Nancy Woodruff Ment
President and Chief Executive Officer

As CEO, Nancy Woodruff Ment has been instrumental in reshaping the organization’s profile through two key mergers, with the Center for Preventive Psychiatry and with Family & Community Services, Inc. Ms. Ment came to Andrus in 1987 as the Director of Clinical Services.  Her career has encompassed numerous operations and executive positions in child welfare and mental health in the greater New York area.   Ms. Ment earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Goucher College and a Master of Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work. She also holds post-graduate certificates from the Jewish Board of Guardians in Psychotherapy for Children and in Executive Leadership from the Not-for-Profit Institute of Columbia University’s Business School.

Ms. Ment is engaged in a broad range of local, state and national professional groups.  She is a member of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Health Care with the Westchester County Association; a member of the Board of Directors of the Business Council of Westchester; President of the Board of the Yonkers Community Planning Council; member of the Board of the Bereavement Center of Westchester; former President and Life Fellow of the American Association of Children’s Residential Centers and sits on several committees of the Alliance for Children and Families.

Brian Farragher
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Brian Farragher, LMSW, MBA, has worked in the field of childhood mental health for over 25 years. During the past eight years he has worked closely with Dr. Sandra Bloom and the staff at Andrus to implement the Sanctuary Model, a trauma informed system of care, and create the Sanctuary Institute, which offers training and consultation to other organizations seeking to implement the model. Mr. Farragher has presented at regional, national and international conferences and is the author of many articles on developing trauma-sensitive treatment programs and reducing the use of physical interventions in residential settings.   In January 2009, he received the Samuel Gerson Nordlinger Child Welfare Leadership Award, presented by the Alliance for Children and Families to recognize individuals who make outstanding contributions to the child welfare field or the national public policy process to advance quality services for children and families.  He recently co-authored a book with Dr. Bloom entitled Destroying Sanctuary: The Crisis in Human Service Delivery Systems.  Mr. Farragher received his MSW from Fordham University in 1984 and his MBA from Iona College in 2007.

Lorelei Atalie Vargas
Vice President for Strategic Initiatives

During her tenure with ANDRUS Ms. Vargas has led the Yonkers Early Childhood Initiative, managed ANDRUS’ early childhood program and mental health division, led the development of the Andrus Center for Learning and Innovation and the Sanctuary Institute.   In 2009 Ms. Vargas co-edited a book with Dr. Sandra Bloom, entitled Loss, Hurt and Hope (Cambridge Scholars Press, UK) focusing on trauma and bereavement in children.  Prior to coming to ANDRUS, Ms. Vargas served as the Associate Education Analyst for the Chancellor of New York City Public Schools. She has also conducted research for the New York State Governor’s Office and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.  Early in her career, Ms. Vargas managed and evaluated programs for the Children’s Aid Society in New York City as well as other nonprofits in Detroit, Michigan.   Ms. Vargas earned her BA in Sociology from Bryn Mawr College, and holds a Masters Degree in Public Policy and Education Administration and Policy, both from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Ms. Vargas also completed a certificate program on nonprofit management at Columbia University.  Named a “Rising Star” by the Business Council of Westchester, Ms. Vargas serves as a member of the Westchester Fair Campaign Committee and as a regional representative of her alma mater, Bryn Mawr College.

Derek Kolleeny
Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer

Prior to joining ANDRUS, Mr. Kolleeny was Vice President of the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI), an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to eliminating the world’s leading cause of preventable blindness.  Previously, he was Chief Financial Officer for the Greyston Foundation, a network of community development agencies and social venture enterprises, consisting of a $5 million gourmet bakery, a Medicaid reimbursement-based Adult Day Health Care Center, supportive housing projects financed by low income tax credits, a childcare center and various real estate development projects. Mr. Kolleeny holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard College, where he majored in Comparative Study of World Religions.

Stephen Seward
Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Prior to coming to ANDRUS, Mr. Seward spent six years as the New York State Director of Philanthropy for The Nature Conservancy, raising funds for conservation in New York and around the world. Mr. Seward began his career at The Foundation Center, where he served as New York Library Director, the Director of the Associates Program, Coordinator of the Center’s national network of Cooperating Collections, and an editor of Sourcebook Profiles.  He then moved on to the John O’Donnell Company, a prominent fundraising firm where he began as an Account Executive and was eventually appointed Executive Vice President of the firm.  At JOD, his clients included The Boys’ Club of New York, the Jewish Child Care Association, KidsPeace, the Metropolitan Athletics Congress and the Anglican Church in the Bahamas.  Mr. Seward holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College and a Masters of Information Studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Bryan Murphy
Vice President for Campus Programs and Operations

Prior to joining ANDRUS, Mr. Murphy was associated with the Baran Education Group as the Senior Vice President.   Mr. Murphy has nearly 20 years experience in similar capacities in the higher education and non-profit arenas.  He has worked at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, ASPCA Headquarters, St. Francis College and Mt. Alvernia.  Additionally he was a substitute teacher at St. Francis Prep and St. Anthony’s High Schools where he also directed many student activities.  In addition to his professional experience, Mr. Murphy spent 20 years in the fire service, serving a number of fire departments as a Chief and Chaplain. He is also an Honorary Chief in the FDNY. Mr. Murphy attended Immaculate Conception Seminary, were he studied Theology and then entered St. Francis Novitiate.  He took his religious vows as a Franciscan Friar in 1990. In late 2001, after requesting release from the Franciscan Order he was granted release by the Holy See, in Rome.

Kerron D. Norman
Vice President of Community-Based Programs

Ms. Norman has extensive experience in child welfare in Westchester County and New York City.  Prior to coming to ANDRUS in 2012, Ms. Norman had been the Director of Child Welfare for the Westchester County Department of Social Services, overseeing child protection, prevention and foster care for the City of Yonkers.  Prior to that, she was a Deputy Director of Field Operations for the New York City Administration for Children’s Services in the Bronx and a Child Protective Manager and Supervisor at ACS since 1997.  Ms. Norman was the recipient of the 2012 Unsung Hero Award from the Westchester Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect.  She also received the North American Family Institute’s Youth Champion Award for 2012.  Ms. Norman earned a Masters degree in Social Work from Columbia University, where she received the Outstanding Student Clinician Award in 2002.  She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton.

Tito Del Pilar
Director of Workforce Development

Mr. Del Pilar joined ANDRUS in 2005 as a consultant for the Sanctuary Leadership Development Institute, where he assisted in the design and creation of the training course that is now offered as the centerpiece of the Sanctuary Institute. He became Andrus’ Director of Training in 2006 and currently directs the Human Resources and Training departments. Following college, Mr. Del Pilar spent four years in the Peace Corps/VISTA programs working with impoverished youth. He spent the next twenty years working at a residential treatment center for troubled youth where he rose to become an executive administrator and campus director.   In 2000, he became the Associate Director and Director of Training and Recruitment for Family Focus Adoption Services in New York City. In that position he was director of the “Strong Caseworkers for Strong Families” initiative for New York State’s Office of Children and Family Services.  Mr. Del Pilar designed the curriculum and conducted sessions across New York State on foster care and adoption dynamics, educating hundreds of caseworkers, social workers, and therapists over a three-year period.  He has successfully keynoted and presented at many child welfare and adoption conferences.  In 2006, the North American Council on Adoptable Children presented Mr. Del Pilar with their Adoption Activist Award at their annual conference in California.

Rosa E. Bautista
Director, Mental Health Division

Ms. Bautista, LCSW, has 25 years of experience working with families and children in multiple settings, primarily working in community based organizations and hospitals, and specializing in mental health and counseling services.  Ms. Bautista holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York and an MSW from New York University. She also holds a post-graduate certificate in Clinical Work with Adolescents. She has also completed extensive training in management including “Emerging Leaders for Middle Management”.

Corine Lurry

Director, Community Services Division

Prior to coming to ANDRUS, Ms. Lurry worked as a teacher in the early childhood field and utilized these skills to help develop the foundation for her career. Throughout her tenure at ANDRUS, Ms. Lurry has contributed to the growth of Community Services, working initially as a home visitor followed by several promotions, first as the Program Supervisor, then as the Clinical Coordinator for the division, serving thereafter as the Program Manager of Healthy Families, our largest Community grant funded program.  Ms. Lurry is motivated by her passion and care for supporting families in order to ensure that children are given the opportunity to develop through nurture and positive parental interaction. Ms. Lurry holds a Bachelors of Science from Marist College and a Masters in Marital and Family Therapy from Iona College.

Vidia Cordero
Director, Early Learning Center

Ms. Cordero has extensive experience in early childhood education and child development. Prior to joining ANDRUS in 2008, Ms. Cordero had worked at other child care centers, teaching Pre-K and Kindergarten and overseeing program operations. Ms. Cordero has taught Child Development courses at Westchester Community College.  She was the recipient of the Child Care Council’s prestigious Joey Award in 2009. Ms. Cordero earned her Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education and School Building Leadership at Mercy College. She received her Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Education from Mercy College as well.

Sarah M. Yanosy
Director, Sanctuary Institute

Sarah M. Yanosy, LCSW, has been a clinical social worker for over fifteen years and has used the Sanctuary Model with her treatment team in that capacity.  She has collaborated with Dr. Sandra Bloom and colleagues to establish the Sanctuary Institute and develop the curriculum, training materials and manuals for the Sanctuary Leadership Development Institute training, and has overseen the implementation of the Sanctuary Model for over 200 organizations across the United States and in five other countries.  She has lectured extensively both nationally and internationally as an expert in trauma-informed care.  Her most recent publication is an article co-authored with Landa Harrison entitled “Traumatic Reenactment: How This Triangle Can Sabotage Intervention and Treatment” The International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) (2011).

Siobhan Masterson
Director of Clinical Services

Ms. Masterson, LCSWR, has more than 20 years of experience serving children and families in a range of settings, including with Dr. Sandra Bloom and her team at the original Sanctuary unit.  She continues to collaborate with Bloom and colleagues to develop materials such as the SELF curriculum for children and “Creating Sanctuary Within,” a program developed with the Garrison Institute. Prior to coming to Andrus, Ms. Masterson served as the Director of Training for a children’s psychiatric hospital and developed trauma informed programs for an Office of Mental Health initiative.  Before earning her MSW, Ms. Masterson spent several years working as a legislative advocate for children and families. Ms. Masterson holds a Bachelors degree entitled “Social Issues and the Media” from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Masters in Clinical Social Work from Smith College.

Koji Mabuchi
Director of Quality Assurance & Compliance

Mr. Mabuchi is responsible for overseeing ANDRUS’ Compliance Program, as well as our Quality Assurance and Data Collection efforts. Mr. Mabuchi started with The Center for Preventive Psychiatry (now the Andrus Mental Health Division) in 2000 as a Staff Psychotherapist.  He held various clinical and administrative positions in the agency prior to his promotion to become Director of Quality Assurance and Compliance.  Mr. Mabuchi holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Brandeis University, a Masters of Social Work and Certification in Family and Marital Therapy from Boston University. He also completed a Post-Masters program in the Treatment of Interpersonal Trauma at Fordham University and is Certified in Healthcare Compliance by the Health Care Compliance Association.

Kevin T. Cook
Director of Development

Mr. Cook has worked in institutional advancement and philanthropy for almost thirty years and delights in connecting friends, donors and the work at hand.  He states that in all those years, he has never met anyone who does not want to help others;  his mission is to help them find the right way to do so.  For most of those years he worked for agencies of the Lutheran Church, and after serving on the Board of Directors of ANDRUS for several years, stepped up as Director of Development in 2006.  He has served on a variety of community and civic boards, including those of Family and Community Services, Inc. (Eastchester NY), the New York / New Jersey Chapter of the Association of Lutheran Development Executives (ALDE), including two years as the chairman; the Westchester County Library System, and currently sits on the Advisory Councils of the Senior Citizens of Bronxville and The Junior League of Bronxville.  Mr. Cook received a B.A. in Education from Concordia College-New York and an M.S. in Communications from the College of New Rochelle.

Bernadette Glanzman
Chief Nurse

Ms. Glanzman has had extensive experience working in healthcare and hospital settings. Prior to joining ANDRUS in 2012, she  worked as a staff nurse in various high intensity medical centers including Hurtzel Hospital, the Respiratory and Infectious Disease unit of University of North Carolina Medical Center and the Intensive Care Unit of Marquette General Hospital. Ms. Glanzman received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Michigan and is currently pursuing a Masters of Arts in Nursing Education from Pace University.

Karl Kessler, MD
Chief Psychiatrist

Since graduating from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Dr. Kessler has had a variety of duties and positions in child psychiatry, including directing hospital inpatient units for children and adolescents, teaching medical students and residents and a private practice. Prior to coming to ANDRUS in 2012, he was psychiatrist for the children, families and soldiers at the US Army Post in Vilseck, Germany. Dr. Kessler received his training in general psychiatry at the University of California, Irvine and his child psychiatry training at Cornell University’s Westchester Division, in White Plains, NY. He is a member of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Dr. Raymond Effinger
Principal, Orchard School

Dr. Effinger is a career special educator who has served as a teacher, dean of students, staff developer and school administrator.  In 1990, he left the classroom to become the Assistant Principal of the Lehman High School Special Education Department where he led a team of educators who provided instruction to over 500 special needs students. In 2000, Dr. Effinger became Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction at the Mount Pleasant Cottage School UFSD, where he worked to develop and implement evidence based teaching strategies for the purpose of helping students in care meet the New York State Standards. Dr. Effinger earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the City College of New York and a Masters of Science degree in Teaching Emotionally Disturbed Children from Brooklyn College.  He also has a Professional degree in Educational Administration from SUNY New Paltz.  Dr. Effinger earned his doctorate from Fordham University in Educational Leadership. Dr. Effinger is currently serving as an adjunct professor at Lehman.

Alexandria Connally
Assistant Principal, Orchard School

Ms. Connally began her career at ANDRUS as a Milieu Therapist in the residential department and was promoted to a teaching position after seven years. During her next five years as a teacher at ANDRUS, Ms. Connally taught Social Studies, Math and Literature to grades 5 to 9. In 2009, she accepted her current position as the Assistant Principal of the Orchard School.  Ms. Connally currently holds New York State certifications in K-6 general education, Special Education and School Administration. She earned a BS from Iona College, and an MS in Education and an MS in School Administration, both magna cum laude, from Mercy College. She is a member of Phi Delta Kappa International Honor society. Prior to joining ANDRUS, Ms. Connally had over 15 years of experience working with at-risk youth in Yonkers in a variety of capacities.  She is a Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Trainer, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Trainer, Instructor for the National Youth Program Using Minibikes, Athletic Based Counseling Facilitator, and Student Leadership Faculty Advisor.

Cynthia Heid
Assistant Principal, Orchard School

Ms. Heid oversees the Early Elementary, Elementary and Middle School clusters which consist of students in grades K- 7 and their classroom staff.  Prior to joining Andrus, Ms. Heid was employed by the New York City Public Schools for nearly ten years. During her tenure at CES 73 in the Bronx, Ms. Heid was a classroom teacher for Grades 3-5 and also worked as a Lead Teacher, providing mentoring for new and experienced teachers alike.   Although her primary focus during this time was Literacy, she also worked with teachers on behavior management and providing high academic standards to students with limited English proficiency.  Ms. Heid earned her Masters degree in Elementary Education from Lehman College and also went on to obtain an advanced certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.  She holds advanced certificates in School Building Leadership and School District Leadership from the College of St. Rose in Albany.