Dr. Sherone Smith-Sánchez is currently the President of Talawah Turf International LLC (TTI), where she fulfills her life’s passion as Lead Grant-writer, Professional Development/Coaching Specialist & Organizational Consultant. The TTI Team advances fellow leaders in multiple strands of leadership development, including large and small organizations such as public and private enterprises, houses of worship, and schools, (including Head Starts and the international early childhood community at large). She comes to this work with the unique perspective of one who has led both large and small governmental and private entities, in which she has devised, written and reviewed proposals for the city & state of NY, as well as written & reviewed proposals submitted for federal grants. She has had an unusual and fulfilling career as a leader in both the church and secular arenas. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Police Athletic League, and PM Global Institute and has served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Give-Back-Generation. Dr. Smith-Sanchez has served as President of BSA NY, a $15M operation, serving families and children 6 weeks to 13 years old.
Prior to this, Dr. Smith-Sánchez served as Chief Operating Officer of Lutheran Social Services of NY, a $54M operation serving more than 10,000 children and families daily in educational, spiritual, legal & social services. She remains passionate about fulfilling her organization’s mission to bring others to their fullest potential. Sherone Smith-Sánchez, Ed.D, MA, MSc, BFA has also served the Social Service & Early Education community in NYC as the Assistant Commissioner with the NYC Administration for Children’s Services for 14 years. She also serves her community as Full-time Faculty with Molloy University in the Graduate Education Department and has worked Part-time with New York University & the York College of the City University of New York for 22 years.
She has almost 3 decades of experience as a leader and received her Doctorate in Educational Administration from Columbia University. She also holds an MA in Educational Administration & Organizational Leadership from Columbia and a Master of Science from Bank Street College of Education. In addition, Dr. Smith-Sánchez has a Baccalaureate of Fine Arts from Parsons the New School for Design, and Ordination and Certification as a Pastor, Pastoral Counselor, Chaplain, and Evangelist from Anchor of the Soul Ministries. She is Certified in several other areas, among them are NYS School District Administrator; NYS Permanent (N-6); NYS Permanent in Art (K-12); NYC Department of Education (Common Branches); NYC Department of Education (Art Education).
Dr. Smith-Sánchez is driven by a desire to see others achieve their personal best. This desire has translated itself into her leading philanthropic endeavors in her home country of Jamaica; working as an ordained minister in her church community; conducting thousands of workshops for varied groups of Educators & Administrators; leadership coaching and mentoring; and membership on varied national workgroups and committees such as the LSA Children, Youth and Families Policy Advisory Committee; NYS Early Childhood Advisory Council; and the Quality Improvement Workgroup for QUALITYstarsNY. She has been the recipient of several awards. Among them are the Nassau County Unsung Heroes -2023, Molloy University Lighthearted Lion Award - 2023, NY State Senatorial, Gubernatorial and Assembly-member Proclamations in 2015; the ACI Woman of Distinction Award in 2014 and the Courier Top Woman in Business Award in 2013.
She has also authored and co-authored many publications including her latest articles on leadership: Sabbath of the Mind, 2026; Chocolate Brown, 2025, Growing Up in an Immigrant Household, 2023, Tell the Truth & Shame the Devil, July 2019, Disruption & Mindful Math, December 2018; Celebrating Kitsch & Crisis, November 2018; and her books, Triumph in the Trenches (2024), and Talawah Turf: Celebrating Victory over Child Sex Abuse which was released in May 2013.
