Catherine McAuley Center
for those experiencing homelessness
a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Mercy
Meet Our Team
Executive Director
Krista Somers Murray
Krista Somers Murray is the Executive Director of the Catherine McAuley Center. As Executive Director, Krista leads the Catherine McAuley Center, calling on her previous non-profit management experience at the Lehigh Valley Health Network, the Alzheimer's Association, Wilkes University and the Arthritis Foundation, her New York University psychology degree and passion for empowering women and creating a home in NEPA. Krista oversees the operations of the Center and develops strategy to continue to serve the NEPA community.
Krista currently serves as a board member for the Scranton Housing Authority, the Scranton/Lackawanna County Continuum of Care and the NEPA American Cancer Society Advisory Board. She is a fellow of the Aspen Institute as part of the NEPA Workforce Development Academy.
Krista is proud to call Scranton her home and lives with her husband and two children.
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Program Director
Nicole Guzenski
Nicole Guzenski is the Program Director at the Catherine McAuley Center. She joined the center in 2019 and brings a wide range of implementing community based programs. For several years, she worked in literacy and workforce programming for immigrant and refugee communities at Marywood University, Northampton Community College, and United Neighborhood Centers. This led her to complete a Master's Degree in Cultural Sustainability from Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland.
Nicole is an advocate of diversity and equity but also considers herself an environmentalist. Her dedication to social justice issues such as the environment, education, and women's empowerment earned her a Fulbright Fellowship to India in 2018-2019. There she worked with grass-roots initiatives that develop and mobilize women-led models to expand education, climate-resilient farming, and small business opportunities for women in rural areas.
She loves spending time outside with her family, camping, traveling, and exploring the arts. If you catch her dancing, it's probably to the Talkings Heads.
Operations/HR Director
Diane Matteo
Diane Matteo is the Operations/HR Director of the Catherine McAuley Center. Diane oversees the properties of the center and ensures that everything is in working order. As HR director, she provides HR support to staff and researches and implements new policies to continue to better the Catherine McAuley Center.
With a Spanish major, Public Health minor, and a passion to help those in need, Diane enjoys utilizing her skills and knowledge to make decisions on how the community is served and see the positive changes that are made in an individual's life.
Finance Director
Amber Trunzo
Amber Trunzo is the Finance Director of the Catherine McAuley Center. In the role of Finance Director, Amber is responsible for assisting with the financial planning and budgeting of the organization. She prepares budgets and monitors spending. She is also responsible for reporting to the various funding sources on how grants are being spent.
Amber is part of the 2023-2024 Leadership Lackawanna CORE program and serves as the President of the Lackawanna Trail Friends of Music Booster Club.
She lives in East Benton with her husband, two kids, dog, and 2 guinea pigs.
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Development Director
Mary Pat Ward
Mary Pat Ward is the Development Director for the Center which includes the management of grants, donations, volunteers, and community events. Previous to her time at the Center she worked with victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and grant management of federal dollars through local government. She completed the University of Scranton Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program, was the recipient of the 2020 Margaretta Belin Chamberlain Award, and was honored as the Northeast Woman by the Scranton Times. Mary Pat was once a program participant of the Catherine McAuley Center, utilizing the shelter and participating in one of the housing programs... allowing her to break the cycle of poverty and heal the trauma of homelessness.
She currently serves on the board of Neighbor works NEPA and is wife to Doug, and mother to Izzy.
Mission Coordinator
Sr. Susan Hadzima
Sr. Susan Hadzima, IHM has served as the Director of Programs for the last 13 years and will now be assuming the role of Mission Coordinator at the Catherine McAuley Center. In her new role, Sr. Susan will interact with all parts of the McAuley family to keep in the forefront the spirit, passion, and values of Catherine McAuley herself and the Mercy Sisters who founded this ministry and all of the staff who continue to preserve this mission into the future.
Sr. Susan has a background in language, counseling, and cross-cultural experiences with extensive experience in teaching, leadership, and working with the underserved. Passionate about the importance of education, she also serves on the Board of Directors for the NativityMiguel School of Scranton.
Program Coordinator
Darlene Rybka
Darlene Rybka is a Program Coordinator at the Catherine McAuley Center, serving alongside other dedicated individuals that love what they do! As a case manager, Darlene assists with the needs of CMC participants such as transportation, life skills, providing resources, and much more. With a background in early childhood education, she is able to effectively communicate and interact with the little ones that reside within CMC's interim housing program.
In her spare time, Darlene loves making others laugh and going on adventures with her partner and her dog, Moose. She is a lively and energetic individual that is always willing to lend a helping hand.
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Program Coordinator
Kylia Conaway
Kylia is a Program Coordinator at the Catherine McAuley Center. Although she is currently in a new position, it is not her first time working with the community that the center serves. In fact, Kylia first volunteered at the Catherine McAuley Center in 2018 when she was in her sophomore year at Lackawanna College. During her time there, she had the privilege of working with women and children to build gingerbread houses for Christmas. The experience was so rewarding that she interned for a year in 2021.
Kylia's time spent volunteering at the Catherine McAuley Center has helped cultivate her passion and drive to uplift her community. She feels grateful to be part of an organization that puts the community first and has given her hope and a better outlook for the future of women, children, and families experiencing homelessness.
Program Coordinator
Mandi Vivacqua
Mandi Vivacqua is a program coordinator at Luzerne County Interim Housing in Plymouth, where she works to provide support and resources for women and children experiencing homelessness. With a background in assisting victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, Mandi brings a wealth of knowledge and compassion to her role and was previously a proud member of both the Survivors of Domestic Violence Caucus and the Gender and Sexual Justice Caucus through the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
In addition to her work at the shelter, Mandi is a lover of literature and the arts and she uses her creative skills whenever possible to support the center's development department. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and creating music.
Program Coordinator
Shannon Hollock-Bobbett
Shannon Hollock-Bobbett is a program coordinator at the Catherine Mcauley Center and works with the Permanent Supportive Housing Program for Families.
Shannon enjoys working with the families to help them gain life skills, budget money, achieve goals, and encourage them to advocate for their selves. Shannon is very supportive of her peers as well as her families and loves to see them all become successful. Shannon has gained lots of experience and knowledge over the years from working with families in the Luzerne county area and she is very excited to utilize it with the Catherine Mcauley Center.
Program Coordinator
Tara Gilick
Tara is a Program Coordinator for the Rapid Re-Housing program and has been with the Center since 2014.
What she most enjoys about this position is visiting participants and discussing goals, needs and accomplishments on the journey to self sufficiency.
In her spare time she loves to read. Her favorite season is the fall especially since it is Penn State football season.
Program Coordinator
Tara Joyce
Tara has had an extensive career in social work and community outreach. She began her journey as a VISTA Volunteer at the Catherine McAuley Center from 1995 to 1997, after which she was hired full-time to work on the Health Span Program. Tara found great fulfilment in this program. Tara's dedication to helping others led her to become a caseworker at shelter, where she worked for over 20 years. During this time, she also served as a Transitional Housing For Women caseworker. Currently, Tara is the case manager for the Frances Warde House and Anne's House, as well as the Prison Program For Women.
Despite the many years that have passed, Tara continues to be motivated by the gratitude shown by families who have benefited from her assistance. She has earned a reputation as McAuley's walking and talking directory of resources, and her contributions to the community have made a lasting impact.
Operations Coordinator
Ari Gonzales
Ari is the Operations Coordinator for the Catherine McAuley Center. Ari enjoys working hard to make sure all of the center's properties are safe and functioning for the program participants.
She finds happiness in helping make all participants feel at home and giving them a place to be proud of. She uses her experience in coming to America from the Philippines at a young age to empathize with the trauma such a large change can cause.
At the end of the day, she loves to go home a give love to all of her fur babies.
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Development Coordinator
Sarah Gonzales
Sarah Gonzales is the Development Coordinator for the center. She is the lead for social media and marketing, and graphic design for community events and fundraisers.
She is a fierce advocate for the welfare of animals and dearly loves her menagerie of dogs, cats, chickens, and a baby rooster who is learning to use his crow.
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Board of Directors
Officers
Mary Griffin Cummings, Esq., Chair
Members
Sr. Mary Ellen Brody, RSM
Ammie Feduchak
Stephen H. Franko
Anne Paone Gallagher
Julie Jordan
Sr. Angela Kim, IHM
Kelley Lindsay, CPA
Cheryl McCann
Lori Moran
Krista Somers Murray, Executive Director