congratulations to

2019 John Kjelson Memorial Service Award recipient

Van Jensen

If you are walking into the downtown Y you will likely see the smiling face of Van Jensen as he is making sure the Y is safe, clean and welcoming for all members.

Van started as a Y member and quickly found in the Y a place where he felt he belonged. This led to Van joining our staff team in 2014. Van has always felt like a part of the Y family and you can clearly see that in how he treats every co-worker and Y member: with caring, respect, and an unparalleled cheerfulness.

Van’s coworkers were quick to notice his positive approach to teamwork and problem-solving abilities. He’s no stranger to discussing problems and likes to talk with the team directly involved to work toward a collective solution that benefits all involved. It is his dedication, enthusiasm, and desire for growing his knowledge that made Van an ideal candidate not only for the Facilities Supervisor position that he accepted in 2018, but also for the John Kjelson Memorial Service Award.

Van is not the kind of person who looks for recognition. In fact, he shies away from being recognized for the work that he does around the Y. But he consistently demonstrates the Y Core Values of caring, respect, honesty, responsibility and inclusiveness in his daily interactions with co-workers and Y members. Van has always shown pride in the work that he does every day; he recognizes that our facilities reflect the Y as well as the staff and members within it. For all of these reasons, and many more, we are so pleased to present Van Jensen with the 2019 John Kjelson Memorial Service Award.

Congratulations Van!