Heights and Hills Board of Directors appoints new executive director

April 9, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Carrie Zwiebel Bloss, new executive director of Heights and Hills. Photo courtesy of Heights and Hills

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After an extensive search, the Heights and Hills Board of Directors has appointed longtime social service executive Carrie Zwiebel Bloss as executive director.

Heights and Hills is one of Brooklyn’s largest non-profits serving older adults, especially homebound seniors, and their families. In her new capacity, Ms. Zwiebel Bloss will oversee all aspects of the organization’s work and report to the board of directors. She succeeds Interim Executive Director Betsy Smulyan, who assumed the role in July 2020 following Judy Willig’s retirement after 33 years of leadership.

As a lifelong New Yorker, Ms. Zwiebel Bloss has dedicated her over 20-year career to addressing the needs of New York’s most vulnerable people. She most recently served as the executive director of Project Hospitality, the largest social service non-profit on Staten Island. At Project Hospitality, she headed the executive management team, served as a key liaison to the board of directors, ensured financial stability and developed strategic plans for the organization’s future.

Prior to Project Hospitality, she spent over 11 years working in the field of housing and homeless services at Breaking Ground, the city’s largest nonprofit provider of supportive housing and homeless street outreach. As vice president of leasing and compliance, she oversaw internal evaluation for all service areas, the organization’s affordable housing and government contract compliance, and the government grants management function.

Michelle Grasparil, board president, said, “As we look back at Heights and Hills’ 50-year history, we are thankful for the strong foundation built under former Executive Director Judy Willig, and are excited for Carrie’s vision as she takes the helm and works to advance Heights and Hills’ mission of supporting older adults to age successfully and with dignity in the community.”

Ms. Zwiebel Bloss said: “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead such a vital organization. Brooklyn would be nothing without our older adults and I believe it is our responsibility to help them age successfully in our community. It is an honor to follow in Judy’s footsteps in this role, and I am deeply indebted to Betsy for her guidance.”

Zwiebel Bloss received a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton College and a Master of Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School.

Heights and Hills, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and one of the largest providers of supportive services to help older adults age successfully in the Brooklyn neighborhoods they call home. During the past year of the COVID pandemic, the organization amplified its outreach to homebound older adults. To combat loneliness, it made more than 37,000 telephone calls to check in with and arrange services for clients, held 130 caregiver workshops and support groups online, and offered 405 virtual classes for senior center members.

In addition, its volunteers have delivered close to 13,000 cooked meals, shopping orders and shelf-stable food bags.