Deacon Jim F. Vargas
Deacon Jim F. Vargas, OFS, as President and CEO, oversees all facets of Father Joe’s Villages, the largest homeless services provider in Southern California. This includes the comprehensive housing and supportive services offered through St. Vincent de Paul Village, the Village Health Clinic, Therapeutic Childcare Center, Employment and Education Center, and the agency’s portfolio of affordable housing.
Since 2010 when Deacon Jim joined Father Joe’s Villages, the organization has doubled the services and programs, through innovative solutions, impacting those experiencing homelessness, including the first of its kind Street Health in San Diego addressing primary care and behavioral healthcare. He’s added recuperative beds, as well as 500 affordable and permanent supportive housing units, including the largest and most comprehensive housing development in the County of San Diego, through it’s Turning the Key initiative.
To address the lack of substance use programs, Deacon Jim has opened a facility of 300 beds, including inpatient detox center and recovery and sober living.
Prior to Father Joe’s Villages, Deacon Jim oversaw Human Resources operations for 5,000 employees across a chain of newspapers of The Copley Press, Inc., with news bureaus in multiple U.S. locations and Mexico. He also served in various director and vice president positions of Human Resources at Citicorp/Citibank.
He is a deacon of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego serving the community of Mary, Star of the Sea in La Jolla, previously having served the community of Our Lady of Angels in downtown San Diego.
Deacon Jim holds degrees from New York University. He serves on the Continuum of Care Board of the Regional Task Force on Homelessness in San Diego, and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Downtown San Diego Partnership. He is the past Chair of the Board of the Rady Children’s Hospital of San Diego Foundation, founding chair of Epiphany Prep Charter School of San Diego, and past chair of Casa Cornelia Law Center.
Deacon Jim lives in La Jolla with his wife and has three adult children, and five grandchildren.
