At its monthly board meeting on May 5, 2016, the J. Douglas Williams YMCA board of directors announced the addition of a new board member, Lake Mary Internet Marketing Founder and CEO Will Henao, and with him a new initiative to enhance partnerships with the Lake Mary business community.

Henao has been a member and volunteer soccer and basketball coach at the Y since his family relocated here in 2014. As a board member, Henao brings more than 20 years of experience in internet marketing, business development and community involvement. The announcement that he would join the board came in tandem with the formation of a marketing committee that Henao will chair.

“We hope the committee is the start of a new relationship with the business community. The YMCA has a large and diverse membership, which offers businesses a valuable audience. At the same time, the Y needs the support of the business community to get the word out about its mission and to continue to offer amazing programs,” said Henao. “Partnerships with local businesses, large and small, are a logical next step.”

The committee’s first initiative includes a team sponsorship program, which at $200 is designed to offer affordable marketing opportunities to small businesses. They’re also looking to expand printed banner advertising around the facility starting at $1,000 annually. Both sponsorships offer exposure to potentially 10,000 members, more than 2,200 daily visitors, and the many families attending games.

According to Henao, the program is generating interest from the business community with eight companies already committed even though the officially launch isn’t until August.

Also on the agenda is a weekly sponsored e-newsletter, which will go out to members each Thursday, replacing the intermittent emails from the center. The intent is to create a consistent, comprehensive communication channel that members can rely on and sponsors can benefit from.

“I wanted to be involved at the Y because of how valuable it is to the community and the important role it can play in the success of small business. With my professional experience, I think I can contribute on both fronts,” said Henao. “We’re a Y family. My three boys all play sports there, my wife does Zumba, our youngest takes swimming lessons, I coach, and now I look forward to showing the business community what a valuable marketing resource the center really is.”

About Will Henao

Will Henao is an internet marketing strategist, an e-commerce and business development consultant, entrepreneur, investor and father of three residing in Lake Mary, Florida. His company, Lake Mary Internet Marketing, works with small businesses across a variety of industries both locally and nationally to develop effective internet marketing strategies, execute campaigns that build relationships, and manage the client’s overall message online.

Henao puts his 20 plus years of professional experience to work in his local community as a YMCA of Lake Mary board member, youth basketball and soccer coach, Seminole County Public Schools volunteer, school advisory council member, and through active membership in the Seminole County Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Orlando Tech Association.

About Lake Mary Internet Marketing

Lake Mary Internet Marketing is a leading online marketing and e-commerce development agency working with local and national small businesses to develop effective internet marketing strategies and campaigns. With more than 20 years of experience across a range of diverse clientele, Lake Mary Internet Marketing provides clients with solutions to build relationships with their target market and manage the message online. Services include brand strategy and positioning, web and e-commerce development, SEO, social media marketing, mobile design, content management, and live event social media services. For more information, visit http://www.lakemaryinternet.com.

About the YMCA of Central Florida

The YMCA of Central Florida is one of the area’s largest nonprofits, serving more than 415,000 Central Floridians per year through a focus on Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility. With a Christian-based mission to improve lives and communities, it operates 27 YMCA Family Centers across Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard, Lake and Marion counties. And this mission is expanded beyond the four walls of the Y through community-based programs to combat chronic disease, boost children’s after-school safety and learning, and strengthen fragile families. In 2015, this YMCA Association of over 1,800 employees engaged 23,000 donors, volunteers and advocates, who joined together for the common good. To ensure that the Y remains available and accessible to all, it also provided $5.4 million in program and membership assistance to more than 50,000 children, families and seniors.