New President/CEO Named for CJR in "Full Circle Moment"

In what is described as a full-circle moment for the organization, CJR (formerly Connecticut Junior Republic), has named Cassandra Reyes, LCSW, as its next President and Chief Executive Officer, effective June 1, 2026.

Reyes first joined CJR in 2008 as an intern in the Success Always Follows Education (SAFE) After-School Program. Over the past 18 years, she has advanced through a series of roles—including case manager, clinician, program director, and most recently Director of Residential Services—before being selected to lead the organization.

“CJR is an organization that aligns with my personal values,” Reyes said. “It values decency, community, and history. By the time a child, teen, young adult, or family leaves our care, they can move forward with greater hope, humanity, and kindness. At CJR, kindness is not a strategy—it is a way of life.”

Reyes currently serves on CJR’s Senior Management Team, where she helps oversee key residential programs and works closely with state partners, including the Connecticut Judicial Branch Court Support Services Division and the Connecticut Department of Children and Families.

She has also played a leadership role in fundraising initiatives, legislative engagement, and the organization’s recent rebranding effort. Since 2020, Reyes has served as an Ombudsman for youthful offenders with the Connecticut Department of Correction and as a consultant to the BAGS Foundation, which supports underserved children, families, and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Reyes will succeed Daniel Rezende, LCSW, who will retire June 30, after serving as President and CEO since 2012, and dedicating more than four decades of service to CJR.

CJR Board Chair Kevin Taylor said the Board conducted a comprehensive search before selecting Reyes.

“The search process was thorough and competitive, and the Board ultimately concluded that Cassandra’s experience, leadership, and deep understanding of CJR’s mission made her the right person to lead the organization into the future,” Taylor said.

Beth Dupont, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors and Co-Chair of the Board Transition Committee alongside Julie Loughran, said Reyes’ long history with the organization reflects CJR’s commitment to developing leaders from within.

“This appointment reflects our confidence in Cassandra’s leadership and our commitment to the continuity of CJR’s mission and values,” Dupont said.

CJR provides education, residential, wellness, and community services to help young people thrive and become productive members of their homes, schools, and communities. The private, nonprofit organization serves nearly 2,500 boys, girls, and families each year across Connecticut.

Three residential programs, as well as the Cable Academic and Vocational Education Center (CAVEC) for boys and the Michael P. Mortara Family Center, which serves as the administrative site for CJR’s Wellness Center Programs, are located on CJR’s original Litchfield campus. CJR’s first community-based program opened in Hartford in 1980. A therapeutic group home for boys was opened in East Hartford in 1966.

In 2017, CJR purchased the site of its current Waterbury program, and extensively renovated both the main building and carriage house on the property during 2018. Over the years, CJR has opened additional community-based programs, including locations in Danbury (2004), Meriden (2010), New Britain (2010), and Torrington (2009). CJR also provides prevention programs and behavioral health services in a growing number of schools.

CJR is accredited by the Council on Accreditation, and its Cable Academic and Vocational Education Center is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.