2024 Board Members

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Jonathan Sheffer (President) is a Grammy-nominated composer and conductor who has worked in movies, classical music, theater and opera. His work is published by G. Schirmer and streamed on all platforms. He has worked on over 50 films, and served on the Board of the NY City Opera and as the representative of the Speaker of the City Council on the Lincoln Center Board. He was a member of the NY State Council on the Arts for six years, has been an SPNA Board member for two years, and has been living in the Stuyvesant Square neighborhood for three years.

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Jason Money (Vice President)

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Liza Meneades, SPNA Board Member and Secretary, Events Committee co-chair

Liza made her way to the Stuyvesant Park neighborhood in May of 2008 from Boston to work for The New York Times Company in media sales. Through job changes she started working from her home apartment on 17th Street and became better acquainted with Stuyvesant Square Park and fell in love with this special green space where she takes morning walks and often meditates. After inquiring to volunteer in 2018, Liza works daily on SPNA’s social media accounts, is a member of the Events committee and helps in any way she can to support the park. Professionally Liza has been a successful and awarded media sales person for the past 20 years across print, radio, experiential, digital and podcast advertising working for companies from CBS to the NY Times to Slate Magazine. She also teaches Restorative Yoga at Integral Yoga Institute of New York, loves to travel, enjoys birding in Central Park, hiking the Hudson Valley and skiing New England mountains and beyond.

Photo credit: Francine Daveta

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David Turk’s company, Indiana, is a full-service caterer in New York City. Named Best Dinner Caterer in New York Magazine and a highest rated caterer in the Zagat Guide NYC.
He teaches at the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC. His love of New York has led him to lead History and Food Walking Tours here, as well.
David speaks around the country on customer service and the business of catering.
He has served on the Board of Directors of the SPNA, NYS Restaurant Association, the Fathering Forum, as well as producing programs that benefit God’s Love We Deliver.

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My name is Janet Levinson and I reside at 217 East 17th Street, the home which my husband Lou and I purchased in 2019. The landmark building needed a full renovation and I acted as the construction manager. During this time, although we lived in the West Village, we came to SPNA events and contributed to the organization. Lou and I believe in the goals of SPNA and are excited to call this neighborhood our home. Our younger son lives on 15th Street and our older son and his family lived on 18th Street until they had their first child. As a family, we are deeply invested in Stuyvesant Park and keeping our neighborhood safe, vibrant and beautiful.
On a professional note, I am an insurance broker handling difficult to place commercial clients such as contractors and non profits. Although the majority of my experience is in the insurance world, I always had an interest in the arts and recently graduated from NYU with a BA in art history. My other interests include cooking, gardening, yoga and dance as well as renovating commercial and residential properties. As a new board member, I hope to use my professional experience and personal interests to benefit SPNA and our new community.

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Stephen Uzzo is currently Chief Technology Officer for the National Museum of Mathematics and former Chief Scientist for the New York Hall of Science. He works in museum planning and design and learning research initiatives to study the coupling of human and natural systems. Dr. Uzzo is concerned with providing opportunities for underserved learners to navigate a future in which AI and big data predominate and the risks of misuse of personal data expand. Having never lived very far from the ocean in New York, California, and Massachusetts, he has also been a lifelong advocate for marine conservation.

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Reynard Loki is an artist, musician, editor, journalist, and wildlife rescuer. He is a co-founder of the Observatory, the Cat Museum of New York City, and MomenTech. He is the founding editor of Earth | Food | Life and is a writing fellow at the Independent Media Institute. His music projects include Reynard, Paint the Sky, Mild Panning, and CENTVRY. He is a wildlife rescuer at Audubon New York and New York City Pigeon Rescue Central. Reynard holds a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing from New York University.

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I’m Louis Timko, and I am the Chair of the Horticulture Committee for SPNA. I have been working with SPNA as a garden volunteer since moving to the Gramercy Park neighborhood in April 2023. Professionally, I work as a Product Manager at Spotify where I oversee the building and management of the advertising platform technology. I have been a proud NYC resident for just over 5 years now, and in my spare time I enjoy cooking, reading, and traveling.

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As Vice President of Board of Trustees of East End Temple, Joy Newman has proudly served in support of the organization’s mission to foster inclusivity and promote social justice for the past 6 years. In addition to her service at East End Temple, Joy’s was a board member at Lincoln Center Young Patrons for many years. With faith and a commitment to community at her core, Joy leads by example through her volunteer work at the Temple as well as at other educational and cultural institutions where her philanthropic spirit is evident through her dedication to community service and advocacy and the power of collective action to create positive change.
Joy has a diverse professional career. As the CEO of a pharmaceutical publishing company for over 25 years, and successful founder and CEO of a successful promotions company, Joy’s businesses provided unmatched services to high profile clients in the fashion, publishing, and pharmaceutical sectors.
Underscoring Joy’s desire for spiritual wellness and aesthetic harmony, she recently became a licensed interior designer, graduating from Parson’s School of Design and has consulted on a number of residential projects. She is a certified yoga instructor having taught at Core Power Yoga. Joy is a passionate collector of 20th-century art, as well as an avid traveler. She is fluent in three languages and has an insatiable curiosity and zest for life that drive her desire for discovery and exploration.
As a devoted mother, spouse, daughter, sister and friend, Joy cherishes the bonds of family and friendship that are a testament to her unwavering commitment to excellence, compassion, and service—a reflection of the vibrant spirit that defines her New York heritage.

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Claire Brennan

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Todd Drake

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Kim Isaly

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Phyllis Mangels

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Susan Schnelwar

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Jorge Eduardo Ramirez Trejo