Stacey Hengsterman

President & CEO, Special Olympics New York

As President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Special Olympics New York, Stacey Hengsterman leads one of the largest Special Olympics chapters in the world. Prior to taking the role in July 2018, Hengsterman spent two decades shaping state higher education policy as a top advisor to the chancellor, Board of Trustees, and 64 campus presidents at the State University of New York (SUNY). 

Drawing on what she’s learned throughout a distinguished career in public service, and as a mother to a son with Down syndrome, Hengsterman has a strategic plan for the future of Special Olympics New York that aims to position New York as the most inclusive state in the country. 

Special Olympics New York serves more than 51,000 athletes – children, youth and adults with intellectual disabilities. It provides year-round sports training and competition in 22 sports; partners with more than 375 schools statewide to offer Unified Sports, where students with and without intellectual disabilities compete as teammates; and works to improve athlete health. Because all Special Olympics New York programming is provided free to athletes and their families, the statewide nonprofit also coordinates hundreds of fundraising events per year. 

Hengsterman is a member of the Pioneer Bancorp Board of Directors and a SUNY Cortland Distinguished Alumni. In 2026, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from SUNY Cortland. In 2024, she was honored as a “Courageous Woman of Faith” by St. Ignatious Parish in NYC.  

She has been recognized several times by City & State, having been included in the inaugural Who’s Who in Sports list in 2026, the Upstate Power 100 in 2021, and as one of just 30 recipients of the 2020 Above & Beyond Award.  

Under her leadership, Special Olympics New York was named a “Top Workplace” by the Albany Times Union, and it has earned the highest rankings from Charity Navigator and Candid, making it one of the most trusted nonprofits in the country. 

A Rochester, NY, native and a graduate of the State University of New York at Cortland, Hengsterman lives in Clifton Park with her husband Rick, a high school history teacher, and their three children, Jackson, Alex, and Lauren. 

Follow Stacey on LinkedIn or Twitter, or sign up for her monthly newsletter for the latest news and updates from Special Olympics New York. 

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