One of the nation’s oldest children’s services organizations will experience its first leadership transition in 24 years. Philip Coltoff, longtime chief executive officer of the Children’s Aid Society, will retire on October 21 after more than half a century of working for children’s rights. He will be replaced by C. Warren “Pete” Moses, the current executive director. Coltoff started his career in 1956 as teen director at the Williamsburg YM/YWCA, and joined the Children’s Aid Society ten years later. He was named executive director and CEO in 1981. During his tenure, the organization launched its signature community schools initiative, a joint effort with Department of Education to offer in-house health and social services in public schools. It also made significant progress in programs designed to provide foster care, prevent teen pregnancy and encourage enrollment in public health insurance. CEO-to-be Moses has worked for the organization since 1964, and was appointed executive director in 2002. Moses was a key figure in the development of the organization’s community schools program and led the creation of its first five schools in Washington Heights.
Citizens for NYC, a neighborhood development organization, has a new president. Peter Kostmayer, a former U.S. Congress member from Pennsylvania and Clinton administration official, took the position in June. His predecessor, Michael Clark, moved to the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York, where he was named president and executive director. Manhattan-born Kostmayer was elected to the House of Representatives in 1976 when he was only 30, serving for 14 years and before taking a top job at the Environmental Protection Agency under President Clinton. Before Kostmayer joined Citizens for NYC, he was the president of Population Connection, a Washington, D.C.-based conservation group.
The Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS) named Paul Howard its new director of development to oversee the supportive housing organization’s fundraising and external communications. Howard had previously worked in fundraising and program development for several organizations. Most recently, he was director of development for the Church Avenue Merchants Block Association in Brooklyn. Howard joins CUCS at a time when the organization is unveiling several new programs, including new housing for the mentally ill and for youth leaving foster care.
Wendy Bach, Director of the Homeless Outreach and Prevention Project in the Urban Justice Center, is leaving her post this week. After four years of fighting for public benefits for low-income New Yorkers at the UJC, including work on the Council Access to Training and Education (CATE) bill, Bach, is taking a full time teaching job at the Clinical Law Program at CUNY Law School. The UJC is searching for her successor.
Robert Radtke joined Episcopal Relief and Development on July 5 as president of the New York-based relief agency. A renowned scholar in Asian political and socio-economic issues, Radtke was most recently senior vice president at the Asia Society. He also served as vice president of the Business Council for the United Nations. He succeeded Sandra Swan, who retired after leading the agency for six years.
