Juan Gomez to retire as head of CENTRO — has led the multiservice agency since 2007

WORCESTER — Juan A. Gomez, who has led CENTRO since 2007, has announced that he will be retiring as president and chief executive officer of Worcester’s only Latino and multicultural health and human services provider.

Gomez's retirement as CENTRO's leader is effective Aug. 31. He will remain with the organization as head of its housing initiative.

Gomez previously served two terms on the Worcester City Council and was Worcester's first elected Latino official.

During his tenure with CENTRO, formerly known as Centro Los Americas, Gomez led the agency "through a period of exciting and dramatic growth, resulting in a fully integrated and multiservice nonprofit, and expanded geographically, far beyond the Greater Worcester County region," CENTRO said in an announcement.

Gomez said, "Today, we serve over 8,700 individuals annually, have clients in over 52 cities and towns of the commonwealth, have a total operating budget of over $12.5M, and a very bright future ahead."

Established in 1977 and based at 11 Sycamore St., CENTRO's stated mission is to "assist individuals and families seeking to achieve self-sufficiency build purposeful lives through our unique mix of comprehensive integrated services, exceptional care, and an unequalled cultural and linguistic competence." In an earlier interview, Gomez noted that while the majority of CENTRO's clients are Latino, "we have families from the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe … and obviously Latin America and the Caribbean. We're multiculture, multilinguistic." With that, "the majority are poor and low-income families, low-income individuals, working poor."

Besides being a multi-service agency, CENTRO is also known for its cultural activities, including presenting the annual Latin American Festival. This year's 32nd festival will be from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 17 on Worcester Common.

A longtime Worcester-area resident, Gomez received degrees from Quinsigamond Community College, Assumption College and Clark University, and his doctoral degree in health care administration from Virginia University. He has worked in both the private and public sector.

Richard J. Rafferty, CENTRO board chair, said, “We have been privileged and honored to have such a dedicated man pour his life into this institution, and while we know he still has plenty to contribute and we will miss his dedication to the overall organization, he has certainly earned the opportunity to slow down a little.”

Gomez will become president and chief executive officer of CENTRO’s Main Middle Affordable Housing Initiative.

CENTRO said Tina Velazquez, the organization’s chief operating officer, will be interim president and chief executive officer while the board goes through the process of choosing a permanent replacement.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Juan Gomez to retire as head of CENTRO — has led the multiservice agency since 2007