After nearly four years leading The Sylvia Center, Barbara Glassman (left) will be stepping down as Chief Executive Officer on June 30, 2026, with Tara Gendelman (right) at The Sylvia Center’s 2026 Art of Cooking gala.
When Barbara joined The Sylvia Center in 2022, we, like many nonprofits emerging from the pandemic years, were navigating a rapidly changing landscape, growing community needs, and new operational and financial challenges. She came on board with a clear mandate from the Board of Directors: strengthen fundraising, stabilize and improve operations, build stronger systems and structures, and position the organization for long-term growth and sustainability.
Working closely with our staff, educators, supporters, and partners, she accomplished exactly that—and much more—helping guide the organization through a period of meaningful and enduring change.
Legacy
Over the past four years, The Sylvia Center has expanded both its reach and its impact. We’ve grown from serving just over 2,000 students annually to more than 6,000 students across New York City and the Hudson Valley, while growing our annual fundraising from approximately $1 million to more than $2.8 million. We deepened relationships with schools, community partners, donors, and funders, strengthened internal systems and day-to-day operations, expanded our programming, and invested meaningfully in understanding and measuring the impact of our work so that we can better serve young people and families.
Most importantly, that growth has allowed us to provide more students with vital hands-on food education rooted in confidence, curiosity, nourishment, and joy.
Every day across our programs, young people are learning how to cook for themselves and their communities, explore healthy ingredients, connect food to culture and identity, and build lifelong skills that support well-being. The strength and stability of the organization today means that even more students will have access to those experiences in the years ahead.
Over the past several years, together we have strengthened The Sylvia Center in ways that will support our work for years to come. Barbara’s leadership helped create the strong foundation from which the organization now moves forward. She brought focus, rigor, and deep commitment to the work, and we’re grateful for all she has helped make possible.
Future
At the same time, this moment is also a reflection of the extraordinary team that powers The Sylvia Center every day. From educators and program staff to operations, development, communications, and administration, so many people have contributed to our momentum and success. We’ve never been stronger, and that is a testament to this team.
Because of that strength, we’re incredibly optimistic about the future of The Sylvia Center. The organization is in a position of real stability, with an exceptional team, a clear mission, strong community partnerships, and exciting opportunities ahead. To help support the organization through this transition, the Board will engage an Interim Executive Director who will work closely with staff and leadership to ensure continuity across programs, operations, fundraising, and external partnerships while a thoughtful search for a long-term Executive Director moves forward. We look forward to sharing more information about the leadership transition in the months ahead.
We’re profoundly grateful to Barbara for her leadership over the past four years, and to everyone who makes this work possible—our students and families, educators, school and community partners, supporters, alumni, and broader Sylvia Center community.
With gratitude,
Tara Gendelman
Board Chair, The Sylvia Center
Tara has been on The Sylvia Center’s Board of Directors since 2016, and is passionate about the connection between food and health. Learn more about her here!
