Bronx River Alliance Announces Departure of Executive Director Siddhartha Sánchez

BRONX, NY (06/12/2026) (readMedia)-- The Bronx River Alliance today announced that Executive Director Siddhartha Sánchez will be stepping down from his role to accept an appointment as Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Food Policy (MOFP) for New York City.

Sánchez, who has led the Alliance since 2024, has been a tireless advocate for the Bronx River and surrounding communities for over two decades. Under his leadership, the Alliance raised funding for the conservation, education, paddling, and the Bronx River Foodway – the first edible food forest in New York City, demonstrating how public lands can support food security. Sánchez also led the Stop the Cross Bronx Expansion Coalition in advocacy against the Cross Bronx expansion.

"Siddhartha's commitment to racial, economic, and environmental justice has been the driving force behind so much of the Alliance's progress," said Nilka Martell, Chair of the Bronx River Alliance Board of Directors. "While we are sad to see him go, we are incredibly proud that his leadership will now benefit all New Yorkers through the Mayor's Office of Food Policy. He leaves the Alliance stronger, more connected, and better positioned for the future."

During Sánchez's tenure, the Alliance deepened its partnerships with NYC Parks, expanded community paddling and education programs, and secured critical funding for watershed restoration. "I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to lead the Bronx River Alliance – an organization that has been my home for over many years," said Sánchez. "The river, the staff, the volunteers, and the communities along its banks have shaped everything I do. I leave knowing the mission is in good hands, and I will always be a champion for the Bronx River."

The Alliance's Board of Directors will work closely with leadership to initiate a search for an interim executive director and will begin a permanent search in the coming months. Further announcements will be made as the transition plan is finalized.

"Siddhartha has been a partner, a colleague, and a friend," added Martell. "We thank him for his visionary leadership and wish him every success in his new role serving the people of New York City."

The Bronx River Alliance remains fully committed to its mission of restoring, protecting, and making the Bronx River a healthy, community?driven resource for all.

About the Bronx River Alliance: Founded in 2001, the Bronx River Alliance serves as a coordinated voice for the river and works in harmonious partnership to protect, improve, and restore the Bronx River corridor so that it can be a healthy ecological, recreational, educational, and economic resource for the communities through which the river flows. To learn more about its programs, visit www.bronxriver.org.