As Queens Community House celebrates its 50th anniversary as one of the borough’s largest and most impactful social service organizations, its Board of Directors Executive Committee has unanimously approved a change in the title of its senior officer, Ben Thomases, from executive director to chief executive officer (CEO). The new title reflects the organization’s dramatic growth under Thomases’ leadership over the past decade.
When he was appointed executive director in 2014, QCH had an annual operating budget of $14 million. Currently, the organization has grown to a $44 million agency serving 28,000 people each year through 40 program sites in 15 Queens neighborhoods.
“The title of executive director reflected an earlier era when QCH was a smaller organization,” QCH Board of Directors President Michael Stellman said. “Over the past decade, Ben has transformed QCH into one of the city’s leading settlement houses. Under his leadership, the organization’s operating budget has tripled, and our reach now extends to 28,000 Queens residents annually.”
He added that Thomases led critical capital and advocacy campaigns, modernized QCH facilities, and built a professional executive team that includes a chief financial officer, chief program officer, chief operating officer and chief strategy officer.
“With this team in place, Ben’s focus will increasingly center on long-term strategy, fundraising, and deepening QCH’s standing as a trusted and dynamic institution in Queens and New York City,” Stellman said. “The Board is proud to recognize the scale and impact of his contributions with the title of chief executive officer.”
QCH provides individuals and families with the tools to enrich their lives and build healthy, inclusive communities. Through a broad network of programs, the organization offers Queens residents a needed support system at every stage of life, helping them to develop the knowledge, confidence and skills to change their lives for the better and become active participants in a larger community.
“I am proud of everything that the team at QCH and I have accomplished together, honored to lead this amazing organization, grateful to the board for all of its support over 10 years, and excited about the positive change we will make here in Queens for years to come,” Thomases said.
QCH recently promoted Robin Veenstra-VanderWeele to chief program officer (CPO), a newly created role that will help further integrate and strengthen the organization’s programming. She has led QCH’s Youth Services department for the past four years and will now oversee all four core program areas — Youth Services, Young Adult Services, Community Services, and Older Adult Services — ensuring alignment with QCH’s mission and responsiveness to the borough’s evolving needs.
Veenstra-Vanderweele brings over two decades of public and nonprofit leadership experience, and her promotion reflects QCH’s continued investment in strong leadership and coordinated service delivery across Queens.
