Leadership Team

Christopher Long, Ed.D, is the Chief Executive Officer of Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE), a premier not-for-profit innovator that supports individuals of all abilities with community living opportunities, employment, day services, clinical, substance use disorders and children services. Dr. Long has had an illustrious career with over 30 years’ experience, including 15 years of strategic development planning within the health and human service industry. He joined FREE, Inc. in 2009 as the Associate Executive Director and for the past five years has served as President of FREE, Inc. During his tenure helped build FREE into one of the most diverse service providers with a strategic vision focused on creative excellence, technological innovation and growth.

Prior to joining FREE, Inc. Dr. Long held senior executive management positions where he led day-to-day operations for large human service provider organizations. Additionally, Dr. Long has a passion for education and a considerable amount of higher education teaching experience and remains an adjunct faculty at St. Joseph’s University, Stony Brook University and Farmingdale State College. Dr. Long was the winner of the prestigious Zella Bronfman Butler Award for outstanding contributions in the field of special education/human services. He was also named one of Long Island Business News’ Executive Circle Awards winners for his leadership skills, vision and commitment to community service and diversity. Dr. Long is dedicated to mentoring youth and has implemented many programs to help them perform academically and socially to reach their full potential.

Dr. Long holds a doctorate degree in education, a Master of Arts in special education, master’s degree in educational leadership and another advanced degree in English and Forensic Psychology. He holds a New York State Special Education permanent teaching certification and a New York State School Building Leader certification. Dr. Long holds a Certified Alcohol Substance Abuse Counselor certification (CASAC).

Robert S. Budd is the Chief Executive Officer/President of Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE), a not-for-profit agency that supports individuals of all abilities with community living opportunities, employment, day services, clinical, crisis, education, after-school  and other supports. Mr. Budd is a vision driven, results orientated leader with over 35 years of progressive leadership experience.

Mr. Budd joined FREE in 1985 and has held key operations positions most recently named Chief Executive Officer in 2008 and President in 2023. He played a key leadership role in expansion of the organization from an annual budget of $1 million in 1985, serving forty-five individuals to a network of organizations providing over $135 million of services in 2019 serving over 35,000 individuals annually.

Mr. Budd has initiated numerous innovative proposals most notably the Network structure that molds the uniqueness and flexibility of distinct smaller organizations with the efficiencies and strength of a larger Network.  Mr. Budd is actively involved with many human service agencies that support people who are differently abled, with developmental and other disabilities. He continues to serve and take leadership roles on many advocacy boards, both regionally and nationally. Mr. Budd is the Past President of the Board for American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) and was inducted into the 2018 ANCOR Foundation Legacy Leaders Circle. The Legacy Leaders Circle recognizes ANCOR members who have made significant contributions to ANCOR and the broader disability and provider community during their tenure as an ANCOR member.

Mr. Budd also serves on the boards of New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation (New York Alliance), Interagency Council of Developmental Disabilities Agencies, Inc. (IAC), Long Island Select Healthcare, Inc. (LISH), Alliance of Long Island Agencies, Inc. (ALIA) and New York Disability Advocates (NYDA).

Mr. Budd dedicates time to the field consulting, speaking and training and is pleased to utilize his certification as an A.M.A and Covey facilitator to support colleagues in personal and professional growth. He teaches a Master’s program cohort class for Stony Brook University’s School of Professional Development and was one of the industry leaders on a panel at the State Of The Not-For-Profit Industry hosted by Long Island Business News.

Mr. Budd holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the State University of New York at Potsdam and a Master of Professional Studies in psychology from Long Island University, CW Post.

Michelle Amato, LMSW is the Chief Program Officer of Housing Services for the FREE Network.  Michelle joined FREE, Inc. in 2021.  Michelle came to FREE with a wealth of senior management experience and has held various administrative roles responsible for the oversight of services and departments including but not limited to: Residential Treatment Services, Foster Care, Health Home Supports, Strategic Planning, Human Resources and Risk Management.

Michelle sits on the board at the Child Care Council of Suffolk County, an organization whose mission is to ensure every child has equitable access to quality early care and learning opportunities.  In addition, Michelle sits on the Pace University Advisory Panel for their Transformative Leadership Program.  In 2018, she was recognized by NYN Media as a distinguished “40 Under 40” Rising Star.

Michelle holds a Masters of Social Work degree from Stony Brook University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Ithaca College.

Anu Arnold, MA, LMSW is the Chief Clinical and Crisis Supports Officer for the FREE Network. Anu has been a valued team member with FREE since 2002. During her tenure with FREE, Anu has held numerous management and administrative positions and has been an integral part of the evolution of FREE’s service delivery and expansion.

Anu is an integral part of FREE’s continued effort to respond to the shifting and transforming environment and to ensure we are positioned to meet our commitment to transition those we serve to integrated community opportunities and to offer the highest quality of services. Anu is responsible for OPWDD Day Services, Education & Youth Services, START, Supported Housing, Apartment Treatment Program Services, Crisis Housing and Mobile Crisis Supports, Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS), Employment Services (including ACCES-VR, NYSID, Vocational Rehab, TRI and Skills), PRONTO, Adelante, Article 31/related services, Integrated Health and TBI/ABI Services, Nursing Home Transition and Diversion. Additionally,  Anu leads the effort to nurture partnerships in specific areas of opportunity and expansion of services for FREE.

Anu served as a Board Member and Co-Chair of the Mental Health Subcommittee in Suffolk County. She is also the Chair of “Aging Subcommittee for Suffolk County.” The focus of this Subcommittee is on developing resources for OMH certified housing providers that can support the aging population in their settings. In addition, Anu is an active member of several trade associations such as ACLAIMH; NYAPRS; NY Alliance; NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare and New York City Coalition for Behavioral Health.

Anu has a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Masters Degree in Social Work from Adelphi University.

Susan Sorrentino is the Chief Administrative Officer for the FREE Network.  Susan has had a long and successful career within FREE since 1987. The scope of the Chief Administrative Officer’s responsibilities include ensuring we have a solid administrative infrastructure designed to provide operations with a high quality customer-centric service. Susan is responsible for the oversight of the following administrative support services: Transportation (Fleet Management), Property Management (Maintenance-Housing & Commercial locations), Information Technology (including HIM), Central Referral Services, Entitlements, Risk Management, Quality Improvement, Corporate Compliance and Community Development.     Susan also serves as Vice President on the Board of the New York State Association of Day Service Providers meeting with provider members state wide and interfacing with Office of People with Developmental Disabilities as part of her role.

Susan earned a Master’s of Education from SUNY Empire with focus on Teaching and Learning and holds a BA in Psychology and BA in Economics from SUNY Stony Brook.

Nicole Wolf is the Chief Program Officer of Community Services for the FREE Network.  She joined FREE, in 2021, having over 17 years of experience in the Human Services Field specifically focused towards the integration of people with intellectual developmental disabilities into their communities. Nicole has a true passion for ensuring that the individuals she serves have every opportunity to bring their life dreams into reality. Nicole began her journey through the I/DD world at a very young age as a teacher assistant within self-contained classrooms, recognizing then, how important community integration and inclusion was and became driven to go further with a focus on creating programs that were different from the norm to serve the underserved. Nicole had the vision and drive to develop many day programs serving individuals that were not given a chance to thrive elsewhere due to their intense behavioral needs. Nicole has held various administrative roles and has been responsible for the oversight of many departments inclusive of but not limited to: Day Habilitation, Community Habilitation, Respite, Medicaid Service Coordination, Assistive Supports, Independent Support Services and Family Care. Nicole is a member of the InterAgency Council Committee, NY State Association of Day Service Providers as well as the NY Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation. Nicole continues her firm lifelong commitment serving individuals with developmental disabilities and mental illness within the FREE Network to collaborate with families and service providers to establish the best community options so they may reach their fullest potential.

 John Best, SPHR, SHRM, is the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for the FREE Network. He joined FREE in April 2017 and is responsible for providing strategic leadership and support to FREE and its affiliates. John oversees a team of 17 human resource professionals who ensure that the 2,500 Valued Team Members have the tools they need to provide quality services to the individuals we support. In the course of his over 20 years in nonprofit management, John has worked for a number of New York City-based social services agencies, including Puerto Rican Family Institute, Good Shepherd Services, and Gay Men’s Health Crisis. John has a Master’s in Public Administration from Baruch College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Fordham University. He is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and a SHRM-Senior Certified Professional.

Matthew Collins is the Senior Vice President of Quality Improvement and Corporate Compliance for the FREE Network. He joined FREE in February 2019 and is responsible for the corporate compliance, quality improvement and incident management initiatives for the agency. Matthew directly oversees the corporate compliance and quality improvement/incident management departments to ensure that agency is offering quality services that are in compliance with local and federal regulations. Matthew has served as the Director of Corporate Compliance, Senior Director of Corporate Compliance & Strategic Initiatives, and Corporate Compliance Officer prior to his appointment to Senior Vice President.

Matthew has been working in the Human Services field for 15 years in various management positions, and has provided oversight in various departments, including: housing, supported employment, compliance and strategic planning. In 2019, Matthew was awarded the “40 under 40” award through Long Island Business News which recognizes Long Island’s future business leaders. Matthew hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Economics from SUNY Oneonta, and is currently obtaining his Master’s Degree in Human Services from Stony Brook University.

Vincent Cona, CPA has been with the FREE Accounting Department since August of 2011, starting as the Assistant Controller for Medicaid and other fee-for-service billing. As the scope of services in the FREE Network has grown, so has Vinny’s role. In 2014, he became the Controller for Revenue & Reimbursement, adding responsibility for contracts, claims, and all other sources of revenue for the FREE Network. In 2017, Vincent became the Vice President of Accounting, incorporating additional tasks of internal and external reporting, as well as, budgeting. Prior to joining FREE, Vincent worked as an auditor for the accounting firm of Holtz Rubenstein (now Baker Tilly) and has brought a valuable auditors perspective to his position with FREE. Vincent received his bachelors degree in accounting from Hofstra University.

Anita Dowd-Neufeld is the Senior Vice President for Housing Services. She joined the FREE network in 1992, serving as a senior executive for 28 years, and has played an instrumental role of the evolution of FREE’s service delivery and expansion.  Anita has extensive experience in the housing industry and has been involved in the opening of new residential programs both on Long Island and in New York City. Anita has successfully interacted with the state funding agencies such as the Office of Mental Health (OMH), the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) the Office for Family and Children’s Services and the NYS Department of Health.

Anita has an exemplary track record of proven performance and has a well-established and stellar reputation in the field of health and human services.  She is a member of the New York State Association of Community and Residential Agencies (NYSACRA), Association of Community Living (ACL), as well as a past Board Member of Irie Therapeutic Riding Program, and the Adoptive Parents Committee of Long Island.

Anita holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts degree from State University of New York at Stony Brook (SUNY).

Connie Hendrickson, ANP, MS, RN is the Senior Vice President of Healthcare Services for FREE. Connie is responsible for leading and evaluating the Nursing/Medical services for the organization for the programs served under the auspices of Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and Office of Mental Health (OMH).

She originally joined Free in 2007 and returned in 2016. Since returning she has held positions of increased responsibility in the Nursing/Medical division. She has been an integral part of the evolution of Nursing/Medical services and oversite for the provision of healthcare at FREE. Connie has over 30 years of successful experience in the health and human services field. She has extensive experience, training and knowledge in the specialties of ID/DD (Medical and Behavioral Intensive programs) and Long Term Care (Gerontology). Connie has also provided OPWDD consultative services with demonstrated success in: Staff Orientation, Policy Development, Quality Assurance, Survey Readiness and AMAP Certification Course. Connie has a Master of Science degree and certification as a Nurse Practitioner in Adult Health from Stony Brook University.

Kristen L. Lott, MA, started off her career at Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE) in 2004 as the Program Director for Behavioral Services where she was jointly responsible for the oversight of six OMH-licensed community residence programs, a 46-bed apartment treatment program, an OMH non-licensed Supported Housing program and Homeless Housing under HUD and HHAC. In 2008, she was made Compliance Coordinator for the Compliance Department where she was responsible for the implementation of the agency’s corporate compliance policies, procedures and systems in accordance with OMH, OPWDD and DOH regulations. In 2010, Kristen became Operations Coordinator for Behavioral Health Services and was responsible for auditing records for corporate compliance and quality improvement, as well as evaluating policy implementation. From 2012 through 2014, Kristen was the Residential Director for Behavioral Health Services, where she supervised the management of the licensed and certified residential facilities and its staff, while ensuring ongoing quality care of the men and women we assist, under the auspice of OMH. Starting in 2014, Kristen became Assistant Vice President for Housing Services and Opportunities where she became responsible for the management and supervision of the division’s licensed and certified residential facilities under the Office of Mental Health (OMH) and specialized licensed residential programming under the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), as well as the staff and the men and women we support, while leading several projects to help clients achieve independence. Starting in 2018, in her new role as Vice President of Housing Services, Kristen will co-lead efforts to nurture partnerships in specific areas of opportunity and housing expansion of services for FREE, to include: Cultivate and develop new housing opportunities for those we serve that is aligned with the principles of integration and transforming priorities of the NYS plan; continue to expand related community supports for people who do not require long-term services and cultivate new housing/service options; develop policies and procedures that embody the agency’s philosophy and provide direction to personnel responsible for the provision of all services related to the oversight of housing services; strengthen and lead the development of those services and harness strategic partnerships and opportunities aligned with the mission of the agency and services aforementioned; develop and execute strategies to create new partnerships that cultivate the services related to this evolving area of opportunity; develop partnerships with hospitals, MCOs, IPAs and other health management services in an effort to ensure those we serve receive all services they require to live healthy and satisfied lives; broaden our relationships with the business community, legislators and other key stakeholders; and assure the proper and efficient oversight of the organization, including oversight of management, clinical and other key personnel under her direction. Kristen has proven to be an exceptional leader who possesses great integrity, unrelenting commitment to our mission and she embodies the spirit of inclusion and innovation required as we embrace this new era of opportunity.

Kristen studied at Adelphi University where she received a bachelor of arts degree in communications with a minor in psychology. Furthering her education, she also attended Long Island University to obtain her master of arts in psychology.

Nancy Cohen, MSHRM, CFRE, Vice President of Development and Mission Advancement (DMA), joined the FREE family in April of 2001 as a Development Coordinator. Her extraordinary talent and tenacity were quickly recognized and she was elevated to Vice President where she now oversees FREE’s external and internal development programs. Internal events include several annual conferences and a yearly dinner dance attended by approximately 1,000 individuals.

FREE’s annual fundraising efforts include a dinner gala. This event has been fundamental in bringing in revenue and increasing public awareness for the Family of FREE Network.

Nancy is responsible for achieving fundraising goals, engaging sponsors in ongoing service activities, leveraging key community relationships and partnerships, and developing new relationships that generate charitable funds for the organization.

She leads all marketing efforts and develops advertising campaigns for all new and existing activities throughout the Family of FREE Network.

Nancy provides leadership, all while planning, organizing, directing and coordinating the strategic direction of DMA. She sets objectives, leads efforts to ensure progress toward priority goals and evaluates results to ensure that departmental and organizational objectives meet the needs and mission of the organization.

Further, she designs and implements strategies and ideas to work with the private sector for the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of individuals and corporations, as well as obtaining foundation gifts and identifying new donors. She also created a planned giving program based on the agencies 100% Giving Philosophy.

Community Involvement

Nancy has always been active in supporting nonprofit organizations on Long Island. In 2006, she volunteered to coordinate the Long Island Fight for Charity, a not-for-profit event that includes several large pre-events and the coordination of more than 100 volunteers, dozens of restaurants, sponsors and over 20 boxers each year. Nancy and her team successfully ran the Fight for Charity for more than seven years. This event has raised over $1,000,000 for a number of local Long Island charities and has attracted more than 1,200 attendees in any given year. After leading the Fight for Charity team for seven years, she now serves on the committee.

Cohen has also been a member of multiple committees, including the Sisters of St. Joseph Golf Outing, Autism Speaks Walks, The Aaron Joshua Soskil Memorial Cruise for Causes, Long Island Cruizin’ For A Cure, Christa House, LIE Masquerade Ball, and was the lead in a collaboration conference with FREE and St. Joseph’s College. Cohen is also a founding member of the Long Island Elite, currently sits on the Catholic Charities Caritas Award committee, and is a member of the Plainview Bethpage Lions Club, as well as the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Community Recognition

• Recipient of the 2003 Long Island Business Diva Award, Millennium 3 Partners
• Recipient of the 2007 40 Under 40 Award, Long Island Business News
• Recipient of the 2010 Great Americans Award, Winning Beyond Winning
• Recipient of the 2016 Corporate Citizenship Volunteer of the Year Award, Long Island Business News

Holly Richards Mosby is the Vice President of Housing and Community Services for the FREE Network.  She is responsible for the strategic direction for an operating division within the FREE Network and leads efforts of the division to ensure progress toward priority goals. Holly is an integral member of the senior management team and is an active contributor to the organization’s strategic plan.

Holly joined FREE in 1995 as a Senior Counselor and over the past 24 years has held a variety of senior operations positions in both OMH and OPWDD Residential Services.   She has served as Operations Director, Residential Director, Associate Divisional Director and Assistant Vice President prior to her promotion to Vice President. During her tenure with FREE, she has worked closely with all stakeholders in the Behavioral Health arena to develop innovative housing and support services.  Holly has been able to develop collaborative partnerships with many community providers to improve access to care and services for the men and women FREE supports.

Holly earned a Bachelor’s degree in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College.   She is a member of the local Continuum of Care Governance Board, and an active member of Association for Community Living (ACL) and the Suffolk County Task Force.

Nicole Ramos, MBA is the Vice President of Housing Services for the FREE Network.  Nicole joined FREE, Inc. in 2021.  Prior to joining FREE Nicole held various administrative roles responsible for the oversight of departments including but not limited to: Opening new residential programs, ICFs, IRAs, Supported Living Program, Foster Care, Juvenile Offenders in a Residential Therapeutic Home, and working closely with OCFS, Probation, Court Systems and DSS.

Nicole holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from York College with a minor in Health Education, and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Dowling College with a focus in Healthcare Administration Management.

Keith Scott, MPP is the Vice President of Policy and Program Development for the FREE Network. He joined FREE in 2023, having over 10 years of experience in the Human Services field. Keith began his human services career in the substance abuse field where he worked to establish wellness programs in schools to decrease risk factors that lead to substance abuse and where he established the first “on-demand” Narcan program on Long Island which helped get the life-saving medication into the hands of thousands of parents, professionals, and first responders.

Keith previously served in various senior leadership roles. At The Safe Center LI, a victim services agency dedicated to protecting, assisting, and empowering victims of family violence and sexual assault, his role was to lead all community efforts in challenging and changing social norms that perpetuate abuse.  He served as an advisor on various policy issues relating to the protection of children and victims’ rights. His efforts lead to the passage of legislation relating to the protection of vulnerable Long Islanders and significantly expanded the visibility of the Safe Center through interviews with the press, social media outreach, and community presentations.

During Keith’s multifaceted career, he also oversaw the procurement of grant funding and strategic initiatives that resulted in nearly $3million in funding in 8 months.  Additionally, as the Corporate Compliance Officer for a community-based behavioral health clinic, Keith oversees all internal controls relating to quality assurance, corporate compliance, and policy measures to ensure the successful operation of the agency.

Keith serves as an Adjunct Professor at Hofstra University in the Community Health program where he teaches courses on mental health to future medical professionals and is also an Adjunct Professor in Long Island University’s Social Work program where he teaches courses about the dynamics of family violence. Keith has been featured as a frequent commentator on various local and regional media outlets, speaking on topics of mental health, domestic violence, trauma, sexual assault, and addiction. He has assisted in publishing 2 policies; one was through the Nassau County Opioid Crisis Action Plan Task Force in which he published the link between childhood trauma and substance abuse and the other was through the RAND Corporation in which he helped to identify high-priority needs within the criminal justice system to address the intersection of sex trafficking and substance abuse.

He is the recipient of the 2020 Long Island Business News 30 Under 30 award, the 2021 Stony Brook University 40 Under 40 Award, and the 2022 Long Island Business News Corporate/ Social Responsibility Community Impact Award. He earned his Master’s degree in Public Policy Analysis from Stony Brook University and a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Long Island University. A resident of Centerport, N.Y., Keith is a member of the Centerport Volunteer Fire Department.