Courtesy Saratoga Bridges
Jane Mastaitis will become the new chief executive officer of Saratoga Bridges effective Oct. 1.
Mastaitis will replace longtime CEO Valerie Muratori, who is retiring after 38 years of service to the agency.
Since 1991, Mastaitis has been the agency’s chief financial officer.
“Valerie Muratori has been not just the face of Saratoga Bridges, but the backbone of the agency. For 38 years, she guided us through tremendous growth as well as recent challenges,” said Dr. Lawrence Fein, the agency’s board of directors president, in a press release.
He said the group’s succession team conducted an extensive search process and chose Mastaitis.
“Jane has been a pillar of our organization as well for many years. She will be bringing her experience, leadership skills and enthusiasm to the CEO position during this very difficult period for agencies who provide services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” Fein said.
Mastaitis will provide leadership for all aspects of Saratoga Bridges operations and is responsible for implementing policies and programs to carry out the work of the organization with an emphasis on long-term goals, growth and sustainability in the alignment of their strategic plan.
A results-driven nonprofit financial manager with sound knowledge of industry regulations and a firm grasp of successful fiscal management strategies, Mastaitis has extensive experience in accountability, strong leadership skills and a history of success in demanding environments
She has kept the organization financially stable; developed numerous solutions to different business challenges; assisted in making strategic decisions; protected organizational assets with well-developed and maintained internal controls systems; enhanced budgeting processes by educating department leaders on financial concerns; assisted the board, CEO and administrators on budget and financial report analysis; enhanced agency functionality with forward-thinking recommendations based on in-depth reviews of their strategic plan; evaluated partnerships and acquisitions with strategic financial advice; and served as liaison between the organization and its stakeholders.
Prior to Saratoga Bridges, Mastaitis was the controller at The Rehabilitation Center – NYSARC Inc. Cattaraugus County. She was recognized as one of the 2013 Albany Business Review’s CFOs of the Year and one of Saratoga Today newspaper’s 2016 Women of Influence, participated in The Arc NY’s Leadership Institute in 2020, graduated from Leadership Saratoga in 2012 and has served on the board of Saratoga PLAN as treasurer since 2016. Mastaitis received her bachelor’s degree in accounting and business management from the University of Pittsburgh.
Saratoga Bridges also recently welcomed Dorothy Broekhuizen as its new chief operating officer, replacing Greg Cuda who retired after 30 years with the agency.
Broekhuizen is responsible for assisting the CEO in leading, developing and overseeing the day-to-day administration of services to ensure it remains at a consistent high level and with a person-centered focus while maintaining the programmatic structure and regulatory requirements.
Broekhuizen has extensive experience in quality assurance and compliance across all programmatic departments. In her different roles, she has created teams to address many challenges concerning service delivery, fiscal standards, outside regulatory bodies, investigations, satisfaction surveys and family interactions.
Prior to being promoted, Broekhuizen has held numerous other positions in the agency including assistant director of quality and compliance, compliance officer, quality assurance coordinator, day habilitation coordinator, program coordinator and direct support professional. She received the Saratoga Bridges General Excellence Award in 2005 and 1995 and graduated in 2018 from the organization’s Leadership Institute. Broekhuizen has a bachelor of arts degree from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.
One of the largest private non-profit organizations in Saratoga County, Saratoga Bridges has been providing programs to people with developmental disabilities and their families for more than 60 years.