Meet Our Executive Team and Leadership Council
Bob Arnold
CEO
Bob Arnold has been the CEO of Family Centers for over 35 years. Since assuming the agency’s top role in 1982, Bob has led Family Centers through a time of significant growth to better meet the community’s needs. By leading seven successful mergers, Bob has helped shape Family Centers into a multi-faceted organization that assists over 23,000 children and adults each year. Bob is a past chairman of the Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies, a past president of the Greenwich Kiwanis Club and has served on a variety of advisory boards and task forces. He holds a Masters degree from Columbia University and is a licensed social worker and marriage and family therapist.
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Jim Vivier
Chief Operating Officer
Jim Vivier started with Family Centers in 1999 as the agency’s first Marketing Director. After serving as Vice President of Development and Communications for 12 years, Jim assumed his the role of Chief Advancement Officer in November 2016. By assuming the role of Chief Operating Officer in 2021, Jim works closely with the Human Resources, Information Technology and Administrative Services departments to improve employee and agency advancement. Jim has been a member of the Greenwich Rotary Club since 2001, and was Club President from 2011-12. He is also a Board member of his church, Sacred Heart Parish in Greenwich. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from Arizona State University and an MBA from Sacred Heart University.
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Dennis Torres
Chief Health Officer
Dennis Torres leads Family Centers’ medical, dental and mental health programs and services. Under his oversight, he has helped to create access to critical primary health, dental and health education services for thousands of Fairfield County residents. In 2016, Dennis led the opening of Family Centers Health Care – a Federally Qualified Health Center offering medical, dental and mental health services to public housing residents in Greenwich. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Fredonia College, a J.D. from Pace University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University.
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Leslie P. Sexer, LCSW
Chief Program Officer
Leslie P. Sexer oversees Family Centers' programs focused on Education and Human Services, many of which utilize a two-generational approach toward closing the opportunity gap for families living in lower Fairfield County. In addition to her program work, Leslie works to foster community partnerships and facilitate initiatives with collective social impact results for low income Stamford and Greenwich residents. Leslie joined Family Centers in 2006 as the agency’s Director of Clinical Outreach Services and holds a Master's Degree from Hunter College School of Social Work.
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Bill Brucker
Chief Advancement Officer
Bill Brucker drives Family Centers’ development, marketing, communications and strategic planning efforts. In addition to growing the agency’s overall brand awareness through effective public relations, marketing, social media and e-media tactics, Bill was also instrumental in the development of Family Centers’ strategic plan. He also facilitated a comprehensive review of the agency’s overall economic value along with the Harvard Business School – Community Partners. Bill holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Quinnipiac University and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, also from Quinnipiac.
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Margarita Muñoz, M.D.
Medical Director of Mental Health
Dr. Muñoz has over 20 years of experience treating children, adolescents, and adults in underserved communities. Prior to joining Family Centers, she served as vice chair of the department of psychiatry at Bridgeport Hospital and had oversight of its intensive outpatient program. Dr. Muñoz also spent several years as Westchester Jewish Community Services’ Medical Director. During her tenure, she was instrumental in the development of the organization’s telehealth services, collaborative care program and intensive outpatient credentialing. She holds a Doctorate from New York Medical College and completed both residencies and fellowships at the New York State Psychiatric Institute at Columbia University.
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Yenny Toone
Vice President
Yenny Toone, MSW brings 15 years of combined social work, program coordination and education experience to Family Centers. In her role, Yenny oversees all operational and education aspects of the Early Care and Education and Greenwich Head Start programs. Yenny has been trained by The Ackerman Institute for the Family, the Parents as Teachers Supervisors Curricula, and various Head Start Leadership Institutes. Her proven expertise in the field of Early Childhood has been displayed in discussion panels for the Office of Head Start webinar trainings as well as in her key role of implementing innovative program models such as Family Childcare and a Parent as Teachers Baby School model.
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Marion Beale
Vice President
Marion has over 40 years of experience in accounting and financial planning. After decades in Fortune 500 settings, she segued to the non-profit world where she could make a difference at the local level. Since joining Family Centers in 2009, she has lent her significant expertise to support government and foundation grants and various service agreements that provide 75% of our annual funding. She develops the agency operating budget and participates in general accounting, payroll and benefit processing. Her goal is to have a positive impact on the financial health of every program at the agency. Marion graduated from Mount Holyoke College and holds an M.S. in Information Science from Columbia University and an M.B.A. from New York University. She was formerly a Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York.
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John Midy, MBA
Family Centers Health Care Director
John Midy, MBA, joined Family Centers in 2018, shares a passion in addressing the community’s health, economic, and social inequalities while fostering leaders in the team he manages. John leads Family Center’s Federally Qualified Health Center’s (FQHC) Medical and Dental operations. Since joining Family Centers, his dedication and leadership has expanded the agency’s services and increased access to care, helped the organization gain accreditation for Joint Commission and Patient Centered Medical Home, implemented innovative care team models, and increased agency brand recognition in the community. John graduated from Quinnipiac University and holds a Master’s in Business Administration with an additional focus in Health Care Management.
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Heather Dawson, DNP, APRN, FNP-C
Director of School Based Health Centers
Heather Dawson has been a Family Nurse Practitioner since 2008 and has primarily worked with the pediatric and adolescent population. In her current position as the Director of School Based Health Centers, she manages seven clinics that provide an array of primary care, behavioral health and health education services to children adolescents in Stamford and Greenwich. As the Nurse Practitioner supervisor, she also maintains the clinical quality oversight and assurance for the medical team at each health clinic. Heather graduated with her bachelor’s degree from UCONN, and earned a Master Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner and Doctorate Degree in Nursing Leadership from Quinnipiac University.
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Jill Winner, LCSW
Senior Director of Behavioral Health
Jill joined Family Centers with over 20 years of experience working with community-based mental health programs. Jill is charged with overseeing all mental health and counseling programs at Family Centers, including the Outpatient Counseling Programs in Greenwich, Stamford and Darien, The Center for HOPE, The Den, Work Life Solutions, Trauma Response, and School Based Health Centers mental health offerings. Jill graduated with her bachelor’s degree from Boston University and has a master’s degree in Social Work from New York University. Jill completed additional training at the National Institute for the Psychotherapies (NIP) and has held adjunct teaching positions at several area graduate schools of social work.
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Emily Segal, LCSW
Director of Adolescent Behavioral Health
Emily Segal, LCSW, has worked as a clinician in the Stamford High School-Based Health Center for over 20 years. She provides supervision for Health Center clinicians and oversees the psychiatric services provided to students. Emily has helped to facilitate the expansion of School-Based Health services throughout the Stamford and Greenwich public schools. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature and Art History from Amherst College and a Master's Degree in Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work.
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Cathy Hogan
Director of Early Education
As the program director, Cathy oversees the operational and education aspects of the Early Care and Education Program. Cathy's years of experience include preschool and elementary school teacher, preschool Assistant Director, and most recently, ECE Site Manager at Family Centers, including assisting with the Head Start and School Readiness programs. She is a certified CLASS observer and is a trained Parenting Journey facilitator. Cathy received her Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Early Childhood Development. She received her Masters Degree in Special Education from L.I.U. at Mercy College.
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Jessica Herlihy
Director of Career Readiness and Self-Sufficiency
Jessica Herlihy has been with Family Centers since 2010 and has over 15 years’ experience in empowering and coaching clients to achieve their goals and increase their self-sufficiency. In her role, Jessica oversees the Reaching Independence Through Employment, Family Self Sufficiency, and Work Experience programs. In addition to her program work, Jessica is active in cultivating community partnerships that promote social justice and equity initiatives for Fairfield County residents. Jessica holds a BA Degree in Human Services from PACE University and is currently attending Sacred Heart University for her Masters of Social Work.
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Carolina Ahumada, LPC
Director of Outreach Services
Carolina Ahumada has been with Family Centers since 2016 as the founding Manager of the Family First in Education Program. In her role as Director of Outreach Services, Carolina oversees the Family First in Education, Friendly Connections, Here-to-Help Intensive Family Preservation (IFP) and VOCA programs. Prior to her work with Family Centers, Carolina worked in Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford providing clinical intervention to adolescents involved in the Juvenile Justice System. Carolina has a master’s degree in Psychology from Pace University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Connecticut.
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Julianne Furniss-Green, LCSW
Director of Grief and Trauma Services
Julianne Furniss-Green, LCSW joined Family Centers in 2019 as the Coordinator of The Den for Grieving Kids and moved into the role as the Manager of The Den and Grief Support in 2021. She now serves as the Director of Grief and Trauma Services. Julianne oversees The Center for HOPE, The Den for Grieving Kids, Family Centers Trauma Response Team, and the Work Life Solutions program. Julianne’s clinical expertise in Grief and Bereavement allows her to further build upon our robust support services and our existing community partnerships. Julianne holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Western New England University and a Master’s of Social Work Degree with a specialization in Community Partnerships from Georgia State University.
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Joanne Derwallis
Director of Human Resources
Joanne Derwallis is an accomplished HR professional with over 20 years of experience in the Financial Services, Non-Profit and Technology sectors. Joanne is responsible for leading the effort and executing on Human Resource objectives, strategies, policies, and programs aligned with Family Center’s strategic directions. Joanne holds a Bachelors in Sociology from Clark University and is certified through the Human Resource Certification Institute as a Senior Human Resource Professional (SPHR).
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Melissa Schreff
Director of Quality Assurance & Data Management
Melissa Schreff joined Family Centers in 1998, and held a variety of positions in the agency’s Early Care and Education program and within the Administrative team. As Director of Quality Assurance and Data Management, Melissa works with all Family Centers staff to develop, implement and maintain systems that ensure high quality and effective services to clients. She also helps program directors to collect and maintain data and statistics that reflect productivity and outcomes. Melissa holds MBA from the University of Connecticut and a BA from Rice University.
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