Leisha DeSmet, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines, has resigned her position to join the staff of YMCA of the USA, the organization announced Friday. Her last day is June 16.

DeSmet’s position at Y-USA will be director of thriving Ys, in which she will offer consulting and support services to YMCAs throughout the country facing financial and operational challenges. DeSmet has led the Des Moines branch of the YMCA since 2018, seeing it through the difficulties of the coronavirus pandemic.

“When Leisha joined the Y, she immediately set forth a plan to deal with the financial problems posed by long-term debt accumulated during a period of capital expansion,” Melinda Hanrahan, chair of the board of directors of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines, said in a prepared statement. “At the time, none of us knew we’d be facing an even greater challenge in the form of a global pandemic, which caused our facilities to close and our membership to drop by 40%. Through all these ups and downs, Leisha has led with compassion, vision and determination.”

Hanrahan said the Y’s executive committee will meet to discuss an interim operations plan for the organization while the search for a new CEO takes place.