Our Charles M. Collins Youth Impact Award Honorees
Peggy and Mark Bley have been steadfast supporters of the YMCA of Greater San Francisco for over 30 years. Their commitment to the Y and especially to the youth we serve has seen no limit. The Y is a stronger institution – and our community has more opportunities than ever before – because of their dedication.
They joined, as many do, to support their active lifestyles, and Peggy began volunteering to teach group exercise classes at the Stonestown Family Branch. As Peggy became more involved – joining the Stonestown board in 1993 – she encouraged Mark to learn more. Over the past three decades, Peggy served as board chair and finance chair, helped find new leadership for the branch, and was a key supporter of the Branch’s capital campaign in 2016. Her leadership at Stonestown has been essential to building the vibrant, healthy, and sustainable branch it is today.
Mark’s father cofounded Dome Construction, specializing in tenant improvements and building renovations. After joining Dome in 1981, Mark made Dome Construction a major builder of highly technical buildings – becoming pioneers in constructing buildings for the burgeoning BioTech industry in the Bay Area. Mark has always been a strong mentor and leader at Dome and has graciously lent that expertise to the Y. Mark’s first engagement with the Y started in 1997 through mentoring boys through the Reach and Rise Mentoring Program in its nascent years. Committed not just to improving the big picture, but equally to individual lives, Mark mentored 7 boys through the program in 20 years. Mark’s first mentee testified to Congress about how important the Reach and Rise mentoring program was to his life. In 2011, Mark joined the Urban Services YMCA board, where he served for 5 years before joining the YMCA of Greater San Francisco Association Board in 2020. His expertise in mentorship as well as construction has proven critical for the Y: he helped launch a second mentorship program – E2E (Empowerment to Employment), supports our capital assets committee, and has supported various construction projects over the years. In fact, the new Dogpatch Y at Crane Cove would not have come to fruition with Mark’s dedication and leadership.
Peggy and Mark have been incredibly generous with their time, talent, and philanthropy. They stepped in to help sustain the Y during the COVID-19 Pandemic and stabilize the organization at one of the most vulnerable times in our 170-year history. For all that the Bleys have done to support the YMCA and the Youth of the Bay Area – we are delighted to honor them with the Charles M. Collins Youth Impact Award 2025.
