START announces Hilary M. Castillo as new Chief Operating Officer A
Veteran nonprofit and healthcare executive Hilary M. Castillo joins START NY to help usher in a new period of growth in research and services for the 53-Year-Old nonprofit
Start Treatment & Recovery Centers (START) announced today that Hilary M. Castillo has been named Chief Operating Officer (COO). In this role, Castillo will develop, implement, and drive the operating strategy of the organization overseeing Financial Operations, Human Resources, Physical Security Operations, Facilities Management, Information Technology, and Information Security. As a strategic partner to the CEO, she’s responsible for setting the highest standards of excellence to advance institutional objectives, establishing programmatic and cross-divisional goals, and ensuring the successful delivery of services. She will also be responsible for operational crisis management and continuity of operations.
START is a leading healthcare organization offering addiction treatment, behavioral health services, and behavioral and biomedical research, which has served New York City’s disenfranchised, economically challenged, and minority communities since 1969. From the frontlines of the AIDS epidemic to the current opioid crisis plaguing the country, START has been a beacon for New Yorkers not only looking for pathways to recovery and transition, but also job training and placement, housing, and more. The behavioral and biomedical research and healthcare services arm of START will not only support their services and operations, but also be a nationally respected resource for providers across the country.
Castillo comes to START with over 20 years of business management, global operations management, and facilities management experience. Prior to joining START she served as the Vice President, Chief Global Operations and Facilities Officer for Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). In this position, she oversaw Global facilities, Human Resources, Finance, Security, Grants and Compliance, and Information Technology for the organization’s offices in Africa and Latin America ─ creating new pathways for growth in an ever-changing environment while translating strategic organizational goals into tangible working reality. In addition, Castillo designed, implemented, and led the organization-wide strategy and change management efforts for PPFA’s Future of Work initiative in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.