Mazzoni Center CEO Lydia Gonzalez-Sciarrino has resigned after seven months in the job.
In a statement released Monday morning, Mazzoni Center representatives said “Sciarrino’s tenure has demonstrated, both to the Board, and to Sciarrino herself, that no single person can lead Mazzoni Center in the way our staff and communities need at this time.”
COO Ron Powers has also resigned after more than 20 years in his position. He declined a request for comment.
It was not immediately clear whether a search is yet underway to replace the outgoing CEO and COO. Both will remain in their positions until Dec. 28.
A three-person group will lead the organization on an interim basis until “the right permanent leadership solution” is determined, the statement added. Those three members are Medical Director Dr. Nancy Brisbon, Care Services Director Alicia Manley and Chief Financial Officer Racquel Assaye.
Preliminary reporting indicates that Gonzalez-Sciarrino felt she could not carry out her vision in leading the organization and believed it was best to leave.
As the first straight ally and Latinx to lead the organization, Gonzalez-Sciarrino came under attack from some employees in Mazzoni Center for her sexual orientation and was the target of an ongoing social-media campaign to replace her.
Gonzalez-Sciarrino, a Puerto Rican-American, worked for six non-profits over the course of her career prior to relocating to Philadelphia to work at Mazzoni Center. Her last post was CEO at the Whole Family Health Center in Ft. Pierce, Fla., where she said she helped stabilize and expand the agency. “I put a structure in place and formalized policies and procedures,” she said. “I also established a chain of command,” she told PGN shortly before beginning her tenure at Mazzoni Center.
With her professional background and education, Gonzalez Sciarrino said she chose to continue in the non-profit field rather than working in the corporate world. Mazzoni Center aligns with her core values, she said, one of which is to improve the lives of others.
“It’s a good fit for me,” she said.
Gonzalez-Sciarrino took over from interim CEO Stephen Glassman in April after a five-month nationwide search to lead the organization, plagued by a sexual-assault scandal in 2017 and ongoing internal turmoil.
“It was a very extensive vetting process,” she told PGN in March. “I feel honored.”
Gonzalez-Sciarrino’s resignation comes months ahead of Mazzoni Center’s 40th anniversary next June. The center has 35,000 clients and an annual budget of $16.5 million, $6 million of which is comprised of federal grants. The balance comes from revenue generated through the health center and private-development funding.
Gonzalez-Sciarrino said in March she was prepared to lead.
“I will not let the organization down,” she said.
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