The People Make The Place
Whether caring for fragile newborns or his neighbors at the J, Tim shows up when people need him most.
Tim LaPine
When you meet Tim, it is immediately clear that he lives his values with complete sincerity. He comes to the J as a person of chesed loving-kindness, yosher integrity, and tzedakah generosity. “The JCC has a moral heart,” he told me. “Gold’s Gym is where bodies go to show off. The JCC is a place to connect with like minds and share my voice.”
Tim’s relationships here are real and enduring. Years ago, he befriended Connor, who had survived an accident that left his spine 80% compromised. Having recovered from a paralyzing injury himself, Tim knew the terrain and walked beside Connor with unwavering support. This is the kind of integrity that defines Tim.
Professionally, Tim says he has “the greatest job in the world,” as a neonatologist caring for newborns at their most fragile moments. Families never forget him. Indeed, many stay in touch for decades. His work now extends globally, partnering with physicians and regional leaders in places like Nigeria and Uganda to expand access to emerging vaccine technologies and shore-up tuberculosis prevention.
After USAID’s withdrawal created significant gaps in support, Tim stepped up to sustain essential care. Where systems pull back, he steps in.
Tim embodies the human spirit that keeps the J’s moral heart beating. We are shaped not by amenities, but by people of character who make this a community. The JCC remains a place anchored in values. Not doctrinal values, but lived ones, the kind that render our motto, “whoever you are, you’re welcome here,” true.
Marathon runner, cancer survivor, proud grandmother, and JCC member for over 35 years!
Lourdes Cooke, A Keeper of Sor Juana's Fire
To encounter Lourdes is to encounter orgullo, pride, in its truest form. Not arrogance, but authentic vitality shaped by tenacity, scholarship, and a life full of meaningful endeavors. When devastating cancer confronted her, Lourdes met it with the same determination that once guided Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, the seventeenth century Mexican poet who famously disguised herself as a boy to pursue an education. Lourdes did not retreat. She ran forward, emerging from a battle with chemotherapy and a bone marrow transfer to complete eight marathons between ages 55 and 68. When asked what fueled such resolve, she responded with quiet conviction: “I have to take care of my well-being and the way I did it was running, my medicine.”
Lourdes’ roots run deep, to the auspicious Avenida Universidad in Mexico City. Her path meandered through Texas and Massachusetts before carrying her to Utah. Without the blessing of family nearby on whom to rely, Lourdes assembled her own village. She raised her children and granddaughter in the JCC community, and the relationship has been mutually sustaining. Like Sor Juana, who pursued knowledge despite every obstacle, Lourdes demonstrates that education is not a phase of life, but a way of living.
Her devotion to learning is expansive: cultural, formal, physical, and communal. She has served with Artes de México en Utah/FILMéxico, the Hispanic Society of Utah, State of Utah Governor's Health Commission, Wasatch Community Gardens, El Centro Cívico, Guadalupe Schools, Rowland Hall, and of course the JCC. She enrolls in classes at the University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College as readily as some people sign up for newsletters.
On any given day at the J, you might find Lourdes in the pool, in barre class, playing in the new pickleball league, attending a lecture, or offering a thoughtful introduction between two people who had not yet realized they needed to meet. Lourdes illustrates that people give a place its soul, and people like Lourdes make the place.
A Bernie Camp Kid in her Employee of the Year Era
Hannah Vasquez
Everywhere you look, places are trying to be “the third place” — a spa, a gym, a brewery, all promising connection and belonging. But if everyone’s in their Community Era, what makes our J truly the real deal? It’s the people. People like Hannah Vasquez, Aquatics Manager, 2025 JCC Employee of the Year, lifelong J-kid, and proud “Swiftie” currently in her Life of a Showgirl Era.
At 26, Hannah has already spent eight years working at the J — that’s one-third of her life! She first learned to swim here, joined Bernie Camp, and now leads the next generation of lifeguards and instructors with a glamourous mix of sparkle and grit. “The best part,” Hannah says, “is watching my staff turn into people. Seeing a 15-year-old go from their first shift to being a leader — that’s everything. I’m so proud of them… and I’m kinda proud of me, too.”
Let’s take a quick tour of Hannah’s JCC Eras:
Debut (2006): Swim lessons, swim team, Bernie Camp — the start of something good.
Reputation (2017): College freshman, new lifeguard, already earning a name for responsibility and heart.
Evermore (2020): Reopening the pool post-pandemic with patience and courage.
Midnights (2022): Leaning on her JCC village through tough transitions — and shining brighter on the other side.
Life of a Showgirl (2025): Rebuilding swim team, launching babysitting classes, mentoring staff, and making waves.
Hannah’s story is the invisible string that ties generations together — a reminder that the J isn’t just where you learn to swim; it’s where you grow up, where you belong, where you find your people.
