Katherine M. Fritz becomes first new CEO of Long Island Cares in 17 years

Long Island Cares and the Harry Chapin Food Bank has named their first new CEO in 17 years.

Katherine M. Fritz will take over the food bank, which has an annual budget exceeding $40 million and distributes more than 1 million pounds of food per month to Long Islanders in need.

Fritz has worked at the Hauppauge-based food bank for six years as the nonprofit’s vice president of development and communications, where she focused on fundraising with donors. She previously worked for more than a decade for the Guide Dog Foundation and America’s VetDogs, based in Smithtown.

She takes over the position during a turbulent time for food banks nationally as they face federal spending cuts and an increased demand from families who cannot afford to put food on the table.

"We’re definitely looking at an uncertain time across the United States," Fritz said. "I’m grateful for our other colleagues and food banks in Feeding America to find the best ways to handle this uncertainty. We’re looking at what this means for SNAP cuts and changes to the government shutdown. We’re analyzing it day by day to make sure we do the best job and make food available for Long Island."

Fritz succeeds longtime Long Island Cares president and CEO Paule Pachter, 71, who announced in June that he planned to retire by the end of the year. He said he would stay on through the new leadership’s transition and in an advisory role.

Pachter said Fritz mentored him in fundraising while he led her in administration and government relations. During her tenure, he said, Fritz has increased the food bank's fundraising from about $4 million per year to some $11 million annually.

"I think the future of the organization is bright and it will continue in the vein it has for the past 17 ½ years," Pachter told Newsday on Tuesday. "I’m certainly pleased with the fact I will hand off Long Island Cares to Katherine because she will continue to see it remains as strong as possible." 

Fritz was selected following a nationwide search before the nonprofit settled on an internal candidate, said David E. Herold, president of the board of directors at Long Island Cares.

"She will lead us in meeting the ever-increasing need ahead, which is what the battle against the challenging climate surrounding food insecurity requires," Herold said in a statement. "We believe that with her steady hand on the tiller, our mission will be advanced and the future of the people we serve will be brighter."

The food bank was started in 1980 by singer-songwriter Harry Chapin and his wife, Sandy, before he was killed in a 1981 car crash on the Long Island Expressway on his way to perform a benefit concert at Eisenhower Park.

The pantry serves 16 million pounds of food annually to about 318,000 Long Islanders, including 75,000 children, officials said. It has grown to provide food at nine locations on Long Island with a budget that has grown from $8.5 million to $41 million and a staff of about 78 people, according to the organization.

Fritz is focusing on maintaining Chapin’s legacy, she said, and building upon Pachter’s work in growing community outreach. The rising demand for food has been evident since the COVID-19 pandemic and rising prices at the grocery store, Fritz said.

"People are feeling that pinch on their wallets and there’s a misconception on Long Island that the only people in need are immigrants or without jobs. People are working multiple jobs and not making enough to meet the needs of a family on Long Island," Fritz said. "People come here, not because they want free food, but because they have nowhere else to turn."

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.