Rancho Santa Fe resident named board chair for Encinitas YMCA
Dr. Michele Drake, Rancho Santa Fe resident and owner of The Drake Center for Veterinary Care in Encinitas, has been selected as the new chairman of the Board of Management at the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA.
The board is made up of local business and community leaders who are asked to donate their time, effort and resources to the YMCA throughout the year.
The leadership position — which includes overseeing the management and direction of the facility, including planning, policy decisions and financial development — is a two-year commitment. During that time, Drake said, “I will devote my time and energies to help our Y grow to continue to serve its members.”
Drake joined the YMCA when she moved to Encinitas after buying her first practice, Westlake Veterinary Hospital, in 1992. A year later, one of her clients — and executive director of the YMCA at the time, Cathy Riggins—asked her to join the board.
“I believe our YMCA is one of the most active grassroots community organizations in North County,” Drake said. “I was attracted by the unique environment of our Y, which includes young children, tri-athletes and an amazing older adult group. I am proud to serve on the board and be a part of such a vibrant YMCA.”
Drake’s two children, Christopher and Matthew, learned to swim at the YMCA and continue to attend camps and play arena soccer there. Drake’s mother, Jeanine, is also a daily regular at the facility.
Drake received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia in 1989. She has been practicing in Encinitas for over 20 years.
The Drake Center is located at 195 N. El Camino Real in Encinitas. For more information, call (760) 753-9393 or visit
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