Liz Neumark is the CEO of Great Performances.

In almost three decades of being at the top of the food chain in New York City, Liz Neumark has learned that it is all about satisfying needs. Liz believes there is no more critical time in the relationship between people and the foods they eat or have access to than today. Liz is a visionary in putting future culinary ideas on the plates of New Yorkers and a trendsetter in bringing food politics to the table, all with great taste and memorable flavors.

Liz conceived of Great Performances in 1979 as a waitress service for women in the arts, offering an alternative way to supplement meager artist incomes with work in the catering industry. The company is headquartered in Hudson Square, NYC and is today the largest off premises catering company in the city.

Collaborative relationships with some of the leading cultural institutions in the city have been the major growth vehicle for the company. Exclusive contracts include Jazz at Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Sotheby’s, Caramoor and Wave Hill.

Liz recently joint ventured with Delaware North Companies to manage and operate one of New York City’s most sought after banquet and event spaces- The Plaza Hotel.

Katchkie Farm, the company’s 60 acre organic farm in Columbia County, provides Great Performances’ cafés and special events with a unique selection of menu items with unmatched freshness. Crops are grown for specific customer use and a line of artisanal products has been introduced. There is no other catering company nationwide, operating its own farm, no less organic.

On a weekly basis, Liz and Great Performances serve thousands of meals to a wide range of corporate, social and non-profit clients. The 100-Mile Menu has been incorporated into the culinary offerings, and organic produce from the farm is integrated into food production across the board. In 2007 Liz was appointed to the Governors Food Policy Council; a group charged with advising the Governor on food policy for New York State.

Liz and her family established The Sylvia Center at the farm, a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring the farm experience into the lives of at risk children in neighboring towns and from NYC. The Sylvia Center reconnects children and their families to real foods and real flavors and imparts a lesson of nutrition and healthful eating. The Sylvia Center works in collaboration with other non-profits, school systems and community organizations to enhance their health and nutrition programs. Recent farm visits include the entire first and second grades from PS 180, a Harlem based school.

Liz is a third generation New Yorker, a Barnard graduate who majored in Urban Studies and Political Science. She, her husband and children live in Manhattan.

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