Greenville soon will be saying farewell to a person who quickly became a big asset to the Camellia City.

Tim Dunsford, executive director of the Greenville Area Young Men's Christian Association (YMCAC) will be leaving on Aug. 24 to accept a position of greater responsibility in Pensacola, Fla.

"I have accepted a position as Executive Director of the YMCA in Pensacola," Dunsford said. "I will have three YMCA facilities under my direction, from my new office at Northeast Pensacola YMCA."

Dunsford said he also would

have responsibilities in the Metropolitan Pensacola area.

"I will be one step below the chief executive officer (CEO) n I'm being brought down to assist with future expansion projects and the development of future facility construction operations in the Greater Pensacola area, resulting from a major marketing survey," Dunsford said.

While he is certainly taking a step up and improving matters for his family, Dunsford said he is leaving a place that he has been proud to call home.

"On behalf of my family I would like to thank the community for making us feel so welcomed, and for including us as a part of their community life," he said. "We have enjoyed our time here, and made some really wonderful friends n I am really pleased to have called Greenville home."

Dunsford came to Greenville from a position in Monroeville where he served as executive director of the YMCA facility in that city.

The 30-year-old (ever since his birthday on Thursday) father of two children, daughter Rachael, age five and son Jace, now nine-months-old, along with his wife Valerie will be moving closer to hometown of Century, Fla.

One of Dunsford's accomplishments in Greenville since his arrival in Jan. 1996 includes the opening of the Greenville Area YMCA, on Apr. 15 of the same year.

Since opening the facility, Dunsford has brought to Greenville a fitness center, aerobics, children's summer camp, swimming lessons in the pool and a swim team.

Other installations include after school daycare, youth soccer, pee wee football and cheerleading, Tai Kwon Do, Cardio Kickboxing, a fully-licensed pre-school, personal trainer, sports specialty camps, baseball, and a youth golf camp at Robert Trent Jones Cambrian Ridge.

"Dale Osterman, vice president of the Montgomery Area YMCA, will take a bigger role in the Greenville Area operations until sometime probably in October, when a successor is chosen for the Greenville YMCA," Dunsford said. "There is a long process involved in application processing, resume submissions and applicant screenings.

"The hardest part of leaving is all the wonderful friends I am leaving behind n I will especially miss all of my children here at the Greenville YMCA," he said.