Senior Consultant - Real Estate & Development Advisory

Paul Custer’s long arc of experience with YMCAs is the story of managing change and growth. He is uniquely equipped for the technical, social, relational, and financial components of capital projects as a Gro advisor.

At times when local YMCA leadership teams begin to consider their real estate assets, Custer complements quantitative studies by focusing on the YMCA actions needed to solidify a project. This comes from his own experience as a YMCA CEO (Rockland County, New York and the McBurney Branch in Manhattan), as VP of operations in multiple New York City branches, and as the SVP leading real estate development, strategic planning, and buildings & properties with the NYC Branch Board of Managers.

“We grew association membership by more than 40 percent in three years,” he says of one project. This is in addition to directing several other major transitions in his various Y appointments: tripling membership by upgrading a 1928 building; modernizing SRO-style residences to rooms supporting housing for people impacted by HIV; implementing day camps, soccer leagues, and parent/child programs; creating the Johnstown (Pennsylvania) Marathon; and “bringing the Y into the coed world.”

None of this happened in a vacuum. He finessed relationships with private developers and local (New York City) housing and economic development agencies, and forged partnerships that created new or expanded YMCAs in outer boroughs. One such partnership was with a public high school, where two-thirds of capital funding came from the school district and a developer.

“There are many considerations in a capital project,” says Custer. “That includes community needs studies, marketing studies, fundraising studies, public funding and approvals, partnership explorations, developers, campaign strategies – all in alignment to achieve maximum community impact.” He jokingly calls himself a “sherpa” for Y leadership. 

This work is objective and unbiased. Custer shares that in more than 30 engagements over his career the conclusion was to not proceed with a development. He earned his degree, a bachelor of arts in English, from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

An avid fly fisherman today, he says his first Y experience was in the water. He learned to swim at age 10 and ultimately became a competitive swimmer, swim teacher, and a lifeguard at his hometown (Johnstown) YMCA chapter.