Sheldon J. Fine has been a Director of WSFSSH since 1979, serving as Secretary from 1983 to 2000 and as President of WSFSSH from 2000 to the present. He is a Chaplain with the United States Chaplain Corps and in that capacity, he primarily serves needy and vulnerable older adults on the Upper West Side and in Manhattan Valley. He is also a commissioner on the New York City Age-Friendly Commission.
From 2007-2023, Fine was the Team Chief of the Upper West Side Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and he is currently the Manhattan Division 2 Leader of the CERT Teams in six Manhattan neighborhoods from Midtown up through Manhattan Valley. His team has been a recipient of NYC Emergency Management’s coveted Citywide Emergency Deployment and Preparedness Award.
As a social activist leader on the West Side since 1971, Mr. Fine has been the Chair of the Local Area Policy Board, the Neighborhood Advisory Board, the Community School Board of District 3, and Vice-Chair of the Citywide Community Action Board. In addition, since 1986, he has been a member of Community Board #7 on which he has held several leadership positions, including two distinguished terms as Chair of the Board. He is also a Founder and Director of Friends of Bloomingdale Inclusive Park and Playground, supporting the uniquely constructed, truly inclusive park in Manhattan Valley.
As a career educator in the New York City Public Schools, Sheldon J. Fine has been a teacher, principal, District Director of Math, Science & Technology, and Assistant Superintendent of a large South Bronx school district. He has also served as an adjunct professor and clinical supervisor for several colleges with specialties in math and math education, educational leadership, and special education. Currently, Mr. Fine is employed as an educational consultant in New York City and Yonkers public schools. He has received the Golden Apple Award from PBS THIRTEEN for Innovative Uses of Technology in Education. In 2024, he was awarded the “Outstanding Leadership Award” at the Annual International Education 2.0 Conference.