Chief Operating Officer

Venice--Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. announces Sharon Braun Aragona has been appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the organization which serves the ten county area of Southwest Florida through 32 office locations. Aragona comes to Catholic Charities with 25 years of experience as a COO.

Aragona will support program staff and oversee the fiscal and operational responsibilities of the agency. Since 1981 until coming to Catholic Charities, Aragona was Vice President at Collier Health Services, Inc. in Immokalee which provides primary health and dental care to underprivileged residents of Collier County. Her responsibilities there included strategic planning, budget management and program oversight, day-to-day management of all offices and departments, risk management, human resources management, coordination of accreditation activities, facility, fleet and environment of care oversight. Her duties at Catholic Charities will be similar.

Aragona obtained a Master of Arts degree in Social Gerontology from the University of South Florida along with 40 graduate credit hours in clinical psychology from Xavier University in Cincinnati. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn.

“I believe in the mission of Catholic Charities,” said Aragona about her decision to join the organization. “I feel I can bring my skills and really make a difference. The challenge of managing the operations of an agency has always been appealing to me.”

Aragona sees her role at Catholic Charities as the bridge between the staff members in the field and those at the central office. “The job of COO involves a lot of listening to and providing support for staff along with administrative direction,” she said. “The most outstanding thing I have observed is the level and diversity of talent at Catholic Charities, and I can see that the staff is here because they are truly mission-driven.

“I am excited to move forward with the agency through all the new opportunities as well as the challenges,” Aragona said.

“Sharon is a mature and seasoned professional with strong faith,” said Peter Routsis-Arroyo, CEO of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. “She is a welcome addition to a growing and dynamic social service agency,” he said.

Aragona also is president of the Collier County Rural Health Network, a member of the advisory board for the Lorenzo Walker Vocational and Technical Center, a graduate of Leadership Collier, and a member of the pastoral council of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Naples.