Sandra Harris, LMSW, MS
Vice President for Community Affairs & Partnership Engagement
Sandra Harris is the Vice President for Community Affairs & Partnership Engagement at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. In her role, she is responsible for maintaining community and institutional relations, developing partnerships and promoting university and community programs that impact the health and well-being of the northern Manhattan community.
Prior to her role at the Office of Government and Community Affairs, Sandra served as executive director of the Northern Manhattan Community Voices Collaborative, a national initiative funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation with Columbia University’s College of Dental Medicine as the lead partner. Under her leadership, Community Voices strengthened partnerships between community organizations and neighboring institutions to increase and promote access to quality health care services. She helped secure funding to establish health outreach projects targeting the uninsured and health education programs focused on asthma, nutrition and exercise, and mental health services.
Sandra’s work in the northern Manhattan community began 23 years ago as a constituent services liaison with then State Senator Franz Leichter. During her tenure there she developed a keen understanding of the needs of her community that led her to change her career path from housing-tenant advocacy to strengthening mental health services and developing policies that impact the mental, health and social well being of the residents of northern Manhattan. This career change led her to work for the largest Dominican non-profit organization in the country, Alianza Dominicana.
Sandra has a Masters degree in Social Work from Hunter College and Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of Human Services- Metropolitan College of New York. She currently sits on the board of directors of the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation, member of American Public Health Association, National Association of Social Workers and the NJ Mental Health Counselor’s Association.
Contact Information
212-305-6359