United Methodist Family Services gets new chief

Nancy Toscano has become president and CEO of United Methodist Family Services (UMFS), a 121-year-old nonprofit statewide provider of social services programs for high-risk children and parents.

Promoted from chief operating officer, Toscano succeeds Greg Peters, who is retiring after more than 20 years leading the Richmond-based nonprofit.

Toscano, who was named to the role in October, will be the nonprofit’s first female president and CEO. A New York native, she spent part of her career overseas and opened a school for youth with autism in Malaysia. She’s held leadership roles at UMFS and its Charterhouse School for nearly 14 years and was named COO in 2018.

Toscano is a graduate of Siena College and holds a master’s degree in social work from New York University and a Ph.D. in public policy and administration with a concentration in nonprofit leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University.

“As the agency moves forward and takes on new and increasingly complex challenges, we will be well-served by Nancy’s strategic thinking, organizational skills and the values she brings to the job every day,” Mike Giancaspro, chairman of the UMFS board, said in a statement.

In a statement, UMFS also lauded Peters for transforming a local foster care services organization into a statewide provider of 18 social service programs helping 13,775 children, teenagers and family members.