Meet the Life's WORC Leadership Team

John joined Life’s WORC in 2001 as Director of Clinical Services, and when the Family Center for Autism opened in 2015 he became Director of Autism Services.  He was promoted to Senior Director of Community Services in 2016, and then Assistant Executive Director in 2019 as his role within the organization continued to grow. In 2022 he was promoted to Chief Officer of Residential and Clinical Operations. John brings 30-plus years of industry experience working with the IDD and autism community to the agency, and oversees all residential, nursing, clinical and admission functions for the agency.

Robert White, Chief People, Culture and DEIA Officer
Robert White, Chief People, Culture and DEIA Officer, MS, SHRM-SCP, has dedicated his career helping organizations acquire, engage, develop and retain talent, making him a valuable asset to the Life’s WORC team.

Robert joined Life’s WORC in 2022, bringing not only his expertise in talent and human resources management strategies and innovation, but years of experience in the non-profit sector including the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities field where he worked in similar roles at other agencies.

Robert’s human resources education, experience, training, and knowledge makes him a great fit to oversee Human Resources and Talent Management at Life’s WORC. In this role he leads the efforts of the Human Resources and Training Departments that enhance our commitment to acquiring, developing and retaining quality employees to work with the people we support. Robert holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Hofstra University, a Master’s Degree from New York University, and a Certificate in Strategic Human Resources Leadership from eCornell.

Lauren Accovelli, Deputy Chief of Residential Services
Lauren Accovelli, Deputy Chief of Residential Services, has been working in the health and human services field for nearly two decades, enabling her to pursue her passion and make a difference in people’s lives when they are experiencing times of crisis.

Lauren joined Life’s WORC in 2022, taking the next step in her extensive career working at nonprofit organizations that specialize in working with people with developmental disabilities. She has significant experience with the oversight, operation, innovation, and support of certified and non-certified sites, and a wide variety of experience in behavior support, crisis settings, residential and non-residential programs and opening new programs.

Lauren’s experience, training, and knowledge working with children and adults with complex needs and behavioral challenges makes her a perfect fit to help oversee Residential Services at Life’s WORC. In this role she will enhance our commitment to our core values, while developing and achieving quality outcomes and working toward person-centered services that ensure quality for the people we support.

Outside of her time at Life’s WORC, Lauren is an active member of the Interagency Council Committee and the LIQA Committee.

Paulette Elbers, Senior Vice President of Entitlements & Financial Support Services
Paulette Elbers, Senior Vice President of Entitlements & Financial Support Services, has been an integral member of the Life’s WORC team for over two decades, helping to build and enhance the entitlements and financial service offerings and programs through her expertise and her commitment to supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism.

Paulette joined Life’s WORC in 2002 as an Entitlements Coordinator, and her impact in ensuring people maintained their benefits and receive their much-needed services was immediate.  She was promoted to Director of Entitlements in 2005, overseeing and ensuring benefit eligibility for over 250 people in our residential programs. Her expertise and understanding of government benefits ultimately led to the development and creation of the Life’s WORC Pooled Trust Program in 2007, and later the comprehensive Trust Services department in 2011, which Paulette oversees as Trust Administrator, managing over $9.2 million in trust program funds. In 2022 Paulette was promoted again to Senior Vice President of Entitlements & Financial Support Services, and has taken on the oversight of the agency’s newly expanded Planned Giving Program.

In addition to her professional role at the agency, Paulette is also an important member of and past Chairperson of the Life’s WORC Values Committee, and is helping lead the agency’s DEI programs and initiatives.

Andrea DiVita, Senior Vice President of Residential Services
Andrea DiVita, Senior Vice President of Residential Services, was drawn to help people with special needs early in life, as she observed how people treated her own sister who has a disability. As a result, she has dedicated her career to working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Andrea joined Life’s WORC in 2017 as a Director of Residential services and was later promoted to Senior Director of Residential Services in 2019, Vice President of Residential Services in 2020 and Senior Vice President of Residential Services in in 2022. In this role she oversees the operations of our 45 homes and the support staff and services for the people we support living in those homes, as well as the development of additional homes across Long Island and Queens.

In addition to her official role at Life’s WORC, Andrea is also a member of the internal Incident Review Committee, Human Rights Committee and Events Committee, helping to further ensure that each person supported is living a happy, healthy, meaningful life. Outside of the organization, she is also a member of the Interagency Council Residential Committee.