Ron Lelakes didn’t go searching for the YMCA. It found him.
And along the way, he learned about the YMCA’s programs, facilities and the various locations in San Diego County, including Escondido. Now almost 30 years later, he is the executive director of the new Escondido YMCA – A Campus for Community Well-Being.
“It’s been a place where I can go and talk with people within the membership or the program participants and really form strong bonds that really kind of make you feel like you belong to something,” Lelakes said about why he has made the YMCA a career.
He started working at the YMCA in 1996, after moving from Florida to San Diego, when a friend suggested visiting a branch near Leucadia because Lelakes was looking for some guidance.
“I knew one person in (San Diego) and, through that, interaction I built a family at the Y,” he said. “My best friends are from the Y. My groomsmen who were in my wedding were from the Y. The Y has always been a safe space for me.”
One of the duties Lelakes has held at the YMCA is overseeing facilities across the county of San Diego for maintenance and capital improvement projects.
“It was something vastly different than what I was doing because I was always a (program developer) and a leader,” he added. “But I got the ability to learn about a variety of communities around the county, including Escondido. I really loved the fact that the (Escondido) community had its own identity.”
Lelakes explained he learned about Escondido’s diverse community by talking to everyday people, school districts, government officials and nonprofit leaders about what they wanted from their local YMCA.
Since January, he has been in charge of reopening the Escondido YMCA campus with a focus on community well-being and partnering with organizations to accomplish the goals of more higher education programs, healthcare services and activities for the youth.
The campus will open in phases, Lelakes said. The first will be a new community pool where students from the Escondido Union School District will get free swimming lessons, starting in September, according to Lelakes.
He also said that Neighborhood Healthcare will be partnering with the Escondido YMCA to provide neighborhood healthcare programs and services such as dentistry, pediatric care and mental health care for low-income families.
“I look at my skillset, (and I feel) it’s my job to bring the community together and give them what they need,” Lelake said.
Here are his favorite places to support and visit in Escondido.
Q: Where is your favorite dining option?
A: Burger Bench for its great burgers and outdoor patio. My favorite is the California burger, which has bacon and avocado. Upper East is a great meeting spot with a friendly owner and great ambience. Mike’s BBQ is probably my favorite barbecue place. I have been going here for years. They have TVs everywhere, great service and the food is outstanding. I love all their barbecue.
Q: What is your favorite small retail business or pop-up vendor to support?
A: Children’s Museum of Discovery is a great place for kids to explore, socialize and expand their minds. I remember bringing my kids there when they were little. It is a place that kids can explore, open their minds, look at how physics works through being able to use your hands, being able to build things, looking at different water features, looking at gardening features. It’s just like a parent’s dream to be able to go there, bring your kids and watch them have a lot of fun. And also as a parent, (you) really kind of get the network with (other parents).
Q: Where is your favorite open space?
A: Daley Ranch is one of my favorite places to mountain bike. I’ve been riding there for decades. The scenery and well-groomed trails are the best places to relax and enjoy the outdoors.
Q: Where is the best piece of artwork?
A: The California Center for the Arts, Escondido, for the amazing artwork. The first time I was at the center, the CEO Gina Lopez took me on a tour of it, and it blew my mind. They have an amphitheater in there that is huge. They have plays, concerts and comedians (perform) in there. And they had a Hispanic exhibit on display. All these pieces took you through all the cultural heritage, artwork and they had a lowrider (car) in there and then they had all these different artists presenting all the different Hispanic cultures. I hadn’t seen anything like that.
Q: Where is your favorite entertainment attraction or historic landmark?
A: Sitting at the viewpoint on top of Cougar Pass. There’s a little place up there that you can sit and you just overlook the mountains of Escondido, with the breeze coming through and the quietness of the area. It’s just amazing. And then right below that you’ll, you can see like Dixon Lake, it’s just, it’s just a gem of Escondido in my opinion.