Queens Pride House appoints Silvia Dutchevici executive director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more info., contact:
Pauline Park
President, Board of Directors
(718) 424-4003
(718) 662-8893
paulinepark@earthlink.net
PPark@queenspridehouse.org
Queens Pride House
76-11 37th Avenue, Suite 206
Jackson Heights, NY 11372
(718) 429-5309
http://www.queenspridehouse.org/
New York, 3 October 2011 — Queens Pride House today announced the appointment of Silvia M. Dutchevici as its executive director, succeeding Peter N. Pavich, who served as interim executive director from January through August. Dutchevici (pronounced 'doot-*kay*-vitch') is currently a psychotherapist in private practice and until recently was the director of crisis shelters at Sanctuary for Families, where she oversaw the clinical and administrative supervision of shelter staff. Under her supervision, the social services staff at Sanctuary for Families worked with domestic violence survivors to empower women and their families.
Dutchevici obtained her master's degree in social work (MSW) from New York University (NYU). She is also a graduate of the New School for Social Research with a master's degree (MA) in psychology and a BA in religious studies and political science from Fordham University. Dutchevici trained at the Bellevue/NYU Survivors of Torture Program and the Parent Child Center of the New York Psychoanalytic Society. She specializes in working with people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, refugees, and adult survivors of trauma and childhood sexual abuse; she has a particular interest in the roles that religion, culture, class and race play in society and how they influence identity.
"Silvia has significant experience working with LGBT clients as well as with victims of gender-based violence and human trafficking" noted Pauline Park, president of the board of directors of Queens Pride House, the only LGBT community center in the borough. "That background will be extremely useful in the work that she will do as executive director of Queens Pride House," Park added.
Dutchevici was born in Romania and as a human rights activist there, she wrote papers advocating for the decriminalization of homosexuality under Romanian law; her writings helped mobilize non-governmental organizations to lobby for the removal of the sodomy statute. She also worked with local organizations in Romania to help promote women's rights and human rights more broadly. While on the staff of the Princess Margarita of Romania Foundation, a humanitarian organization working with orphanages throughout the country, Dutchevici worked with orphans, provided technical assistance, and educated staff on giving better care. Dutchevici also did fundraising for the only ward for HIV+ children in Romania, at Colentina Hospital in Bucharest.
Before working for Sanctuary for Families, Dutchevici was on the staff of the Arab American Family Support Center, the Ms. Foundation for Women, and the International League for Human Rights. She is a member of the National Social Work Association, the New York City Intimate Partner Violence Task Force, and the United Nations Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Committee on Mental Health. Dutchevici has presented at the International Conference on Violence, Abuse and Trauma, and throughout the years she has lectured at Fordham University and NYU. She is a founding board member of the Black Women's Blueprint and was profiled in the 25th edition of Who's Who of American Women.
"Queens Pride House will host an open house to introduce Silvia Dutchevici to the community," said Charles J. Ober, board treasurer. "We'd like to invite everyone to join us at the reception for her from 6-8:30 p.m. on Friday, October 14," Ober added. The event will take place at Queens Pride House in Jackson Heights and will be open to all. For more info., call Queens Pride House at (718) 429-5309.
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