Executive Director
Dutchess Outreach
Renee Fillette, Ph.D. currently serves as executive director of Dutchess Outreach. Renee is an executive bringing over 16 years of experience in child welfare, domestic violence, peer support, autism, behavioral health, homelessness, food insecurity, care management, substance abuse, Head Start, and education. At an early age, Fillette found her passion while volunteering in soup kitchens, food pantries, and shelters for the homeless. In 2003, she founded the first new foster care agency to be licensed in New York state in over 30 years. Several years later she served as the executive director at Grace Smith House, a Dutchess County-based agency for survivors of domestic violence. In 2014, Fillette earned her doctorate in Public Service: Leadership and Management of Nonprofits from Capella University and moved into a newly-created position of chief operating officer at Astor Services for Children and Families.
Fillette’s career has always focused on providing much-needed services to people in the most respectful, effective, and efficient way possible. Her work and travels have informed her about the devastating impacts of poverty, housing, and food insecurity, and the many systemic challenges that prevent people from achieving their greatest potential for health and happiness. It is her mission to connect with people, institutions, and social systems in a meaningful, compassionate, and transformative way.
