We are grateful to the dedicated and caring individuals who volunteer their time and talent in support of St John’s. The continued operation and growth of our agency depends on the hard work and commitment of our Board of Directors.
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Paul “Woody” Garavente of Millington, New Jersey, has been president of the St. John’s Residence for Boys’ Board since 2003 and a member of the board since 1998. He joined the Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York Board in 2018 as part of the affiliation between Little Flower and St. John’s. He was a full-time volunteer at St. John’s from 1987-1988.
Woody currently owns his own tutoring business, Crimson Consulting. He started the company in June 2020 after a 29-year career on Wall Street and three years as a teacher at the Pingry School in Basking Ridge, NJ. He also coaches girls lacrosse for Cougar Lacrosse Club in Chatham, NJ, and is an avid golfer.
Woody is a 1985 graduate of Harvard University, where he earned a degree in engineering sciences. He has three adult daughters, and he and his wife Christy live in Morristown, New Jersey.
Robert has been an active member of the St. Johns Board since 2016. A former Marianist “contact” (Province of the United States), Robert still maintains close ties with the Marianists and is an active member of his parish church.
Robert is an attorney who practices law in the tri-state area. He focuses on Insurance and Criminal law matters and routinely represents individuals in a “pro-bono” capacity.
He is a graduate of St. John’s University (1989), and received the Pro-Bono attorney of the year award in 2016 from Touro College- Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, where he graduated in 1994.
Barbara Catoggio Kullen, JD of Shoreham, NY joined the Board of Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York in 2013. A native of Jamaica Estates, NY, Barbara graduated from The Mary Louis Academy and from Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart and received the degree of Juris Doctor from Columbia University School of Law. She thereupon embarked upon a thirty-four year career in corporate and securities law in the financial services industry in New York (including at the Securities and Exchange Commission, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, rapidly-expanding CBWL-Hayden Stone, Shearson, and a Citigroup predecessor.) Meanwhile, Barbara and her husband raised four now-grown children, Rick, Mike, Lisa and Tony.
Shortly after 9/11/2001, Barbara and her husband, the late Richard C. Kullen, Jr., a corporate and corporate finance lawyer, withdrew from the practice of law. Since then, Barbara’s “Retirement Career” has been primarily pro bono work, largely at Little Flower and Little Flower School, including serving as Director and Acting Secretary of Little Flower, Director and Secretary of its affiliate, St. John’s Residence for Boys, Chairman of their joint Audit Committee, and member of their joint Executive and Governance and Nominating committees. She has also been a Classroom and Reading Room Aide in Little Flower School and a leader of song at Campus Masses and Prayer Services and at McSharry ICF.
Additionally, Barbara has served as a member of the Little Flower UFSD School Board, and as Chairman of its Audit Committee, and currently serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee at Shoreham-Wading River CSD.
Her other public service has included Trustee and Finance Committee Member of Manhattanville College, Director and Audit Committee Member of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Greater New York, volunteer at Hope House Ministries, and Village Justice of the village of Shoreham.
Veronica Arikian is a Clinical Associate Professor at the State University of New York, Health Sciences Center, Downstate Medical Center, College of Nursing. Dr. Arikian obtained her BA in English and Education at St. Joseph’s College, Brooklyn, her BS in Nursing at Columbia University and her Master’s degree from New York University. She earned her PhD in Nursing Systems from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is currently the coordinator of research courses at the College. Her teaching expertise is in undergraduate and graduate research, leadership and theory. She has also taught pediatrics and many of the medical surgical courses.
Dr. Arikian has worked clinically in many community positions in the field, in outpatient clinics and in home health. She has also worked in emergency departments, critical care, and in medical-surgical settings. Her research interests are many and varied, and she focuses on mentoring students in their research endeavors. To that end, many of Dr. Arikian’s students have presented posters at several conferences, locally and nationally.
Dr. Arikian serves on several internal committees and also devotes time to board commitments for St. John’s in Rockaway, and Care At Home/Family Home Care of Brooklyn, NY.
Msgr. Bracken was first involved with St. John’s over 50 years ago thru his friendship with the Great Brother Frank Springman and other brothers.
Msgr. Bracken studied at Saint Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore and was ordained a priest on May 27, 1967. He served at St. Francis de Sales, Belle Harbor, until 1977; St. Teresa, Woodside, until 1980 and Our Lady Help of Christians, Midwood, until 1984. He was elected to the Priest Senate and was a member of the College of Consultors. He received his Doctorate from St Francis College in Brooklyn, where he served as a member of the Board of Trustees.
In 1984, Bishop Mugavero appointed him Episcopal Vicar of Vicariate D- later Queens North, where he served as Chairman of the Diocesan Budget Committee. Msgr Bracken chaired the committee which created the Immaculate Conception Center at Douglaston.
In 1991, Bishop Daily asked him to establish the Office of Stewardship and Development with the responsibility for conducting the Annual Diocesan Appeal. Bishop Daily appointed him Director of the Alive in Hope Campaign, which successfully raised more than $77 million benefitting the Parishes and enabled the Diocese to establish the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens.
Msgr. Bracken served as President of the Board of the International Catholic Stewardship Council for six years and was appointed Vicar for Temporalities, where he supervised the establishment of the Diocesan offices at 310 Prospect Park West. He was also named Vicar General for Temporalities (by Bishop DiMarzio) until June 2009.
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI named him a Protonotary Apostolic.
Since leaving the office, Msgr. Bracken has served as Administrator of Holy Name, Windsor Terrace, St. Mary Star of the Sea, and St. Gertrude, Far Rockaway. He assisted at Our Lady Help of Christians and then served at Blessed Trinity in Breezy Point.
In January 2015, Bishop DiMarzio appointed him as administrator of St. Francis de Sales, where he currently resides and assists in the parish. Although he is currently a retired Vicar General of the Diocese of Brooklyn, Msgr. Bracken continues to serve the Diocese as the Director of Patrimony.
I came to St. John’s at the age of 15 years old, in the year of 1985. I came as an angry, lost, unloved, physically and emotionally abused kid who didn’t trust a soul.
I remember the very first evening entering the office of Child Care. The thoughts that were running throughout my mind were far from good. I was ready to defend myself by all means.
Throughout the days, which led to weeks, to months, to years, help me to see that everyone was not out to hurt me. There was staff that made me feel loved and cared for, such as Leon, Mama Deb, Bernard, Stan, Pollagard, Ms. Ann, Ms. Diana, Paul, Nat, Dr. Scallion, Brother Tom, and Gene Walse, to mention a few whom I love unconditionally. These individuals that I’ve mentioned gave me what I needed from my family, which was genuine love.
Throughout the years, I have visited St. John’s to let these individuals know that their work was truly a godsend. Although it didn’t happen overnight, they gave me the ability to love others and accept love from others. But most importantly, they taught me how to allow my self-love to overpower the anger that lived within me.
Over the years, I always wanted to repay these beautiful individuals that so gracefully help me, so I decided in 1990 to give back by helping the same children that needed the same care as I did. I will continue to help those that need it.
“For every negative, there is a positive that lies within if we choose to search for it.”
Corinne Hammons is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York. She is responsible for implementing the strategic vision and mission for Little Flower’s services for children, families, and developmentally disabled adults in New York City and Long Island, including its affiliate St. John’s Residence for Boys. She is responsible for the sustainability, effectiveness, and stewardship of the affiliated organization. Corinne has a longstanding interest in the strategic design and implementation of effective programs to help families reach their full potential while ensuring the organization’s s long-term success and growth. She has deep expertise in strategic thinking and risk management, as well as crisis response and management. She is particularly interested in designing career pathways for emerging leaders in our field and serving as a mentor both formally and informally.
She values the opportunity to collaborate with peer organizations to pursue her passion for innovation and leadership development to benefit all New Yorkers. Corinne sits on the Board of St. John’s Residence for Boys. She serves as the Board Secretary of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island. She is the Audit Committee Chair & Board member of the Human Services Council and sits on the HSC JustPay Steering Committee. She is the Vice President of the Board of Education of the Little Flower Union Free School District. She also sits on the boards of the Catholic Federation of Social Services Agencies in Brooklyn and Queens, the IDD/CW Collaborative, AsOne Healthcare IPA, and SCO Family of Services. She is a mentor to emerging leaders for the Strell Executive Leadership Program at Hunter College.
Corinne holds an AB in Economics from Harvard University and a master’s degree in public administration from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University. She is a graduate of the Energeia Partnership, a regional stewardship program on Long Island. Corinne was the recipient of the Long Island Business News 40 Under 40 in Business award, and the 2019 Notable Women in Human Services Hall of Fame award. She was named one of City & State’s 2020 Responsible 100 as well as one of their 2023 Above and Beyond: Gen X award recipients.
Joseph P. Trainor, ESQ. is proud to be a member of the St. John’s Board of Directors.
Joe has a wealth of experience, ranging from business, government, law, and education. In the 70’s, Joe was the District Representative for Congressman James H. Scheuer. He then entered the education field, teaching at Kingsborough, Nassau Community, Hofstra, Marist College, and C.W. Post. At Marist College he taught courses in a non-traditional environment that were designed to meet the academic requirements of the college as well as to aid in the rehabilitation of the residents.
He is currently semi-retired and practices law out of his Massapequa Park office. He also teaches Political Science as an adjunct at Kingsborough Community College.
Daniel Tubridy joined the board in the summer of 2020.
As a local resident, St. John’s is important to me for many reasons. When I was growing up, I was a part of a basketball clinic during the summer in the park on 109th street. Every year towards the end of the summer we would scrimmage the kids that resided at St. John’s Residence for Boys. After the games we would have a pizza party. It was always a highlight of the summer to get to know some of the boys and it broke down barriers between the residents of the home and the kids from the neighborhood. The experience engrained in me that most of the kids were good guys that had difficult circumstances. I have been very blessed in my professional career and have always looked to give back. Joining the board at St Johns allows me the opportunity to be help.
I attended high school at The Loyola School in Manhattan and from there went on to Rensselaer Polytechnic University and graduated with a B.S. from the Lally School of Management and Technology.
I began working as a project manager at Cigna in Bloomfield Ct from 1999-2001. I moved back to NY and opened my first restaurant in 2002. I co-founded In Good Company Hospitality Group in 2009. We have opened 20 hospitality venues since 2002 ranging from coffee shops to nightclubs. We own and operate some of Manhattans best restaurants such a as the Refinery Rooftop, Park Avenue Tavern and Parker & Quinn. We also own Rockaways most popular restaurant and bar The Bungalow Bar and have almost completed The Rockaway Hotel.
I spend my time with my wife and 3 children as well as the rest of my family. I enjoy playing basketball and coaching my children’s CYO teams.
Father West was ordained to the priesthood on May 30, 1981, at the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in South Ozone Park. After serving there for ten years he was assigned to the parish of St. Francis de Sales in Belle Harbor and then served as pastor of the parishes of St. Peter Claver in Bedford Stuyvesant, and Our Lady of Solace in Coney Island. He is the Pastor of St. Sebastian Church and Corpus Christi Church in Woodside, as well as the Dean of the Queens 2 Deanery.
Father West says, “I have been extremely blessed in my over 40 years of priesthood. I have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people who have been a true blessing to me.”
Father West is a graduate of Tioga Central High School, Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception, and Immaculate Conception Seminary.
