SJFS Names Colleen Cicotta New Director
Colleen Cicotta is the new director of Syracuse Jewish Family Service (SJFS) effective September 20. Judith Huober, recently retired director, remains active with SJFS as a clinician and consultant.
Cicotta will lead the 130-year-old human service agency that is an affiliate of Menorah Park of Central New York. As the agency’s chief executive, she’ll be responsible for the agency’s overall administration including staff development, financials, and reporting. The Director works closely with the Board of Directors, the CEO of Menorah Park and the community to develop and implement programs that realize the agency’s mission and vision, as well as secure its professional and community identity as a go-to expert in issues of individual and family wellbeing and complex later life issues.
Cicotta, who holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Potsdam, was most recently the Associate Director of the Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service at Syracuse University and is a recent graduate of Leadership Graduate Syracuse.
“Colleen is the right person to take SJFS forward into a new chapter of effectiveness and community engagement,” Menorah Park CEO Mary Ellen Bloodgood, said. “She combines administrative know-how, experience and regional connections with a big heart, and I know Menorah Park’s human services arm will grow and flourish under her guidance. Colleen is committed to prioritizing Jewish tradition and principles of family, community, diversity, respect, and autonomy as guiding values for SJFS.”
Cicotta’s served two years in AmeriCorps VISTA and has served on the boards of the Brady Faith Center, Literacy Volunteers of Greater Syracuse, and the Parent Advisory Committee at Rothschild Early Child Center at Temple Adath Yeshurun.
As the human services arm of the Jewish community, SJFS is dedicated to holistic, preventive, wellness-oriented integration of social and human services offered without regard to race or creed to all residents of Central New York. With a special emphasis on issues of aging, these services fall into four interactive areas: planning and navigating the journey; promoting and restoring mental health; supporting brain health and living well with dementia; and catalyzing the team: families, professionals, and ancillary services.
For information on SFJS services, email [email protected] or call 315-446-9111 x234.