House of Mercy names new executive director

MANASSAS, Va. – Local nonprofit humanitarian organization House of Mercy has a new executive director. The agency’s board of directors recently elected Ann Cimini, House of Mercy’s acting director for the past six months, to officially take the helm.

Cimini, with House of Mercy since 2010, was the organization’s assistant director for more than two years when the agency’s co-founder and former executive director Kellie Ross resigned in February to spend more time with her family. Ross held the position since 2005 when she founded the organization with Father Jack Fullen, who died in 2010 of a long-term illness.

“Ann earned this position, and our respect, by the work she performed as assistant director with core programs and aid, and then with the long-term planning for marketing and fundraising she’s accomplished since then,” said Jen Dominick, House of Mercy’s board chairman and president.

“Ann has a true passion for helping the hungry and educating people about the plight of the poor. She’s committed to carrying on the values and tradition set in place by Kellie Ross … and expanding and building on that vision, helping it grow to the next level,” Dominick said.

House of Mercy is a Catholic-based organization that provides free food, clothing and other donated items to people in need. The agency also offers a variety of community programs, usually at no charge, designed to help local families improve their quality of life. Additionally the organization is a local distribution site for SHARE (Self Help And Resource Exchange), a nonprofit food network sponsored by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

Cimini began with the House of Mercy as its office administrator and volunteer coordinator for one year prior to her promotion to assistant director in July 2011. The Denver, Colo., native has lived in Connecticut; St. Louis, Mo., and the greater Los Angeles area, where she moved from to Gainesville, Va., in July 2010 when her husband, David Cimini, was transferred to Falls Church, Va.

Cimini brings 12 years of project management experience to her new position. She has a bachelor’s degree in space design from Arizona State University, a teaching certificate from the El Monte City School District in California and has completed continuing education courses in management and Six Sigma (a set of techniques and tools for process improvement) from Riverside Community College in Riverside, Calif.

“I am thrilled to work with the board, hardworking staff members and dedicated volunteers of House of Mercy,” Cimini said. “I also look forward to working with local communities so that together we can continue to serve the poor.”

Cimini said that her goals include enhancing her agency’s relationship with Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gainesville, where she is a parishioner, as well as with other area parishes and churches.

She plans to launch four new community courses this fall. They include a series of DVD courses designed to empower people to “become heroes in their own histories,” she said. Other course topics include job searching; money management, based on online educator Khan Academy’s program, and “Latina Power,” a seven-part series in building confidence and self-esteem.

Cimini is also working on a funding development plan and marketing and business development strategies, all designed to help move the organization forward in scope and impact on the community, she said.

“There is a great need, more than ever in today’s economy, for the valuable services that House of Mercy offers. I am committed to helping our organization continue to make God’s unlimited love and mercy visible to the community through our works,” she said.

For more information about the House of Mercy, email help@houseofmercyva.org or call 703-659-1636.