Carmen Villa-Lugo, Esq., Chairwoman

Carmen J. Villa-Lugo is a Latina of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent, born in NYC. A life long resident of The Bronx, she has dedicated her career to community service.

She joined the Acacia Network Family as a Board Member in 1997. Over the last 22 years, she has been a member of and held Officer positions on the Board of Directors of many of the entities that operate under the Acacia Tree. In 2018, she was elected as Chairwoman of the Acacia Network Board of Directors.

A graduate of The City College of New York (CUNY) and New York Law School, Ms. Villa-Lugo is admitted to practice law in New York State as well as The Supreme Court of the United States. She has served as Court Attorney to several Judges in the Civil Court of the City of New York, Bronx Count y, for over 20 years.

In addition to practicing law, Ms. Villa-Lugo has worked extensively in the area of social and housing services for several non profit organizations.

She balances her commitments with strong faith as a member of Tercera Iglesia Bautista and a rich family life with her Husband, Twin Daughters and Grandchildren.

Milagros Baez O’Toole, Vice Chairwoman

Milagros Baez O’Toole has been Active in civic affairs since 1965, currently serving as Board Vice Chair of Acacia Network, Inc. and as a member of the Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center Executive Board. Mrs. O’Toole is a founding member of the 100 Hispanic Women National, Inc. where she served as President, until recently, and continues her active participation as President Emerita.

Her career in Public Service spanned over 35 years. Prior to her retirement from Public Service, she served in the Giuliani administration as Deputy Commissioner for Administration for various NYC Agencies, including the Department of Probation, Human Resources Administration and Office of General Services. Before that, Mrs. O’Toole was the first woman and Puerto Rican appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo to the position of Deputy Commissioner for Operations for the NYS Office of General Services where she served from 1986 to 1995.

Mrs. O’Toole is the recipient of various honors and awards for her community service and her Professional areas of expertise. She holds a degree in Management of Human Resources.

She was born in San German, Puerto Rico and came to New York City with her parents in 1951. She resides in the Bronx and Columbia County, New York. She has 3 children, and the proud grandmother of 6 grandchildren and 2 great grandsons.

Henry Comas, Secretary

Henry Comas is a lifelong resident of New York City. He received his Bachelors Degree in Urban Planning from the State University of Buffalo. In addition to serving on the Acacia Network Board of Directors, Mr. Comas is a member of the Board of Directors of East Harlem Council for Community Improvement (EHCCI), a branch of Acacia Network.

Mr. Comas holds the title of Operational Specialist for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development Regional Administrator Office, where he coordinates programs with other federal, state and local agencies to assure effective linkages. Additionally, he serves as the New York Region II Continuity of Operations Coordinator. His twenty-year career at HUD has made Mr. Comas an expert in intergovernmental relations and various Federal urban programs.

Wilfred Renta, Member

Wilfred Renta has dedicated his 47-year career to public service in New York City. After his Army discharge in 1970, he began his career in public service starting at the South Brooklyn Community Corporation as a part-time Bookkeeper, and left three years later as the Fiscal Officer. After South Brooklyn, he joined the firm of Victor Tractenberg CPA, which monitors and provides oversight for the Community Corporation in Brooklyn, part of CAP (Council Against Poverty). After his tenure with the CPA firm, he joined CDA (now DYCD) for two years as the Director of Technical Assistant Unit. He later joined the East Harlem Council for Community Improvement (EHCCI), where he moved up the ranks during his 15-year stay with the organization.

In 1996, Mr. Renta joined the Neighborhood Association for Intercultural Affairs (NAICA), where he served as the CFO. At NAICA, he helped lead a team of public service professionals that serve adults, families and seniors while providing culturally sensitive services to adults, youth, seniors and families facing eviction. He currently serves as the Treasurer of Acacia’s Corporate Branch 1, which includes Social Service and Affordable Housing and is a member of the Finance and Auditing committees.

Outside of the office, Mr. Renta has been part of the 111th Street Boys Stickball Organization for 25 years, where he has helped organize the well-known 111th Street “Old Timers Day,” a yearly community celebration that is nearing its 53rd anniversary. His extensive list of accomplishments throughout his career is unmatched by his dedication to mobilize the communities he serves.

Iris W. Ramírez, Member

Iris W. Ramírez was raised in Peñuelas, Puerto Rico and in Waterbury, Connecticut. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Ms. Ramírez has been a Bronx resident since 2001. Ms. Ramirez also serves as Treasurer on the Casa Promesa Board and as Secretary on the South Bronx Management Company Board, both subsidiaries of the Acacia Network.

Ms. Ramírez has been serving the community for a number of years. She has been a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City since 2004 and is a founding member of Latino Bigs, an affinity group of Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City. Ms. Ramírez is also a founding member of the Bronx Volunteerism Coalition which works to increase Bronx resident participation in volunteer-driven groups. She also serves on the Board of Mercy Center located in the South Bronx. Ms. Ramírez works as a Paralegal specializing in Business Immigration Law.

Raul Russi, President & CEO

Raul Russi is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Acacia Network, Inc. As such, he provides executive management of the day to day operations of the largest Puerto Rican-founded organization in New York, with an annual budget of more than $300 million in revenue and $400 million in assets. Acacia Network employs more than 2,500 individuals and serves over 120,000 people a year in the areas of Primary Healthcare, Behavioral Health, Substance Abuse Treatment, Affordable Housing, Transitional Housing for the Homeless families and individuals in partnership with the City of New York, Real Estate Development and Management in New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Florida and Puerto Rico, as well as Economic Development. In 2012, Hispanic Business magazine recognized Acacia Network as the 2 nd largest Latino Non Profit Organization in the United States and in 2013 and in 2013 Hispanic Executive Newsletter (http://hispanicexecutive.com/2013/acacia-network/ featured Raul in an article New York’s Finest.

Raul was born in Patillas, Puerto Rico and migrated to Buffalo, New York with his family as a child. His professional career began in 1971, when he joined the Buffalo Police Department and became Buffalo’s first Hispanic police officer. During his fifteen year career as a police officer, he excelled as a dedicated and conscientious officer and arrested and convicted more violent offenders than any other officer in the department’s history. He is also credited with implementing recruitment initiatives to increase minority hiring. He retired after he was shot in the line of duty in 1985. He was awarded the Department’s Purple Heart. He then joined the State Commission of Correction’s Citizens Policy and Complaint Review Council. In 1986, he became Superintendent of the Erie County New York Correctional Facility. Three years later, he was appointed Chairman of the New York State Parole Board and CEO of the Division of Parole by Governor Mario Cuomo. In 1995, he became the first Puerto Rican/Latino Sheriff of the City of New York. As Sheriff, he led an agency of 346 personnel and managed the collection of approximately $100 million in outstanding judgment debts on behalf of the City of New York and private sector clients.

Raul also built an impressive record of accomplishment in the human service arena beginning in the early seventies. In 1973, he created the Consortium of Spanish Speaking Organizations, the first full service agency headed by a Puerto Rican/Latino in Buffalo, followed by the founding of the Western New York Hispanic and Friends Civic Association. He provided the leadership and spearheaded the creation of Western New York’s first residential substance abuse treatment program, Horizon Village, then incorporated and chaired the board of La Alternativa, Buffalo’s first Hispanic based substance abuse prevention program. He then merged La Alternativa with two other organizations to create Buffalo’s largest Hispanic Organization, Hispanos Unidos de Buffalo, which has joined the Acacia Network as an affiliate since 2011.

In 1996, Raul was appointed Commissioner for the New York City Department of Probation, the nation’s second largest Probation Department. Additionally, he has held positions as the Executive Vice President of America Works, where he developed a program that focused on training and securing employment opportunities for individuals affected by the criminal justice system. In 2001 he became the Executive Director of Basics, Inc. and led Basics until 2009 when it affiliated with Promesa and established the network he now leads, Acacia Network, Inc.

Raul Russi has four children and lives in Manhattan with his wife, Rody Reyes-Russi, his daughter Crystal and his youngest son, Joshua.

Hon. Hector L. Diaz, Former President

The Honorable Hector L. Diaz was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Prior to his appointment as President of Acacia Network, he served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for BASICS/Promesa Systems, Inc. Mr. Diaz is a member of the Board of Trustees of Boricua College, The University of the State of New York Education Departments Local Government Records Advisory Council, and of the Board of Trustees for the Unified Court System Bronx County Law Library.

Mr. Diaz served as New York City Clerk and Clerk of the Council and as the Bronx County Clerk for over 14 years. As County Clerk, Mr. Diaz was designated Commissioner of Jurors and Clerk of the Supreme Court. He has the distinction of being the first Latino County Clerk in the State of New York. He represented Bronx County with distinction for seven consecutive terms as Member of the New York State Assembly, where he created the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force.