Nancy Woodruff Ment
President and CEO
Nancy Woodruff Ment is President and Chief Executive Officer for Andrus Children's Center. As Chief Executive, she was instrumental in reshaping the organization's profile through two key mergers: the merger of Andrus with the Center for Preventive Psychiatry (CPP) and Family & Community Services (FCS).

Ms. Ment began her career at Andrus in 1987 as the Director of Clinical Services and her career has encompassed numerous operations and executive positions. Before coming to Andrus, she was a psychotherapist in private practice, an early childhood consultant, and a senior psychiatric social worker at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center.

Ms. Ment earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Goucher College, and a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) from Hunter College School of Social Work. She also holds post-graduate certificates from the Jewish Board of Guardians in Psychotherapy for Children and Executive Leadership from the Not-for-Profit Institute of Columbia University's Business School.

Besides her post-graduate certificates, Ms. Ment serves on the Board of the Yonkers Community Planning Council, is a former President of the American Association of Children's Residential Centers and is active with the Alliance for Children and Families.

Brian Farragher
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Brian Farragher is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Andrus Children's Center, a position he has held since June 2003. He shares oversight for all of the company's business operations, including the development of new growth opportunities.

Mr. Farragher began his career with Andrus in 1986 as Program Director in Foster Hall. He served in a variety of positions with increasing administrative responsibility until he was appointed Chief Operating Officer.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Le Moyne College, a Master of Social Work degree (M.S.W.) from Fordham University, and is completing a Master of Business Administration from Iona College.

Mr. Farragher's professional experience includes substance abuse and children's mental health and he has advanced training in therapeutic crisis intervention, supervision, management and the Sanctuary Model.

Derek Kolleeny
Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer
Derek Kolleeny joined Andrus in February of 2007 as Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. Previously, Derek was Vice President of International Trachoma Initiative (ITI) for two years. ITI is an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to eliminating trachoma, the world’s leading cause of preventable blindness, and manages distribution of over $350MM in antibiotics donated from Pfizer annually to help with this cause. Prior to that, Derek was Chief Financial Officer for Greyston Foundation, Inc. for eight years. Greyston is a network of community development agencies and social venture enterprises, consisted of a $5MM gourmet bakery, a Medicaid reimbursement based Adult Day Health Care Center, a number of supportive housing projects financed by low income tax credits, a childcare center and various real estate development projects. Derek Kolleeny has an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School and a BA from Harvard College in Comparative Study of World Religions.

Lorelei Vargas
Director - Policy, Planning and Research
Lorelei Atalie Vargas is the Director of Policy, Planning and Research at Andrus Children's Center. She is responsible for organization-wide strategic planning, developing and overseeing research initiatives, coordinating the Yonkers Early Childhood Initiative, managing the Andrus Center for Learning & Innovation and developing and cultivating strategic alliances.

Prior to her current assignment, Ms. Vargas was an Associate Policy Analyst at the Office of the Chancellor of the New York City Board of Education. She was also responsible for program coordination with the Children's Aid Society, the New York State Governor's Office and conducted research for the MacArthur Foundation.

Ms. Vargas earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bryn Mawr College and holds two Master degrees, one in Public Policy and one in Education Administration and Policy, from the University of Michigan, where she was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow. In 2005 she was named a Rising Star by the Business Council of Westchester. Ms. Vargas is the chair of the Public Policy Community of Practice for the Alliance for Children and Families and has served on the Board of Directors for the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, the Sharing Community in Yonkers, and the Yonkers Community Action Program. Outside of her work with Andrus, Ms. Vargas serves as a regional alumnae volunteer for the Admissions Office of Bryn Mawr College.

Kevin T. Cook
Director of Development
Kevin Cook is the Director of Development of Andrus Children's Center.  Mr. Cook brings extensive experience in fund raising and development from his former positions.  For over 20 years, Mr. Cooek worked at Concordia College where he spent most of these years as the Director of Advancement.  Mr. Cook engaged in long term strategic development, fund raising, marketing, public relations and promotion of the private liberal arts college. Mr. Cook has also served as the Director of Development and Stewardship Ministry for the Village Lutheran Church in Bronxville and more recently as  Director of Institutional Advancement at Baltimore Lutheran School . 

Kevin Cook is an active member of the Bronxville community.  He served for many years on the Board of Directors of Family and Community Services, Inc. and the New York / New Jersey Chapter of the Association of Lutheran Development Executives, where he served as the chairman for two years.  Mr. Cook was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Westchester County Library System and sits on the Advisory Councils of the Senior Citizen's of Bronxville and The Junior League of Bronxville.

Mr. Cook received a BA in education from Concordia College and an MS in Communications from the College of New Rochelle . 

Brian Hall
Director - Campus Programs

Yakov Grinman
Director - Facilities and Operations
Yakov Grinman is Director of Facilities at the Andrus Children's Center where he has held the position since 2003. Mr. Grinman is responsible for overseeing facilities management operations for the entire organization.
He has extensive experience in facilities management with not-for-profits and hospitals in the New York area. Over the lifetime of his career, he has developed expertise in facilities management and safety, fire safety, renovation, construction and construction management, asbestos management, and emergency management planning.

Mr. Grinman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Technical College in Moldova and a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from the State Power University in Russia.

Dan Del Bene
Director – Mental Health Division
Dan Del Bene brings ten years of clinical, administrative, fiscal management and information management experience to the Mental Health Division. Prior to joining the Andrus Children's Center in Spring 2006, Mr. Del Bene served as the Chief Information Officer for the Puerto Rican Family Institute in New York City , where his areas of responsibilities ranged from grant writing to information technology to medical billing.

He began his career at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, first as a Clinical Research Project Coordinator in the Anxiety Disorders Clinic, then as a Clinical Supervisor and Diagnostic Clinician in the Department of Clinical and Genetic Epidemiology.

Corine Lurry
Director - Community Services

Randall Smith
Director - Residential Services
Randall Smith began his fulltime career here at Andrus in 1990 when he was hired as a Child Behavior Specialist to work in Benedict Hall. A little over a year later he was promoted to Supervisor of Foster Hall where he worked for five years. In 1996 he left Andrus to pursue a Master's Degree in Social Work at Hunter College School of Social Work. Upon completing his master's degree he did substance abuse related work with adjudicated youth for Student Assistance Services at Lincoln Hall - a Residential Treatment Facility.

In July 2004 after serving thousands of young people with varying needs in a variety of locations, he found himself back at Andrus, this time as the Assistant Director of Residential Services. In September 2005 Mr. Smith was promoted to serve as Director of Residential Services where he oversees Andrus' Residential Treatment Program.

Mr. Smith holds a B.A. from the State University College at Brockport and a Masters Degree in Social Work from Hunter College . When not at Andrus, Mr. Smith enjoys spending time with his two sons, family and friends, as well as skydiving.

Cheryl Appel
Director - Medical
Cheryl Appel is the Medical Director at Andrus Children's Center and also sees adolescents in her private practice in Tarrytown , New York . She provides primary medical care as well as counseling teens with high risk behaviors. Dr. Appel comes to Andrus with over 20 years experience in the medical field. She has written articles and brochures for adolescents as well as for parents and college age students on various risk behaviors, medical issues and lifestyle options.

At Andrus Dr. Appel provides medical care for 80 residential students and she is currently creating a campus-wide program to improve nutrition. Dr. Appel completed her training at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City , Schneider Children's Hospital in Lake Success , NY , and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami , FL. She is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and maintains admitting privileges at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and Westchester County Medical Center in Valhalla , N.Y. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of The Society of Adolescent Medicine and the North American Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology.

Tito Del Pilar
Director of Workforce Development