ServiceNet CEO Sue Stubbs to Step Down
NORTHAMPTON — Effective Jan. 1, Sue Stubbs, president and CEO of ServiceNet, will be stepping down as CEO, the position she has held for the past 44 years. Bruno Calouro, currently ServiceNet’s chief operating officer, will take the helm as CEO. This is a transition that has been in the works for more than two years, during which time the ServiceNet board of directors went through a thorough process of crafting and implementing a succession plan.
Over the course of her career with ServiceNet, Stubbs has applied her clinical social-work background, business acumen, and entrepreneurial spirit to grow the Northampton-based agency from 25 employees and an annual budget of under $1 million to an organization that now has more than 100 programs across all four counties of Western Mass., employs more than 1,900 staff members, and has an annual budget of close to $110 million.
“Growth like this means saying yes to opportunities, tapping the leadership team’s best thinking, and trusting that we have the expertise and energy to manage challenges,” Stubbs said.
A prime example was ServiceNet’s decision in 1994 to expand into residential care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Prior to that, the agency had focused primarily on mental healthcare through its group homes and outpatient services. Now, the Developmental & Brain Injury Services division accounts for more than half of ServiceNet’s operations, including 66 group homes, outreach programs, day programs, and vocational services that encompass three working farms and a café.
Calouro has been an instrumental part of this growth during his 15 years with ServiceNet. Coming in as an applications developer in the IT department, he was soon promoted to chief technology officer, then vice president of Operations, and later chief operating officer. When he arrived at ServiceNet, he had an associate degree in IT, then went back to school part-time to earn a bachelor’s degree and an MBA.
“I am always looking for how to improve services to make things run smoothly and efficiently, and above all to take care of the people who take care of people in human services,” Calouro said. “Whatever position we hold, we’re all working toward the same goals and upholding the same values. It gives me so much joy to be a part of this organization and to know that what I am doing makes a significant difference in people’s lives.”
Both driven by entrepreneurial passion, Calouro and Stubbs view continuing growth as a key sign of a healthy organization. “You can’t be afraid of stepping out and taking a risk, and at the same time, you have to carefully manage that risk to assure continuity of service and greatest value to the people in our programs and community,” Calouro said.
ServiceNet’s most recent ventures include its soon-to-be-finalized merger with Pathlight and bringing River Valley Counseling Center under its organizational umbrella, which will also be finalized during 2025.
Stubbs is stepping down as CEO of ServiceNet, she will continue in a part-time role to help with the transition and work on some special projects.
“We have been through several mergers over the years and have always seen these as opportunities to learn from our new colleagues while we all work together to expand services in our communities,” she said. “And offering more services under one roof allows us to deliver more whole-person care.”