Paula Sarro, Secretary

Associate Executive Director, Mercy Center

(she/her/hers)

Paula is the Associate Executive Director at Mercy Center, a community center located in the South Bronx in New York City. Mercy Center provides education, immigration, and social support services to over 3,700 low-income women, men, and children each year. Paula is responsible for oversight of all program operations and ensuring the effectiveness of service delivery and achievement of program outcomes. 

Paula is an attorney who has worked as a senior manager for nonprofit organizations in the New York City area for over 30 years. She has provided programmatic, administrative, and legal oversight for nonprofits that serve formerly-incarcerated women, domestic violence survivors, and crime victims, as well as those that address the needs of immigrants and the homeless. Prior positions include Associate Executive Director at Women’s Prison Association, Associate Director for Operations/General Counsel at My Sisters’ Place, Director of Administration at Fund for the City of New York, and Acting General Counsel/Deputy General Counsel at Victim Services (now known as Safe Horizon). 

Paula joined the Board of New Destiny Housing in 2000. She’s an active member of the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York City. She is a graduate of Boston College Law School and Trinity College in Hartford, CT.