Sr. Mary Galeone, RSM, Co-Director
Sr. Galeone became Co-Director in 2003. She joined Mercy Center in 1993 as Associate Director, assuming responsibility for Program Planning and Implementation and the coordination of spirituality and justice programs. She is largely responsible for the expansion of Mercy Center’s programming efforts to include business training courses, ESL, children and youth programming, and projects to advance reflection and action around themes of non-violence and justice in our neighborhood and our world. She also coordinates the volunteer efforts of over 140 people who offer their expertise from one hour a week to full time to Mercy Center’s work.

Previously, Sr. Galeone served for eleven years on the Pastoral Team at Saint Francis Xavier Parish in Manhattan where, in addition to pastoral services and spirituality programs, she directed the start-up of various social service initiatives. Before that, she was administrator and teacher at Our Lady of Victory Academy in Dobbs Ferry.

Joseph Dirr, Co-Director
Mr. Dirr joined the staff of Mercy Center in 2003 as Co-Director. He is responsible for staff coordination and development, neighborhood relations, public relations, facilities and administration, and is serving as Director of Development.

Mr. Dirr worked for 15 years for A.T. Hudson & Co., a management consultancy that specialized in empowering frontline managers to assume responsibility in new ways for the effectiveness of their staffs and their performance. He served as Senior Vice President of Operations, responsible for directing long-term operational improvement projects for client organizations in both the private and the public sectors as well as shorter term assessment assignments. Previously, Mr. Dirr served for 2 years as Director of the Jesuit Office for Faith and Justice on Wall Street and for 10 years as Pastor of Saint Francis Xavier Parish.

Idalia Amaya, Coordinator of Jobs for ESL Students Program. (FT)

Lucy Amis, LMSW, Coordinator of Family Life and Youth Programs. (FT)

Regina Burrichter, RSM, Community Outreach Worker. (FT)

Maria Conroy, Community Worker. (FT)

Judith Criado Fiuza, Coordinator of ESL Program. (FT)

Lythza Cruz, Family Worker. (FT)

George Culliney, Ignatian Lay Volunteer Corp. (Volunteer, 2 days/week)

Mary Gallagher, RSM, Community Worker. (Volunteer, 4 days/week)

Mary Ellen Gianino, Coordinator of Youth Programs. (FT)

Margo L. Golos, Coordinator of Major Gifts and Donor Relations. (FT)

Silvia Gonzalez, Administrative Assistant, is a woman of the community and has been with Mercy Center since the Spring of 2000. She has worked in the not-for-profit sector for over 18 years. Along with her administrative duties at Mercy Center, she co-facilitates the Teen/Young Moms & Dads Parenting Courses, facilitates a Women’s Movie Discussion Group, and has prepared support groups for young women. She has a B.S. in Psychology. (FT)

Carmen Houston, Coordinator of Employment Opportunities. (FT)

Sinead Keegan, Associate Director at Mercy Center responsible for Planning and Development. Before joining the staff, she was the Director of Special Projects in the President's Office at John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York, and spent many Saturday mornings at Mercy Center teaching English as a Second Language. From 1999-2000, Sinead was a Mercy Corps Volunteer at the Church of Saint Francis Xavier in the Chelsea area of Manhattan. (FT)

Ilana Kegel, Development Assistant. (FT)

Dorothy Larkin, is a member of the Ignatian Lay Volunteer Corp. She works 2 days/week at Mercy Center as a Job Coach for some of our women and as a mentor/tutor in the After School program. She is a retired high school registrar. (Volunteer, 2 days/week)

Catherine Loredo, Community Worker. Ms. Loredo is a woman of the community and a graduate of Mercy Center’s Business Training program, with extensive experience as a Mercy Center volunteer before joining the staff full-time in 2004. She is from Belize and was previously a member of the Naval Reserves while working in bookkeeping and data entry for a firm in Manhattan. At Mercy Center, she is assistant administrator to the ESL coordinator and also performs maintenance and administrative assistant tasks. (FT)

Maria Mercado, Community Worker. Ms. Mercado moved from Puerto Rico to New York’s Lower East Side and then to Mott Haven, becoming an early assistant on Mercy Center’s staff in 1990. She does extensive work in neighborhood and parish organizations and helps coordinate an extensive array of child and family activities at Mercy Center among the Hispanic and ESL communities. (FT)

Blanca Ramirez, LMSW, Coordinator of Direct Social Services. (FT)

Heidy Rios, Receptionist. Ms. Rios is a woman from the community who is a graduate of Mercy Center’s Business Training program. She worked as an administrative assistant for a neighborhood organization before taking on the duties of our afternoon and evening receptionist in January, 2006. (FT)

Mayra Sanchez-Estupinan, Community Worker. Ms. Sanchez-Estupinan is a woman of the community who was very active as a volunteer before joining Mercy Center’s staff in spring, 2005. She is a graduate of Mercy Center’s Business Training program and then went on to obtain a Bachelor’s degree from the 149^th Street campus of the College of New Rochelle. She participates in a number of Mercy Center programs, including ESL/Immigrant Services, Parenting, Anger Management (Spanish), and Internet training, and has developed and coordinates a Saturday Reading Enrichment Program for children in grades 1 through 6. (FT)

Gene Sullivan came to Mercy Center after more than 30 years as a commercial lawyer in New York City. He meets individually with participants to provide assistance on legal issues they face, such as housing, credit, immigration, etc. He also accesses pro bono legal resources throughout the city to help participants in any way he can. (Volunteer, 2 days/week)

Alba Torres, Parenting Coordinator. Ms. Torres has worked at Mercy Center since its beginning in 1990. Born and raised in the neighborhood, she has an intimate knowledge of the people of Mercy Center and the neighborhood, serving as a natural leader in the neighborhood, her parish community and Mercy Center. The mother of four children, she is one of the first graduates of both Parenting classes and Leadership Training at Mercy Center. She currently coordinates Mercy Center’s Parenting Program, Family Weekends and Spanish spirituality initiatives. (FT)

Patrick Traffas, Facilities Manager. Mr. Traffas came to Mercy Center after a career with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. Here he is our Facilities Manager, responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of Mercy Center, and is a master at keeping our computer systems up-to-date and humming. He also refurbishes donated computers that we give to participants in business training and keyboarding classes. (PT, 4 days/week)

Nancy Walsh has advanced degrees in social work and management, and she certainly put them to good use in her 36 years in government service in Westchester County developing and implementing programs for families and children. She has worked with breath as a healing tool since the late ‘70s, generously sharing this interest and her social work skills with the women of Mercy Center for the past few years. She is a member of the Ignatian Lay Volunteer Corps. (Volunteer, 2 days/week)

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— Mercy Center Board of Directors 2009-2010 —

Latifa Beato, Executive Assistant, Cooperative Home Care Associates

Vice Chair of Mercy Center Board

Charles Brown, General Counsel, Fitch Ratings

Treasurer of Mercy Center Board

Angela Cabassa, Director of Alumnae Relations, Our Lady of Victory Academy

and St. Catharine Academy

Candida Carrasquillo, Community Member

Beatrice Colón-Cruz, Case Manager, Beacon of Hope House, Catholic Charities

Margaret Costa, RSM, Retired Administrator and Community Leader

Mary Davey

Beth Finnerty, Executive Director, Cardinal McCloskey Services

Interim Chair of Mercy Center Board

Sonia Gonzalez-Cruz, Teacher's Assistant, P.S. 183

Valerie Leon, Community Relations Coordinator, Barton Barton & Plotkin LLP

Jesus Muniz, Private Client & Asset Management, Deutsche Bank

Tim O'Connor, Associate General Counsel, Deloitte & Touche USA LLP

Michael Termini, Executive Director, Cooke Center for Learning and Development

Regina Ward, RSM, Vocation Minister, Mid-Atlantic Community of the Sisters of Mercy

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— Mercy Center Board of Advisors 2009-2010 —

Gregory Arcaro, Consultant, Housing and Neighborhood Development

Christine Bacon, Vice President, Marketing, Morgan Stanley

Anna Berardi, Community Volunteer

Elizabeth Cassino, Morgan Stanley & Co

Stephen Coats, Partner, Vinson and Elkins

Nancy Conde, Student

Abigail Disney, President, Daphne Foundation

President, New York Women's Foundation

Margaret Grace, Attorney

Patrick Grace, Foundation Management

Theresa Kane, RSM, Professor, Mercy College

Former President, Institute of Sisters of Mercy

Siobhan Keegan, Attorney, Greenberg Traurig LLP

Arthur Lange, President, Arthur Lange, Inc.

Jennifer Lupo, Managing Member, Lupo Law PLLC

Beth McCabe, Director of Intergovernmental Relations, John Jay College

Patricia Mescall, Senior Sales Manager, Marriott Hotels

Tim O'Connor, Associate General Counsel, Deloitte & Touche USA LLP

Mary O'Hara, Partner, Madama Griffith, O'Hara LLP

Daria Pizzetta, Architect, H³ Hardy Collaborative Architecture, LLC

Brian Powers, Director of Integrated Marketing & Promotions, Clear Channel Radio

Claudette Scheffold, Owner, Glaze Pottery and Art Studio

Sylvie Sherman-Bloch, Crisis Coordinator for JACS

Debbra Stolarik, Corporate Counsel, AG Properties, Inc.

Gene Sullivan, Of Counsel, Chadbourne & Parke LLP

Diane Vezza, Entrepreneur, Mercy Center Volunteer

Ellen Vopicka, Professor, Mercy College (Retired)

Mercy Center 377 East 145 Street, Bronx NY 10454 Tel: 718-993-2789 Fax: 718-402-1594 info@MercyCenterBronx.org

— — Mercy Center Board of Directors 2009-2010 —

— — Mercy Center Board of Advisors 2009-2010 —

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— Mercy Center Board of Directors 2009-2010 —

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— Mercy Center Board of Advisors 2009-2010 —