Colin Powell School alumnus and adjunct professor Lew Zuchman was recently profiled by City & State for his decades-long leadership as Executive Director of SCAN-Harbor. The nonprofit serves more than 7,600 children and teens, along with 1,000 adults and families, across 23 program sites in Harlem, East Harlem, and the South Bronx—offering a wide network of integrated services for New Yorkers.
Mr. Zuchman’s commitment to public service stretches back to the 1960s, when he joined the historic group of Freedom Riders—civil rights activists who risked their lives by riding interstate buses into the segregated South to challenge laws that defied Supreme Court rulings against bus segregation. [Hear him reflect on this chapter of his life here]
Since taking the helm of SCAN-Harbor in 1987, Zuchman has transformed the organization into a model for holistic nonprofit support. Under his leadership, SCAN-Harbor provides a wide array of programs: early childhood education, family services, healthy food and nutrition, LGBTQ+ support, youth education, violence prevention, a performing arts academy, workforce development, and immigrant support. Each program reflects his vision of evidence-based interventions that strengthen social mobility and community resilience.
With more than 50 years of experience in public service, social justice, organizing, and nonprofit leadership, Mr. Zuchman brings invaluable expertise to the classroom and the community alike. In his City & State interview, he discusses the challenges of burnout in public service, his philosophy of nonprofit leadership, and the key to sustaining a long and impactful career.
