Aspire of WNY is proud and excited to announce the addition of Christa “Chris” Cutrona as the new Chief Operating Officer at the agency.
Cutrona comes to Aspire of WNY with decades of relevant experience in clinical operations, chronic disease management, strategic planning, compliance, primary and emergency care, people administration, relationship building, and behavioral health. Most recently, she held leadership positions as the Erie County Director of Correctional Health Service and the Executive Program Director of PACE at Fallon Health Weinberg, Inc.
She holds an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science, a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, and a Master of Science in Executive Leadership and Change. She is also a registered Professional Nurse.
Cutrona takes over for Maria Torgalski, who departed the agency earlier in 2023. After an extensive search and interview process, she was selected by the leadership team and other committee representatives to lead operations across our footprint. Heading the search was a local talent agency, Catapult. Cutrona had her first day at the agency on June 6, 2023.
At Aspire of WNY, Cutrona will oversee all service operations for the agency that serves more than 3,600 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Operations under her purview include residential opportunities, health care, environmental and safety, information technology, and regulatory compliance throughout Erie, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Niagara counties.
“Christa brings strategy and operations experience to our leadership team,” said Jen Ball, Chief Financial Officer at Aspire of WNY. “Throughout the search, we found that Christa’s strengths complement the team, the strategic plan, and the individuals we support. Having her on board paves the way for the innovative future of our agency.”
“We have selected Christa as our next COO because of her ability to work with internal and external stakeholders to continually improve systems and policies and procedures to enable support professionals to provide outstanding care to individuals and their families,” said Renee Filip, President and CEO of Aspire of WNY. “Additionally, Christa will be an integral part of Aspire of WNY’s strategic plan as we continue to be thought leaders and innovators in the intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) space.”
Cutrona is excited to lead operations at the agency.
“Aspire of WNY is a legacy institution in WNY. Joining the team is a fantastic opportunity and a chance for my experience to help shape the agency’s future and help serve the individuals with disabilities that we support.”
ABOUT ASPIRE OF WNY: At Aspire of WNY, we are driven by the core belief that children and adults with developmental disabilities have the right to realize their full potential and live as independently as possible. Aspire of WNY compassionately and relentlessly works toward facilitating this end.
Our total commitment is to the development of innovative, individualized programs, continual integration of the developmentally disabled within the community, and providing full-service solutions to the populations it serves, making Aspire of WNY the leading agency of its kind and a true asset to the Western New York Community.
Aspire of WNY is celebrating its 76th year of supporting 3,000+ individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the WNY area. Aspire of WNY is a large employer with 1,500+ associates.