FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 2, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT: Jessica Shearer, Chief of Marketing and Communications | Jessica.Shearer@yai.org | 646.970.8110
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
YAI Names Doreen Thomann-Howe as Chief Executive Officer; Gary Milchman to Serve as Chief Operating Officer
NEW YORK, NY, November 2, 2026 — YAI, a nonprofit serving more than 20,000 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and behavioral health needs across New York, New Jersey, and California, today announced that Doreen Thomann-Howe will become the organization's next Chief Executive Officer, effective November 2, 2026. Gary Milchman, who has served as Acting CEO since Kevin Carey's passing in 2025, will move into the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer, ensuring continuity in YAI's program quality and operations throughout the transition.
Thomann-Howe joins YAI with more than two decades of nonprofit leadership experience spanning social services, public administration, and healthcare operations. Most recently, she served as Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross Greater New York Region, directing the organization's largest and most complex regional footprint in the United States.
Prior to the Red Cross, Thomann-Howe was Chief Operating Officer at Project Renewal, where she oversaw daily operations across FQHC healthcare clinics, supportive housing, and shelter networks. She transitioned the agency from a compliance-only framework to a performance-based model, elevating Project Renewal to the highest-performing provider for shelter exits among 35 agencies in the New York City shelter system.
Thomann-Howe's background in public service includes seven years with the New York City Department of Homeless Services, where, as Deputy Commissioner of Family Services, she directed the world's largest shelter system for families with children, introducing multigenerational interventions and system-wide behavioral health screenings that helped thousands of families move into permanent housing. At the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, she co-led a citywide initiative to help individuals with serious mental illness stay in care. Her early executive career includes clinical and programming oversight roles at Vocational Instruction Project (VIP) Community Services and Harlem United. Across these roles, Thomann-Howe has worked directly with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and has piloted and scaled interventions for similar populations within the large systems she has overseen — experience that, combined with YAI's legacy as a leader in the I/DD field, drew her to this role. A licensed clinical social worker, Thomann-Howe earned her BA in Psychology from the City College of New York and her MSW from New York University.
"Throughout my career, I have worked to support people and families facing some of life's most difficult circumstances. I am honored to join YAI and build on the legacy of leaders who came before me, at an organization that has spent nearly seven decades expanding what's possible for the people it serves. I look forward to working with YAI's nearly 4,000 staff and partners across three states to continue the powerful and meaningful impact this organization has on the more than 20,000 people and families who rely on it," said Thomann-Howe.
"On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Gary for his steady and effective leadership since Kevin Carey's passing, and we are thrilled he will continue in a key role as YAI's Chief Operating Officer," said Acting Board Chair David Stafford. "After conducting a thorough search during which we met several highly qualified candidates, Doreen stood out as the right leader to guide YAI's next chapter. Her track record leading large, mission-driven organizations, and her deep commitment to the people they serve, make her an excellent fit for YAI as we continue to grow our impact."
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About YAI
Founded in 1957, YAI remains at the forefront of an extraordinary movement aimed at empowering people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families. YAI and its network of affiliate agencies offer children and adults with (I/DD) a comprehensive range of services. YAI is committed to seeing beyond disability, providing opportunities for people to live, love, work, and learn in their communities. YAI’s 4,000 employees provide supportive housing, education, medical, dental, and mental health care, job training, community integration, and social enrichment for more than 20,000 people with I/DD, and their families, in New York, New Jersey, and California.