For David Martin, involvement at the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh has always been a family affair.

Mr. Martin, recently named chairman of its board of directors, has come full circle in his role at the Pittsburgh agency. He grew up knowing the YMCA was an integral part of his life.

"I was brought up with the Y. I can't imagine not continuing," Mr. Martin said.

His late father, Mario Martin, began his own career with the Pittsburgh YMCA in 1948. He was executive director there from 1971 until his death in 1979.

David Martin, who lives in Harmony with his wife, Martha, and son, Mario, views his work at the YMCA as a personal means of giving back to the community.

While growing up in the North Hills, Mr. Martin frequented the local facilities overseen by his father, and attended YMCA programs such as Indian Guides and summer camps. As a teenager, he got a job working at the North Hills facility.

He later worked as a summer camp counselor at the YMCA's Camp Kon-O-Kwee/Spencer.

"He has a great relationship with kids. He understands the importance of adult influence," said lifelong friend and former board Chairman Gary Hunt, an attorney at Tucker Arensburg in Pittsburgh, who worked at Camp Kon-O-Kwee with Mr. Martin during their college years. "I think [the chairmanship] was natural for him.

"He takes his service very seriously. He is a leader by example."

In addition to 16 years as former chairman of the board for Camp Kon-O-Kwee, Mr. Martin has served as head of the YMCA's Finance Committee and as its treasurer and vice chairman.

"I hope [his] is a lifetime term," said Dan Grealish, president of Henderson Brothers Inc. in Pittsburgh, who has served with Mr. Martin for more than 10 years on the YMCA board. And with almost 30 years under his belt as a member of the board, Mr. Martin is following in his father's footsteps as a YMCA family man.

His election this past spring as chairman of the board "exemplifies carrying on the tradition of the family," said friend and former Chairman S. Philip Hundley, a principal at DRS Architects in Pittsburgh.

Mr. Martin's day job is in finance. He graduated with a degree in business administration from Robert Morris University in 1978. He is president of Foster Holdings Inc., for which he has managed investment portfolios and planning for the past 28 years.

"They really support my activities with the nonprofit arena," Mr. Martin said of his employer.

"If you're as involved as David will be, it's a very demanding role," said Mr. Hunt. As chairman, Mr. Martin is responsible for overseeing 18 facilities coordinated by the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, and organizes their employee and volunteer efforts.

Many local YMCA member-families return generationally, a trend the Martins are continuing.

"Already [my son] goes with me to a lot of YMCA events," said Mr. Martin. "I'm going to take him through [the programs]."

Mr. Martin envisions 3-year-old Mario continuing the family legacy.

"I was raised by my father to give back to the community," Mr. Martin said. "I think that if everybody would do that, the world would go around a lot better."