Liz Neumark
2020 Manhattan Jewish Hall of Fame Inductee
Biography
Since launching Great Performances (GP) in 1980 as a part-time staffing agency for women in the arts, Liz Neumark has orchestrated its transformation into one of the country's foremost catering, food service and events companies; one lauded for its commitment to seasonal ingredients, innovative culinary presentations and exceptional service. Sustainability, too, is a GP hallmark, which Neumark spotlighted with the 2006 purchase of 60 acres in the upstate New York hamlet of Kinderhook, making GP the nation's first caterer to own and operate an organic farm as a source of locally grown produce. At the table for many of the tri-state area's most prestigious events, GP is the exclusive caterer for a number of distinguished New York City institutions including, the Apollo Theater, Asia Society, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Jazz at Lincoln Center and The Plaza Hotel. GP also operates a number of restaurants, cafe's , concessions and food trucks throughout New York City and in Westchester County, “Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center and The Norm at the Brooklyn Musuem among them. Neumark's passion for food advocacy is demonstrated by her involvement with such organizations as Just Food, GrowNYC, New York State Council on Food Policy, West Side Campaign Against Hunger, City Harvest and the Food and Finance High School. In 2006, she founded The Sylvia Center, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching children and their families in underserved neighborhoods about nutrition and how to cook so they can lead healthier, more productive lives. In her spare time, Neumark can be found exploring farm stands and food shops and spending time with her husband and three grown children. She is the author of Sylvia's Table, a highly acclaimed cookbook inspired by family and the seasons.
Neumark’s passion for food advocacy is demonstrated by her involvement with such organizations as Just Food, GrowNYC, New York State Council on Food Policy, West Side Campaign Against Hunger, City Harvest and the Food and Finance High School. In 2006, she founded The Sylvia Center, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching children and their families in underserved neighborhoods about nutrition and how to cook so they can lead healthier, more productive lives.
In her spare time, Neumark can be found exploring farm stands and food shops and spending time with her husband and three grown children. She is the author of Sylvia’s Table, a highly acclaimed cookbook inspired by family and the seasons.
