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Feature News | Friday, April 20, 2018

‘I’m just a social worker at heart’

Peter Routsis-Arroyo settles into new role as Catholic Charities CEO

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In his office in Wilton Manors, Peter Routsis-Arroyo, shows the welcome cards and artwork given to him by children affiliated with Catholic Charities programs in Dade and Broward counties. Previously head of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Venice, he began his work of CEO at Catholic Charities in the archdiocese of Miami at the end of January. He has been traveling since to Charities sites throughout the archdiocese.

Photographer: TOM TRACY | FC

In his office in Wilton Manors, Peter Routsis-Arroyo, shows the welcome cards and artwork given to him by children affiliated with Catholic Charities programs in Dade and Broward counties. Previously head of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Venice, he began his work of CEO at Catholic Charities in the archdiocese of Miami at the end of January. He has been traveling since to Charities sites throughout the archdiocese.

WILTON MANORS | He’s still getting used to the names of the many townships and suburbs and communities from the Florida Keys to the northern tip of Broward County.

And some of those places are still a little unfamiliar, including the hurricane Irma-impacted Florida Keys, with their many names.

But Catholic Charities’ new CEO, Peter Routsis-Arroyo, is no stranger to driving long distances throughout Florida: He served as CEO of Catholic Charities in the sprawling Diocese of Venice from 2001 until his first day on the job for the Miami Archdiocese at the end of January.

Routsis-Arroyo is succeeding Deacon Richard Turcotte, longtime CEO of Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Miami, who fully retires June 30. (See related story)

Wearing his Knights of Columbus sports shirt and sorting through some of his personal effects in his new office in Wilton Manors, Routsis-Arroyo sifts through welcome cards and artwork given to him by children affiliated with Catholic Charities programs in Dade and Broward counties, including housing and early childhood facilities — both of which occupy a large share of Catholic Charities’ budget and priorities.

A native of Queens, New York, and a licensed social worker who graduated from New York University with a master's degree in social work, he was employed from 1993 until 1998 with Catholic Family Services in Hartford, Connecticut as clinical director/senior management team and director of the Institute for the Hispanic Family.

In his office in Wilton Manors, Peter Routsis-Arroyo, the new CEO of Catholic Charities in the archdiocese of Miami, has displayed some of his personal decor, including a Robert Sengstacke picture of Martin Luther King Jr.

Photographer: TOM TRACY | FC

In his office in Wilton Manors, Peter Routsis-Arroyo, the new CEO of Catholic Charities in the archdiocese of Miami, has displayed some of his personal decor, including a Robert Sengstacke picture of Martin Luther King Jr.

Routsis-Arroyo moved to southwest Florida more than 20 years ago, and comes to the Miami area fresh off the considerable experience of marshalling response and recovery from hurricane Irma around the Diocese of Venice.

The hurricane had a profound impact on communities, churches and rural life from Marco Island to Fort Myers as well as farmworker communities west of I-75. Catholic Charities Venice includes a portfolio of 27 service and other locations covering a 10-county area in southwest Florida. The hurricane became a statewide and even national moment of coordination and response.

 

‘HELP EACH OTHER’

“When the storm was earmarked for Miami I called Richard (Turcotte) here to say that if we don’t get too much damage on the west coast let me know how I can be of help. And then two days later the hurricane shifted and it was earmarked for the west coast and Richard was calling to say I will see how much help I can give you if it's coming your way,” Routsis-Arroyo said. “That is how we work statewide: We all try to help each other out.”

A fluent Spanish-speaker born to Puerto Rican and Greek parents, Routsis-Arroyo took his senior staff on a fact-finding mission to sites in the Middle and Lower Florida Keys in early March to assess hurricane Irma recovery efforts in the archdiocese.

The Florida Keys has long been suffering from an affordable housing crisis and Catholic Charities is in the process of expanding its St. Bede’s housing programing in Key West.

“We have hurricane recovery staff down there providing assistance and case management as we speak, help with rent and utilities and that will be long term,” he said. “We have a tremendously dedicated, mission-driven staff.”

In addition to Catholic religious artwork and personal photos that adorn his new office, a Robert Sengstacke picture of Martin Luther King Jr. hangs over his desk.

On an opposite wall is a favorite Biblical quote: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matt 25:40).

There are also the family pictures showing his wife Maria, a Colombia native and herself a social worker, and the couple’s four young adult children and one adopted child, a niece. The eldest son lives and works as a teacher in Madrid, Spain.

 

FLAGSHIP AGENCY

Routsis-Arroyo said he always looked at Miami’s Catholic Charities as the “mother,” the flagship of Florida’s Catholic Charities enterprises: “It has the longest history, it is the largest agency, with more established federal and state-granted programs.”

He added that Archbishop Thomas Wenski and the archdiocesan chancellors “are very supportive of the work of Catholic Charities and the mission.”

There are also larger urban dynamics and fewer rural locations in Miami compared to southwest Florida, he noted, adding that many people may not fully realize the many ties and relationships between constituent Catholic Charities programing and many of the parishes. “There are some real linkages to providing services.”

Routsis-Arroyo said he looks forward to strengthening other key relationships and partnerships with such entities as St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Knights of Columbus, university internship programs and more.

Routsis-Arroyo praised Deacon Turcotte for re-establishing mental health-related counseling services throughout the area with four full-time clinicians. “It is not just a service for parishioners but open to everybody,” he said. “That is a wonderful way to connect with our constituencies.”

Services for children and families remain the bedrock of Catholic Charities’ programs, with six sites offering Head Start. That makes Catholic Charities the largest provider of Head Start in Miami apart from the Miami-Dade County public schools.

In his office in Wilton Manors, Peter Routsis-Arroyo, previously head of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Venice, has begun his role of serving as CEO of Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Miami. He has been traveling to Charities sites throughout the archdiocese.

Photographer: TOM TRACY | FC

In his office in Wilton Manors, Peter Routsis-Arroyo, previously head of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Venice, has begun his role of serving as CEO of Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Miami. He has been traveling to Charities sites throughout the archdiocese.

Conversely, Catholic Charities’ refugee resettlement programming nationally has been cut in many places, Routsis-Arroyo noted, and as those programs have been scaled back Charities agencies around the U.S. have endeavored to cross-train impacted staff and move them into other areas of service.

In Florida, funding for refugees has been curtailed in general, he added, but Charities staff here well reflect the diversity and languages of the South Florida region. Overall, the array of Charities services in the archdiocese remain “cradle to grave,” from senior adult day care services to adoption home studies services.

 

SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Routsis-Arroyo summed up the thrust of Charities programming as helping people and families move toward self-sufficiency, “where people have their own home or apartment, with solid family values and a holistic approach on our part to support all that.”

“I’m just a social worker at heart, but the good Lord challenges us and I’ve learned that, given my business background as well, that I can also make greater impact and change as a CEO,” he said.

On a personal note, Routsis-Arroyo said he enjoys the occasional game of golf, loves all sports and played baseball throughout college. His favorite team is the New York Yankees and he enjoys getting to spring training games in Florida.

He said he is residing in Hollywood as he gets to the know the region “until my wife is ready and we look for something a little more permanent. You can’t be living in Miami and fighting that traffic every day to work up here, so Richard was a good guide and knew exactly where I needed to be looking.”

Msgr. Roberto Garza, chair of the archdiocese’s Catholic Charities Board of Directors, noted that Routsis-Arroyo “has a strong commitment to the mission of Catholic Charities and possesses a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will help the agency move forward both strategically and operationally.”

For his part, Deacon Turcotte noted that Routsis-Arroyo’s appointment concluded an exhaustive and successful executive search, which will positively impact the future of the agency.

“The remaining months of my tenure will be busy with transitioning the organization to new leadership and preparing for the next phase of life,” he said. “It is impossible to thank everyone who has so abundantly blessed my life as CEO of Catholic Charities.”

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