Richard Stagliano, President/CEO

Richard Stagliano, President and CEO of Center For Family Services, Inc. (CFS), is a licensed clinical social worker and a licensed marriage and family therapist with more than 25 years of experience in the human service field.

Stagliano was named President of CFS in 2000 after a merger between Family Counselling Service, Together, Inc. and Reality House. It was his vision and leadership that facilitated this bold move of the merger, often talked about but rarely accomplished.  Prior to the merger, Stagliano served as Associate Executive Director of Family Counselling Service for 10 years and then as Executive Director for nine years.

Through his experience, Stagliano has spearheaded numerous initiatives and innovative programs and services to children and families in the areas of child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, substance abuse, and family violence.

Center For Family Services has grown to meet community needs and now provides more than 40 different programs.  From a staff of 17 with a budget of $375,000 in 1981, to a staff of more than 400 and an annual operating budget of over $19 million, the organization provides a comprehensive continuum of critical services to residents of South Jersey.

Stagliano holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Rutgers University and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Columbia University. Since 1984, Stagliano has been a faculty member at Rutgers University School of Social Work.

Richard Stagliano is a true advocate for children and families, and sits on numerous statewide and local planning and advisory councils.  He has served as the President of the Family Service Association of New Jersey, the Chairperson of the Camden County DYFS Advisory Board, a Board Member of the Camden County United Way, a member of the Human Service Advisory Council, and a board member and consultant to numerous community groups and organizations.  He has been happily married to his wife Gerrie for the past 29 years and is the proud father of three sons; Matthew, Christopher, and Brian.
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Eileen Henderson, Vice President of Child and Family Services

Eileen Henderson, Vice President of Child and Family Services for Center For Family Services, oversees programs that encourage and strengthen children and families. Henderson has played an integral role in creating a continuum of care from foster homes to transitional living for homeless, runaway or abused youth in the surrounding communities. She oversees six shelter and residential facilities for youth and is responsible for several innovative in-home counseling and prevention programs such as Treatment Alternatives for Children At Risk (TAFCAR) and Healthy Families, a parenting support program for single mothers.

Henderson holds a Masters of Counseling Degree from the University of Delaware and has spent most of her career developing programs that address the health care issues of youth, women and families throughout New Jersey. She facilitated the construction of the Together Youth Shelter in 1986, which has grown significantly over the years and now offers shelter to more than 200 teens annually.

As an advocate for women and children, Henderson was instrumental in the development of information and referral hotlines designed to address women’s needs and substance abuse issues, Black Infant Better Survival, and more.

Henderson has served as an adjunct professor at Rowan University and is the Vice President for the Garden State Coalition of Youth and Family Concerns, the organization responsible for the passage of the New Jersey Homeless Youth act in 1999. She is treasurer for the Southern New Jersey Addiction Providers Coalition that advocates for women, families and children with substance abuse problems. Henderson is also a member of the Youth Services Commission, the Human Services Advisory Council, the Workforce Investment Board, and the One Easy Link Executive Board.
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Anthony Comito, Vice President of Counseling and Community Service.

Anthony Comito, Vice President of Counseling and Community Services for Center For Family Services, oversees substance abuse programs for adults, adolescents and the deaf community. He also is responsible for a program to help victims of sexual violence, and several programs designed to aid seniors.

Comito is a certified addictions counselor and clinical supervisor, and is often requested to provide substance abuse trainings for Rowan University. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from St. Joseph’s University.

Prior to the merger, Comito served as the Director of Reality House for 13 years. During this time, Comito recognized an area of the population that was both silent and underserved, and he helped to build Recovery Network, a substance abuse program for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Since its inception, Recovery Network has grown to include outpatient services and a mobile counseling extension.

Comito serves as the co-chair of the South Jersey Addictions Providers Coalition, an organization that brings together a group of leaders within the region to improve treatment resources for substance abusers in southern New Jersey. In addition, Comito is a member of the professional advisory committee to the State Assistant Commissioner of Health, helping bring substance abuse issues to the foreground. He is a member of the board for the Associated Treatment Provider’s of New Jersey, and the Gloucester County Children’s Interagency Coordinating Council.
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Sue Bergmann, Vice President of Administration

Sue Bergmann, Vice President of Administration for Center For Family Services, oversees an annual operating budget of $13 million and the maintenance of 11 center facilities. Bergmann has been instrumental in upgrading the finance department’s infrastructure to meet the demands of a growing organization and help it to prepare for future expansion.

Bergmann holds a Doctorate of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and has taught at both the University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and sits on the alumni board of the School of Social Work at the University of Penn.

Bergmann began her career as a social worker with a county child welfare agency in the State of Ohio. She joined Family Counselling Services in 1988 as director for TAFCAR – a program helping to prevent child abuse and neglect through in-home counseling. She then served as the assistant director for Family Counselling Service up until the merger in 2000.

Bergmann serves as a commissioner with the Gloucester County Youth Services Commission, a member of the Gloucester County Traumatic Loss Coalition, and is a Peer Reviewer for the Council on Accreditation For Children and Family Services.

She also is a certified FEMA team member and was one of many who responded to New York to offer support and services on Sept. 11, 2001.
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Merilee Rutolo, Vice President of Development and Public Relations

Merilee Rutolo manages the fundraising, marketing and communications initiatives for Center For Family Services. Since joining CFS in 2002, Rutolo has increased funding received through private foundations and more than doubled the money raised through the Center’s annual golf tournament.

Under her direction, the Center has revitalized its corporate image and built a network of outreach extending across several counties and reaching into schools, community centers and neighborhood groups. Through Rutolo’s efforts, the Center has become well-known as a leading human services agency in the community.

Rutolo has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism and Government and Politics from the University of Maryland. Rutolo is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, co-chair of the Meghan Price Memorial Fund and serves as a public relations and development consultant to nonprofit organizations. She served as the Director of Development and Board Relations at the University of Maryland prior to joining the staff at CFS.

Andrew Swenson, Associate Vice President of Administration/Operations

Andrew Swenson, Associate Vice President of Administration & Operations, is directly involved in the acquisition, renovation and day to day operation and general upkeep of the Center For Family Services 32 office sites and residential shelters. Mr. Swenson’s focus includes licensing and accreditation, project management, asset management and renewal, risk management, life safety and disaster response, fleet management, staff training, policy development, as well as strategic planning and forecasting processes.        

Andrew Swenson holds a BA Degree in Psychology and has a diverse 18 year history within the social services industry. Formerly a certified social worker, he has worked as a substance abuse counselor, program developer, grant writer, and administrator. He currently maintains a certification in facility management through the International Facility Management Association.

As a clinician and program director Mr. Swenson developed several integral service platforms that are still a part of CFS’s service continuum today. Hallmarks of his contributions to the field include the development and implementation of the first comprehensive intensive outpatient treatment program in New Jersey, which was later recognized as the model for which all other programs would later be funded. Mr. Swenson also developed and expanded multiple statewide hotline services including the Addiction Hotline of NJ, Family Health Line, and initiated the First Call for Help Emergency Shelter Program for homelessness in Gloucester County. 

Mr. Swenson combines his extensive background in the clinical aspects of human service programming with a solid knowledge of facilities and property management to design and equip facilities for optimum utility distinct to the human service industry.  In response to the rapid growth of Center For Family Services, Mr. Swenson has overseen or been involved with numerous renovation and new construction projects.

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