David Caudle has been named CEO of the Henderson Family YMCA, effective Feb. 1, 2026. Caudle had been interim CEO since October 2025. He joined the Henderson Family YMCA in January 2025 as chief financial officer and brings close to 20 years of experience of working with YMCA organizations.
But Caudle is quite familiar with the local facility. He was 12 when it opened, and his father, Woody Caudle, was its CEO. He retired in 2013.
“I’m ready,” Caudle said on Monday’s segment of TownTalk. “I do think it’s going to be a challenge – I’m up for it.”
The Y has embarked on a major renovation project, which included demolition of the former Social Services building that sat adjacent to the current Y property. When complete, the renovation and new building will have a positive impact on the community, Caudle said.
“I saw it happen in Wilson with new construction,” he said. “I think the community is going to be really excited about what’s to come.”
Caudle said his first job as a teenager was lifeguarding at the Y pool. He also was a camp counselor. When he went off to college to pursue fitness and wellness studies – associate’s degree at N.C. State University and a bachelor’s degree in Sports Science and Fitness Management at N.C. A&T State University. He has held several leadership roles in YMCA organizations in the state, including in Wilson and Fayetteville.
A lot will be changing over the next couple of years as construction inside and out is completed. There is one thing, however, that hasn’t changed: the CEO’s desk. “I actually sit at the desk that my dad sat at,” Caudle said.
He has it facing a different direction in the office, but it’s the same desk.
Perhaps it gives the newest Caudle CEO a new perspective of what’s in store at the Y.
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