working in Rye and Sun Valley, Idaho before turning to engineering, construction and commercial real estate development. From 1995 to the present, he has been a principal in JWH Design & Cabinetry, his wife Jennifer’s residential design and building company.

As the father of five grown children—Chase (27), Chris (26), Irina (24), Caroline (20) and Anatoly (Toly, 19), Rob has spent his share of time at the Rye Y. In fact, he recently noted that three generations of Howard's have enjoyed the Y. He grew up playing basketball and swimming at the “old” Y with his elementary school friends. He recalls dropping his children off at the renovated (post 2003) Y for teen activities. And last summer, he began dropping his five-year-old grandson off at camp.

“The Y is a great place for community, culture and family,” he noted.

In addition to his volunteer work with the Rye Y, Rob has served on the board of the Rye Free Reading Room and has volunteered with the Part of the Solution (POTS) food pantry in the Bronx since 2008.

Gold Spirit Award: Patty Mosher

Growing up in Westwood, MA, a town without a YMCA, Patty became familiar with the Y when her father started swimming during his lunch hour at the Y branch near his office. So it felt natural for her to join the Rye Y when she and her family moved to Rye in 2002. "It was the first place that made me feel at home in my new community," she remarks. "It was also the first place I made some friends as a mother with young kids."

Over the next several years, Patty would give back to the Y in many ways. After serving on the Auxiliary Committee, she was elected to the Board of Directors in 2012, where she lent her time and energy to the Financial Development and Membership/Programming Committees. In 2014, Patty joined the Rye Y's Togetherhood Committee, helping to plan several community service projects during her three-year tenure. In all of these positions, she played a leadership role, serving on the board's Executive Committee, chairing committees, and co-chairing Togetherhood.

A 1993 graduate of Georgetown University, where she earned a Bachelor of Nursing degree, Patty worked as a registered nurse at several large university hospitals, including Duke University Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. She also worked at New York University for an eight-physician urology practice.

Patty and her husband Chris keep busy raising and chauffeuring three teenagers: Owen (17), Meaghan (15) and Tommy (13). In addition to her work at the Y, Patty is the Upper School parent representative at Holy Child School.

She recently observed, "As I became more involved, the Y's mission of youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility really spoke to me and my background in health care.  My interest in caring and helping other people seemed to be a natural fit to all the amazing work the Y was doing in Rye and our surrounding communities."

Community Service Award: Brian Dempsey

Out of all of Brian Dempsey’s volunteer jobs—and the list is long—the ones he finds most rewarding are the ones rooted in family history. For many years, his father Edward ran the Rye Little League/Rye Girls’ Softball parade, an event that became a springtime tradition that Brian carries on to this day. He is also proud of his role in the Rye Little League and Rye Girls’ Softball winter clinics, which he started when his children were young.

It’s clear that Brian enjoys nurturing young athletic talent. He has coached football, t-ball, CYO basketball, Little League and softball. And he has volunteered at the Rye Derby for the past several years. However, his community service goes far beyond sports. Since around 1998, Brian has served as the Chair of the City of Rye Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee. He has also been involved with the City’s Master Plan Committee, Central Business District Task Force, Retail Strategy Task Force, Parking Committee, and Neighborhood Business District Committee.

In keeping with his wide-ranging interests, Brian has donated his time and talent to Part of the Solution (POTS), Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, Resurrection Church, and Leaders of Tomorrow.

After graduating from Rye High School, Brian earned a BCE in Civil Engineering from Villanova University. He went on to receive a MBA from Fordham University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and is a partner with the firm Provident Design Engineering, a civil engineering consulting firm that he co-founded in 2016.  Born and raised in in Rye, Brian still lives there with his wife Lisa. The couple has two grown children, Jeff (24) and Lauren (21).