MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — After more than 50 years of service, YMCA CEO David Jezek announced his retirement.

Movement has always been a part of Jezek’s life.

“Working out is in my DNA, and certainly, a workout is a means for me to kind of relieve some stress.,” he said.

It has also been a factor in shaping his career as the chief executive officer of the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, where he first started out as a lifeguard and a swim coach.

“This young man approached me and he said, ‘You taught me how to swim,’ and, you know, that stuck with me. That young man has no idea the impact he had on me,” he said.

It represents the impact Jezek and the YMCA can have on others and a reason why he was drawn to the industry.

“My YMCA career actually started at birth. My dad was a YMCA professional director. I caught my first fish on a camp-out with my dad, so to me, it was about family,” he said.

Jezek says he has worked almost every job at the YMCA, but this title is his last.

He is retiring at the end of this year after more than 50 years of working for the YMCA.

For the last 18 years, he’s been the CEO for Greater St. Petersburg and made big improvements — including tripling their operating budget from $7 million to $22 million.

“You know, it’s figuring out how to grow revenue and grow it smartly. It’s not about the size, but more about the impact — making sure we are allocating resources to make an impact in our community,” he said.

One of Jezek’s legacies will be the YMCA’s preschool academies he founded. He said St. Petersburg’s chapter was the first to focus on that age group so significantly.

The YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg will be searching for a new CEO and president in the coming months.