Staff & Leadership
Julie Stein Brockway, LCSW
Co-Executive Director
Co-Executive Director Julie Stein Brockway, LCSW, oversees CFLSP's youth development and community building programs at ten local public schools. She has over 40 years of experience at CFLSP, where she founded the nationally-recognized “Life Lines” Community Arts Project in 1982. As chair of the Sunset Park High School Task Force, she worked a large and diverse group of community stakeholders to advocate for the neighborhood’s long-awaited public high school and to ensure that SPHS is a high quality, inclusive school that responds to community needs and fosters the success of every student. She received her BA from Yale University and MSW from Hunter College School of Social Work. She conducts training in social group work, has been a Group Work instructor at Hunter School of Social Work, and has taught Group Work with Youth in the new graduate Youth Studies program at CUNY School of Professional Studies.
Julia Jean-Francois, LCSW, PhD
Co-Executive Director
Co-Executive Director Julia Jean-François oversees the Center’s Family and Community Support and Economic Well Being Programs. Together with Co-Executive Director Julie Brockway, she oversees all administrative operations, fundraising and Board relations at Center for Family Life. Before joining the Center in 2003, she was Director of Operations at the Puerto Rican Family Institute. She has been a lecturer in research methods at Rutgers University and New York University in their graduate social work program. She received her BA from Barnard College, her MSW from NYU and Ph.D. from the Columbia University School of Social Work.
Maria Ferreira, LMSW
Program Director, Adult Employment Program
As Program Director of the Center for Family Life Adult Employment Program, Maria oversees the Job Readiness and Placement Program, DYCD funded portfolio which includes the Immigrant Families and the Healthy Families Programs as well as Literacy Services (Discretionary ESL and ESL/Civics Instruction). She also supervises the Mother Cabrini Foundation grant which expanded the provision of case management services to immigrant families and individuals. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the City College of the City University of New York. She holds a Master’s degree from Fordham University Graduate School of Social Work. She received her SIFI from Hunter College and completed a Middle Management Certificate Program offered by the Institute for Non-for-Profit Management at Colombia Graduate school of Business. Maria started at the Center for Family Life Adult Employment Program as a volunteer (in 1985), shortly after she was hired as Employment Counselor. Within a few years she was promoted to Program Coordinator, and subsequently became Program Director.
Cathy Vargas, LMSW
Program Director, Community Services Program
Cathy Vargas is a Sunset Park native who is passionate about improving the well-being of the community using a trauma-informed approach. She holds a BA in Psychology and MA in Applied Psychology from St. Francis College and an MSW from Fordham University. She was honored with the Florence Denmark Award for Research Excellence for her research on the disparity of mental health services in the Latino community. Before joining CFL, she worked in Addiction Counseling. She transitioned from working with children and families at CFL's Family Counseling Program to her current role. Outside of work, Cathy enjoys spending time with her husband and daughters watching movies and exploring the city.
Juan Cuautle, MA
Program Director, Cooperative Business Development Program
Originally from Puebla, Mexico, he joined CFL's Cooperative Development Program in 2016 as a Business Developer, where he had incubated worker cooperatives, provided technical assistance to operating businesses, and supported the development of organizations such as Coopportunity, Up & Go and Alianza CUSP. Juan holds a B.A. in International Relations from Universidad de las Américas Puebla; an M.A. in Public Administration and Public Policy from Tecnológico de Monterrey; and has taken executive courses in public administration at Harvard University, project management at Baruch College, and nonprofit leadership development at Columbia University. Juan lives in Staten Island with his wife and three Mexican-Russian-American children.
Kristie Mancell, LCSW
Division Director, School-Based Programs
Kristie Mancell has been working in the field of positive youth development for over 20 years. Her experience in the field includes direct service, program administration, social group work and management training, and strategic planning. Ms. Mancell is currently a Division Director for CFL school-based programs overseeing 6 school partnerships. Ms. Mancell earned both a B.A. in Psychology and her M.S.W. at the University of Michigan. She also holds certifications from the Columbia Business School Developing Leaders for Nonprofit Professionals Program as well as Silberman School of Social Work Seminar in Field Instruction. Kristie has also been an adjunct lecturer at CUNY School of Professional Studies in the Youth Studies Masters Program teaching the course Group Work with Youth.
Jhodessa Reimer, LMSW
Division Director, School-Based Programs
Jhodessa Reimer is a program supervisor at Center for Family Life in Sunset Park. She holds an MSW from Hunter College School of Social Work and a BFA from North Carolina School of the Arts. In the 15 years she has been with CFL, she has held several roles including dance instructor, group leader, service learning coordinator, high school advisor, and program director. Currently, she oversees programming in four of CFL's schools. She is passionate about using the arts as a tool for community building, youth leadership development, and education reform. She enjoys camping, biking and croissants. She lives in Sunset Park with her family.
Olney Edmondson, MSW
Program Director, PS 516
Olney started at CFL in June of 2013. She was hired as a performing arts specialist at PS 169. After 3 years, she relocated to PS 971 and worked as a Performing Artist Specialist and Assistant Program Director. In Fall of 2018, she was promoted to Program Director. She has a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance from Sam Houston State University and a Masters in Social Work from Hunter college in August of 2021. Outside of work she loves to dance, do professional style nails, read, crochet, and watch movies. She’s been teaching dance to families and children for almost 20 years and working with youth for almost 10. It gives her joy to empower members of the community to learn and grow together.
Colleen MacDonald, LMSW
Program Director, PS 503/506
Colleen MacDonald, LMSW, has been with CFL since January 2019 where she began as the Social Worker and Program Coordinator at CFL at PS 503 and 506. Colleen was also part of CFL’s advisory partnership at Sunset Park High School, where she worked with an 11th grade class to develop a service learning partnership with District 75 students. She earned her MSW at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College and her Bachelor’s degree at Rutgers University and has over a decade of experience in youth development services. Colleen enjoys using her imagination to make people think and laugh, playing basketball, and being outdoors.
Yuchen Shan, LCSW
Program Director, Family Counseling Program
Yuchen Shan began working at the Center for Family Life in 2015 after graduated from NYU MSW program and started as a bilingual case planner. In 2020 she was promoted to the foster care coordinator and supervisor position in Family Counseling Program. In the Spring of 2022, she was promoted to the position of Assistant Director of Family Counseling Program. Yuchen is proud to be a social worker and loves helping people! Yuchen enjoys painting in her spare time.
David Garcia
Co-Program Director, PS 1
David started at the Center for Family Life as a 5-year-old participant in the PS 1 summer camp program. He continued as a participant throughout childhood, and as a teen started volunteering his time at PS 1 and joined the Counselor-in-Training Program. Over the years David has climbed just about every rung of leadership in the school-based programs including dance assistant, assistant group leader, group leader, instructor, CIT Coordinator, and Program Coordinator. David went from a child in the PS 1 program to the Co-Director, a full circle. He especially enjoys cultivating the next generation of CFL leaders through his work with children, teens, and young adult staff. His work is grounded in CFL’s long standing traditions of social group work and community building.
Yolanda Nunez, MA
Co-Program Director, PS 1
For the past 20 years, Yolanda has dedicated a large portion of her life to the field of youth development. She first got involved with CFL as a teen in 1997. Yolanda has had many unique opportunities in her time at CFL, including Co-Director of Neighborhood Center at PS 314 (now PS 503/506), Case Planner in Family Counseling Program, and Program Coordinator roles at SPHS and PS 1. All that Yolanda has learned along the way is now solidified as a set of tools that she shares with her Program Co-Director at PS 1. Yolanda earned a B.A. in Psychology at Brooklyn College and Masters in Psychology with a minor in School Counseling at Touro University. Yolanda grew up in Sunset Park and giving back to the community means the world to her. Yolanda enjoys empowering our community members to have a voice and to advocate for the resources they need.
Shanice Peters, MSW
Afterschool Director, MS 136/MS 821
Shanice Peters is the Program Director at MS 136. She received her MSW from Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service and a BA in Creative Writing from Manhattanville College. She was part of the first graduating class from Sunset Park High School where she spent all 4 years involved in the "Life Lines" program by participating in their performing arts troupes. Throughout her time at CFL, she has been a participant, a group leader, a high school advisor, LIT (Leaders in Training) supervisor, an assistant and director of the "Life Lines" Summer Arts Camp, and a Program Coordinator for "Life Lines". She’s passionate about developing and inspiring the next generation of young leaders. In her free time, she enjoys collecting makeup, playing with her tuxedo cat and discovering amazing food in NYC.
Malissa McSwain, MSW
Program Director, PS 939
Malissa joined CFL's school-based programs in 2021 as a program coordinator and high school advisor. Her prior experience in language instruction, youth leadership development, parent engagement/education advocacy, and immigrants' rights organizing informs her work with families and her commitment to social justice. She completed her MSW at Columbia University and holds a BA from Davidson College. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling.
Anna Kaganova, BA
Senior Grants Manager
Anna began her role at CFL as a Development Associate at Center for Family Life in October 2022 before being promoted to Senior Grants Manager. She graduated from Georgetown University with a bachelor’s degree in Global Business and a certificate in Eurasian, Russian, and Eastern European studies. Prior to becoming a grants manager at CFLSP, Anna worked as a Grants Administrator at Network for Developing Conscious Communities, a D.C. based non-profit. Anna is passionate about supporting others and ensuring that vital community programs receive the resources they need to continue their work. In her spare time, she enjoys painting, reading, meditating, and watching travel videos and documentaries.
Carrie Stewart, LCSW-R
Division Director, Family Support
Carrie rejoined CFL in 2022 as Co-Director of the Family Counseling Program, supervising family counseling and an array of programs serving immigrant families. Carrie started as a social worker in family counseling in 2000, becoming a clinical supervisor and foster care coordinator during her 12+ years with CFL before leaving to work with SCO Family of Services, where she was most recently Vice President of Community Services, overseeing family and educational support services, and collective impact initiatives. Prior to initially joining CFL, Carrie worked for 10 years in child welfare and forensic social work. In addition, Carrie consulted with New York University Law School Family Defense Clinic for several years. She has an MSW from Hunter College School of Social Work with a group work concentration, a post-masters certificate in family therapy from Ackerman Institute for the Family, a Seminar in Field Instruction certification, and has participated in emerging leaders programs through Columbia University. Carrie is passionate about working with teams to initiate new programs, reading, and being a working Mom of two boys.
Cynthia Taylor, M.S.
Director of Finance
Cynthia Taylor is the Finance Manager at Center for Family Life in Sunset Park. Cynthia earned her B.S. in Business Management and Finance from Brooklyn College and her M.S. in Applied Analytics from Columbia University. Prior to joining CFL, Cynthia was the Assistant Director of Finance & Administration for the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy (ISERP) at Columbia University. She has multiple years of experience in procurement, budget, finance, and grants administration. Cynthia is committed to leveraging her skills to make a meaningful difference in the Sunset Park community. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, traveling, and listening to music.
Nicolette Natale, BA
Communications & Board Relations Associate
Nicolette Natale is the Communications & Board Relations Associate. Previously, she worked to expand access to tuition-free higher education inside prisons across the United States by serving as an administrator for a college-in-prison program. She has also worked as a civic engagement organizer and was part of PEN America's Prison & Justice Writing team, where she conducted interviews on COVID-19 in prisons as part of PEN America's "Temperature Check" series. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor's degree in English and American Literature and Social & Cultural Analysis. In her spare time, she loves going to the movies with her friends and reading.
Stephanie Ruiz, BSW
Program Director, PS 169
Stephanie started at CFL in September of 2014. Over the years Stephanie has climbed up the ladder of leadership in the school-based programs including office aid, assistant group leader, group leader, CIT coordinator, high school advisor, and activity specialist. Stephanie went from being a SYEP counselor as a teen to the PS 169 Co-Director. She is passionate about developing and inspiring the next generation of young leaders to continue advocating for their communities. In her free time, she enjoys going to concerts and spending time with her family.
Charly Chery
IT Director
Charly is the IT Director at Center for Family Life in Sunset Park. He graduated from Technical Career Institute, holding a degree in Network Technology and has acquired numerous IT Certifications. Prior to joining CFL, Charly held several network administration positions before starting and running his own computer consulting company. Charly then began working with CFL starting in 2004, holding many roles including Network Field Technician, Systems Administrator, Systems & Facilities Manager and now heads CFL’s IT Department. He is passionate about providing the technology needed to support our organization in its mission to serve the community. In Charly’s spare time, he enjoys learning or playing with everything technology related and spending time with his family.
Tatyana Lotarevich, MPH
Director of Data Systems and Analytics
Tatyana Lotarevich is CFL’s Director of Data Systems and Analytics. She oversees data entry, analysis, and reporting. She manages all aspects of CFL’s client and donor databases and assists with the management of CFL’s grants and payroll databases. Prior to assuming the director position in 2023, she was CFL’s Data Manager. She enjoys learning new data systems and using data to further CFL’s work. Before joining CFL in 2019, Ms. Lotarevich worked for close to a decade for an organization that conducts research in reproductive and maternal health. She holds an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy and is a summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College, where she earned a BA in Sociology. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, taking walks, and listening to music and podcasts.
Johnny Tapia, BA
Program Director, PS 94
Johnny began working at CFL in 2015 as a group leader at the Life Lines program based at MS 136/MS 821. His journey at Life Lines included becoming a camp counselor, Sunset Park High School advisor, LIT (Leaders-in-Training) supervisor, and parent liaison. In 2021, he joined the CFL at PS 94 team as an activity specialist, CIT (Counselor-in-Training) supervisor, and AmeriCorps supervisor. In Fall 2024, Johnny became the Program Director of the CFL at PS 94 site, where he is excited to share his passion for youth development and pass the experiences and knowledge he has gained at CFL on to the next generation. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports, music, and spending time with family. Johnny holds a Bachelor's Degree from Brooklyn College and is proud to be a first-generation college-graduate in his family.
Liz Jones, LMSW
Program Director, MS 136/MS 821
Co-Director, Life Lines
Liz Jones has been with the "Life Lines" Community Arts Project at the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park since 2018. Prior to joining CFL, she was a founder of Page 73 Productions, a Tony and OBIE Award-winning theater company that develops and produces the works of early career playwrights and served as its Co-Executive Director from 1997 to 2016. Liz has also previously held positions in arts management or social service provision at National Corporate Theatre Fund, Manhattan Theatre Club, the Children’s Aid Society, and The Door - A Center of Alternatives, among others. She is thrilled to be able to combine her passions for the arts, youth development and community building in her work at CFL. Liz holds a BA in American Studies from Yale University an MFA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and an MSW from Fordham University. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, son, and rambunctious pup.
Jirazel Munoz, LMSW
Program Director, PS 971
Jirazel’s journey with the Center for Family Life began in 2014 as a teen participant in the Counselor in Training Program at PS 503/506. Over the years, she has grown through the ladder of leadership within the school-based programs, including Assistant Group Leader, Group Leader, CIT Coordinator, High School Advisor, Activity Specialist, Program Coordinator, and, most recently, Program Director. Jirazel holds a BA in Psychology and Puerto Rican and Latino Studies from CUNY-Brooklyn College and an MSW from New York University. She is also certified in Social Work Seminar in Field Instruction from NYU’s Silver School of Social Work. Additionally, Jirazel works as a per-diem Bilingual Psychotherapist at a private practice. A lifelong resident of Sunset Park, Jirazel feels deeply connected to her community and is honored to work alongside families to create safe and empowering spaces for children and families to thrive. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys fitness classes and spending time walking her dogs around the neighborhood.
Kristen Brookes, LCAT
Program Director, SBES D20 Schools
Kristen Brookes (RDT, LCAT) is a Registered Drama Therapist and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist with 20+ years of experience in the field. She has a master’s degree in psychology/drama therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). Kristen is honored and thrilled to be at CFL as the D20 Program Director for School-Based Early Support. She loves her new “SIS” (Support in Schools) team and the Sunset Park neighborhood. Kristen has worked as a Clinical Supervisor, Assistant Director, and Site Director with Good Shepherd Services, Counseling in Schools, ENACT, and CANY: Creative Alternatives of New York. She has spent most of her career in schools, with a focus on supporting students and empowering families. Kristen also has thriving private practice in Brooklyn. In all her professional roles, Kristen uses an expressive art, healing-centered, and anti-oppressive lens to foster belonging, build community, and awaken possibilities.
