Meet Elizabeth (Liz) Singer, president and chair of the board of New York Society for Ethical Culture. After pursuing a career in the fashion industry and traveling the world, unexpected events in Liz’s life led her to join Ethical and reinvigorated her passion for activism.
Liz always knew she wanted to work in fashion. She remembers playing with paper dolls and creating stores to display different garments as a child. She later earned her degree in Retail Management, Merchandising, and Design from Stevens College in LA.
She began her 30-year fashion career in buying, where she traveled around Europe on professional buying trips for major department stores Robinsons and Bullocks and later opening a design manufacturing company with her husband. Her 30-year career spanned the globe, taking her from the U.S. to Hong Kong. With her designs being sold at industry giants like Macy’s and Saks, it seemed she had realized her childhood dream.
Things changed after Liz watched family members struggle with dementia. Not one to stand aside and do nothing, Liz got a degree in Geriatric Care Management. She experienced another dramatic change when her husband passed away, leaving a void she struggled to fill. She finally found what she was missing after several friends encouraged her to join Ethical Culture. She initially joined the society’s book clubs and membership committee, but she found her true calling with the Society’s activist wing and eventually took on leadership positions. Now president and chair of the board, Liz leads internal committees and works to expand the society’s presence to the public – all while integrating the creative flare that served her throughout her successful fashion career.
While Liz’s road to Ethical NYC was a winding one, that is not uncommon among the Ethical Culture membership base. “You don’t have to grow up as an activist to get involved with Ethical Culture,” she says. “No matter what stage of life you are in, we open our doors to anyone looking to better their lives and the lives of others.”
