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Our Leadership

St. John’s leadership team takes on the responsibility and challenges of protecting and caring for those it serves every day.  Each member of the team puts the needs of the youth and families we serve above all else. The senior executive team’s extensive collective background in the health and human services fields allows for strategic planning and adaptability in a changing landscape.

Jennifer Horsley

Executive Director

Cynthia Vargas

Administrative Director of Programs and Operations

Elizabeth Jones

Director of Social Services, Close to Home

Eugene Daniels

Director of the Non-Secure Detention

Johnny Arcuri

Director of Residential Services, RTC.

Kateca Wyette

Director of Permanency Planning, RTC.

Vanessa Quinones

Divisional Director of Residential Services, Close to Home

Basmattie Dookie

Program Support Director

Jennifer Horsley

Executive Director

Jennifer Horsley brings more than 20 years of child welfare and non-profit experience. Since starting her career, she has worked in multiple roles within the child welfare continuum – a case planner, supervisor, director, and Executive Director. She began her career in 1995 as a case planner in the adoption and therapeutic foster boarding home programs at Little Flower. She is known for steadily taking on more responsibility and greater challenges, landing her the leadership role of director of Foster Care and the Preparing Youth for Adulthood (PYA) program at Little Flower. She previously co-chaired the strategic plan implementation process.

In December 2018, Jennifer stepped up to fill the role of interim Executive Director of St. John’s Residence for Boys, a residential child welfare and juvenile justice program in Queens, New York. Jennifer was appointed the permanent position of Executive Director in July 2019. She also serves as Vice President on Little Flower’s Senior Executive Council. Her experience with teens in the foster care system has been a great asset to St. John’s and continues to have a positive impact.

Jennifer earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Social Work from Adelphi University and is the recipient of the first Little Flower Board President’s Award in 2017. She also serves on the board of directors for the Council of Family and Child Care Agencies ( COFCCA) and Community Action for Human Services (CAHS). Jennifer co-chairs the COFCCA Residential Care Committee. She is a long-time resident of Queens and continues to reside there with her family.

Cynthia Vargas

Administrative Director of Programs and Operations

Cynthia Vargas has dedicated her career to improving the lives of underserved populations in New York City. As the Administrative Director of Programs and Operations at St. John’s Residence for Boys since April 2024, she brings over 20 years of experience in child welfare and mental health services. Cynthia’s journey began in Manhattan Family Court, where she worked with youth facing behavioral challenges such as truancy and substance use. It was in these early years that she discovered her lifelong passion: making a meaningful difference in the lives of those who need it most.

As her career has progressed—moving from Case Planner to Supervisor, Director, Senior Director, and now her current role at St. John’s—Cynthia’s commitment to serving vulnerable communities has only deepened. Along the way, she earned her MSW from Fordham University, became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and completed the Seminar in Field Instruction (SIFI) program at NYU. For Cynthia, the greatest reward has been witnessing the resilience and growth of the youth she serves, while also developing strong teams united by a shared mission.

At St. John’s, Cynthia works to streamline best practices in intake, mental health, and health services, all with the goal of improving youth outcomes, supporting permanency, and strengthening the agency’s internal capacity. She is frequently seen interacting with the youth in her office, always stocked with snacks, or collaborating with her colleagues to share ideas and drive positive change.

Outside of work, Cynthia enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, and dog in Brooklyn. Both in her career and personal life, she is driven by the belief that every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive.

Elizabeth Jones

Director of Social Services, Close to Home

Elizabeth Jones joined St. John’s in 2017 as the Case Planner for the Social Services department for the NSP program. In November 2021, she transitioned to become the Director of Social Services for the Close to Home programs.

Elizabeth has been working with adolescents for 14 years and held positions at the Office of Mental Health and the Department of Justice.

She earned her B.S in Criminal Justice from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island and earned her M.A in Forensic Linguistics at Hofstra University.

Eugene Daniels

Facility Director of the Non-Secure Detention

Eugene Daniels is the Facility Director of the Non-Secure Detention (NSD) Program and has been with the agency for the past 15 years. Throughout his tenure, Eugene has held multiple roles within the NSD program. He began as a per-diem Youth Development Counselor (YDC) and, within three years, was promoted to a supervisory position, also taking on responsibilities as a case manager. Two years later, he advanced to Program Supervisor, and in 2020, he was promoted to Facility Director.

Eugene earned his B.A. in Theater Arts from Stony Brook University and later obtained a master’s degree in teaching students with Disabilities from Touro College. His passion has always been working with teens—helping them overcome obstacles, navigate struggles, and achieve their goals in life.

Johnny Arcuri

Director of Residential Services

Johnny Arcuri received a bachelors and masters degree in psychology and is currently enrolled in an MBA program to earn a Master’s in Business Administration with a focus in Organizational Leadership and Finance. He has been part of the organization for almost 9 years. Arcuri started his career at St. John’s as an intern while attending Graduate school and has since moved on to work in both the department of Permanency Planning and Residential Services.

He currently holds certifications as a trainer in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention and Certificates in the following areas through completed course work: Coaching, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, Leading People, Difficult Interactions, Developing Employees.

Kateca Wyette

Director of Permanency Planning

With a distinguished career spanning law enforcement, legal services, and social work, Kateca Wyette brings a wealth of expertise in criminal justice operations, case management, behavioral health, and program administration. Her extensive background in public service demonstrates a deep commitment to community safety, advocacy, and policy-driven social change.

Beginning her career as a Police Cadet with the NYPD, Miss Wyette developed hands-on experience in domestic violence protocols, intelligence gathering, and law enforcement administration. She supervised cadet trainees, managed payroll processes, compiled COMPSTAT crime reports, and liaised with federal and international agencies. In their role as a Paralegal with the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, she supported criminal investigations, prepared legal documents for prosecution, coordinated trial schedules, and worked closely with law enforcement to assemble case files for hearings and trials.

Currently serving as the Director of Permanency Planning at St. John’s Residence for Boys, Miss Wyette oversees multiple departments, including Fair Futures, Case Planning, and Multisystemic Therapists. She leads staff training, ensures compliance with ACS regulations, facilitates family reunification efforts, and advocates for immigrant youth in foster care. Her leadership ensures high-quality case planning, permanency solutions, and trauma-informed care for at-risk youth.

Her experience also includes serving as a Youth Counselor/Administrator with the Office of Children and Family Services, where she oversaw security operations, coordinated emergency response efforts, conducted safety audits, and managed crisis intervention protocols to ensure the well-being of youth in residential care.

With a strong background in behavioral health, Miss Wyette previously worked as a Residential Program Supervisor for the Institute for Community Living (OMH/HUD Contract), overseeing a 60-bed mental health facility. Her responsibilities included crisis intervention, staff training, quality assurance, and compliance with federal and state regulations. They worked closely with law enforcement, the ACT teams and community agencies to support individuals with severe mental health conditions and housing instability.

Vanessa Quinones

Director of Residential Services, RTC

Vanessa Quinones joined the St. John’s Residence for Boys team in 2014 as the unit manager of a Non-Secure Placement program in Queens. In 2016, she became the Residential Director for two Non-Secure Placement programs Queens.

In October 2020 she transitioned to the Divisional Director of Residential Services as the Residential Treatment Program (RTC). The RTC serves youth ages 12 to 21+ living on the St. John’s campus who are working towards reunification with a caring adult and/or preparing to transition to independent living.

In July 2024, the agency was awarded additional contracts under ACS’s Close to Home programs. Vanessa was reassigned solely to ACS’s Close to Home Non-Secure Placement program with the expansion of Juvenile Justice programs to include two Limited Secure Placement programs in Brooklyn, two Non-Secure Placement programs in Queens and a Transitional Residential Center facility on Staten Island.

Prior to St. John’s, she worked for the Jacob Riis Settlement House for almost 20 years developing, monitoring, and implementing programs for youth ages 5 to 24 years old. Vanessa developed work-scopes, budgets and engaged in large scale community event planning.

Vanessa is a Certified MYSI trainer and Certified LGBTQ trainer. She holds a master’s degree in public administration and is a Graduate of the Columbia Middle-Management Program. She has over 25 years working with youth. She is a mother of two beautiful daughters and a grandma of three beautiful and amazing grandchildren.

Basmattie Dookie

Program Support Director

Basmattie Dookie joined the St. John’s Team in January 2024, where she worked as case planner, then case planner supervisor, before transitioning to the role of Director of Program Support for all the St. John’s programs. She works closely with the Administrative Director of Programs and Operations to support the following departments: Medical and Mental Health, Training, Conferencing (RTC), and Intake (RTC).

Basmattie holds an MA in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence and an MS in Global Health from Brandeis University. She has previous experience working and volunteering with NGOs that focus on access to healthcare services and immigration/migration. She holds a BA in Government from Bowdoin College.