Leslie Gordon is Food Bank For New York City’s President and Chief Executive Officer. She assumed this post at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and led one of the nation’s largest Food Bank’s to double its annual output of food from 70 million lbs. to nearly 150 million lbs. of food in less than 18 months. For more than two decades, Leslie has led efforts to feed our neighbors in need and help lift them out of poverty in New York City and surrounding communities. Most recently she served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Feeding Westchester, Westchester County’s largest anti-hunger organization.

During her tenure at Feeding Westchester, Leslie took the organization to new heights by challenging the team to think boldly as they chart a course for the future, and creating a special culture that is highly collaborative and inclusive. Leslie led the charge to rebrand the county’s leading nonprofit hunger-relief organization from “Food Bank for Westchester” to “Feeding Westchester” to better communicate the breadth of its work. Under Leslie’s leadership, the organization increased the amount of fresh produce to more than 40 percent and upped the amount of food distributed by 20 percent – more than the average food bank in the nation. Leslie also forged cutting-edge, strategic alliances with non-food partners – specifically with health institutions – large and small to help address diet-related diseases.

Leslie previously served as the Senior Director of Program Strategy and Operations at City Harvest, where she helped pioneer a new strategy that positioned the organization to double the amount of food distributed annually, led the organization’s “Healthy Neighborhoods” program and oversaw the growth of its volunteer program from 6,000 to nearly 20,000 volunteers. Prior to that she was Executive Director of Best Buddies Pennsylvania and the Founding Director of Made in the Hudson Valley. She also served under General Colin Powell as National Director of America’s Promise – The Alliance for Youth where she partnered with C-Suite leaders at FORTUNE 500 companies to launch global corporate social responsibility programs.

Leslie serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for Feeding New York State. In February 2023, she was honored as a recipient at New York Nonprofit Media’s inaugural Nonprofit Trailblazers Award. In November 2023, Leslie received recognition from Empire Whole Health Heroes, celebrating leaders in the New York metropolitan area for their dedication to public service. Additionally, she was acknowledged as a Notable LGBTQIA Leader in June 2023. Leslie’s accolades include being named to the PoliticsNY Power Women of 2022, earning recognition as City & State’s Nonprofit Power 100 leader for 2023, 2022, and 2021, as well as being listed among the Top 40 Most Fascinating Women in Westchester and Fairfield Counties, sharing the spotlight with Glenn Close and Hillary Clinton.

She was also honored with the 2020 SUNY New Paltz Professional Achievement Award. In 2019, Leslie served as a keynote speaker at the Women’s Leadership Summit and was recognized as a Gala Honoree by the Westchester Community Opportunity Program.