How YMCA teams are simplifying day-to-day operations with Cecilia, Amilia’s AI assistant

Running day-to-day operations at a YMCA or community center means wearing a lot of hats.

You’re answering staff questions, managing memberships, troubleshooting issues, and keeping programs running—often all in the same hour. And when something comes up that you don’t do every day, it can slow everything down.

That’s where having help integrated into your software can make a difference.

At Sparta White County YMCA, leaders like David Smith, Business Administrator, and Haley Tollison, Membership Director, are using Cecilia, Amilia’s AI assistant, to streamline everyday tasks—without adding another tool to their workflow. And in doing so, they’re freeing up more time to focus on what matters most: serving their community.

Getting answers faster (without digging or guessing)

One of the biggest time-savers for David is simply finding the right information, faster.

Instead of searching through menus or documentation, he can ask Cecilia directly—whether he’s trying to locate a report or figure out how to pull specific data.

“I can ask Cecilia where a certain report is or what report is best for this result,” says David Smith, Business Administrator at Sparta White County YMCA. “I always leave the conversation with information I didn’t know… or the exact answer I was needing.”

Even when the answer isn’t perfect, it still points him in the right direction.

The result: less time spent searching, and more time actually getting work done.

Handling tasks you don’t do often

Not every task is part of the daily routine.

Things like setting up discount codes, adding fees, or configuring programs might only happen a few times a year—but they’re easy to forget.

Instead of relying on memory (or tracking down a colleague), David and Haley use Cecilia to walk them through it.

“It’s really nice to have Cecilia there… for whatever it is that you just don’t necessarily do every day,” David explains.

That step-by-step guidance helps them move forward without hesitation—keeping operations running smoothly behind the scenes so programs can run seamlessly for participants.

Reducing interruptions for leadership

Before using Cecilia, staff would often reach out directly to Haley or David with questions—especially when they weren’t on-site.

Now, there’s a shift.

“One thing Cecilia has provided is like a filter question,” says David. “If somebody forgets how to do something, they can just write to Cecilia for an instant response.”

That small change has a big impact:

• Fewer interruptions during the day
  Less back-and-forth for simple questions
  More time for leadership to focus on higher-level work

For YMCA leaders, that means more time spent on community initiatives, partnerships, and program development—not just troubleshooting.

Supporting staff—even when managers aren’t there

Like many YMCAs, Sparta’s facility runs long hours—from early morning to late evening.

Leadership isn’t always present, but questions still come up.

Having an AI assistant available 24/7 means staff aren’t stuck waiting for answers. They can get guidance in the moment and keep things moving for members—helping ensure a consistent experience no matter the time of day.

Turning AI into a training tool

One of the most practical uses came from Haley’s team.

After asking Cecilia a few common questions multiple times, they started saving the answers—then printing and laminating them for quick reference at the front desk.

“We’ve actually printed off and laminated her answers so they could just flip through them really quickly,” says Haley Tollison, Membership Director at Sparta White County YMCA.

It’s a simple approach, but effective:

• Faster onboarding for staff
• Consistent answers across the team
• Less time spent repeating instructions
• A simple way to start

For teams like Sparta White County YMCA, using AI didn’t mean overhauling their workflow.

It started with small moments:

• “How do I set this up again?”
• “Where do I find this?”
• “What’s the best way to do this?”

With Cecilia built directly into Amilia, those answers are always one question away.

And when your team can get unstuck quickly, avoid interruptions, and stay focused on the people they serve—that’s when operations don’t just run more smoothly. They better support the mission at the heart of every YMCA.