MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
For nearly five decades, Cindy Heller has been a cornerstone of Queens Centers for Progress (QCP), touching the lives of thousands of children with developmental disabilities and the families who love them. Now, as QCP celebrates its 75th anniversary on June 17, the organization will also honor the retirement of one of its most devoted leaders.
Heller began her journey with QCP on January 2, 1978, fresh out of Columbia University with a master’s in special education. What started as a teaching position soon evolved into a life’s work.
Throughout her 47-year tenure, Heller rose through the ranks—from Special Education Teacher to Director of Children’s Services. Her unwavering dedication and passion helped shape QCP’s pioneering preschool program, the first of its kind in Queens, designed to serve children ages 3–5 with complex developmental needs.
“I started out there was a brand new teacher and I was very, very green,” Heller recalled. “Even when I was a teacher, I looked to increase my responsibilities and do more and more, I became a supervisor of the teachers, then a coordinator, then I became an assistant director, and then now I’m retiring as the director of the Children’s Services.”
Heller’s impact goes far beyond titles. Her leadership has created a nurturing, therapeutic environment where children receive individualized instruction, adaptive play opportunities, and onsite medical support. Families who may have felt isolated or overwhelmed found a trusted ally in QCP—largely thanks to Heller’s vision.
“I always geared to yearn to be with the students and have them get as much out of the life and community and opportunities as everybody else,” she said. “You might have to have different goals, but you can still make a difference in those children and families’ lives.”
Born and raised in Rockville Centre, Long Island, Heller was drawn to the field through volunteer work in her youth. She studied Human Development at Cornell University before pursuing her graduate education at Columbia. She later earned a postgraduate degree from Hunter College.
During her graduate studies at Columbia University, Cindy Heller completed her student teaching in Howard Beach, working with children who had recently been deinstitutionalized from Willowbrook State School—a facility on Staten Island notorious for its inhumane treatment of individuals with developmental disabilities. That experience shaped her lifelong commitment to serving this vulnerable population. When Queens Centers for Progress opened one of the first classrooms in Queens for former Willowbrook residents, Cindy was hired—marking the beginning of a 47-year career. “Queens Centers for Progress was like the first school that said that they would open up a classroom for these former residents from Willowbrook,” she said. “So, I was hired, and it was very exciting.”
Known for her personal connection with students and a leadership style grounded in compassion, Heller made it a point to visit classrooms daily. “All the children should know me, and I should know them,” she said. “Getting that extra hug or hello from them just makes my day.”
QCP staff and leadership describe her as a rare figure whose ethics, empathy, and drive have left a permanent imprint. “They are so ethical in this organization,” Heller said. “They’re extremely ethical. They use their money wisely, and they’re so supportive of staff.”
For Heller, being honored at the upcoming gala feels particularly meaningful. “I’m extraordinarily honored,” she said. “Usually, they just honor, you know, business people in the world… But I was… such an honor that they’re recognizing me as a staff person and recognizing… that I devoted my whole life to QCP.”
As she prepares to retire, Heller looks forward to spending more time with her husband, Randy, their daughter Marissa, son-in-law Dan, and grandchildren Justin and Brooke. “I love theater. I love to travel and seeing my family more,” she said.
Asked what she hopes her legacy at QCP will be, Heller replied, “Just to remember that we have such a quality program and that we strive to have children meet all their challenges in life and for their families to feel supported and part of the community.”
To support QCP’s work, Heller encourages the public to visit queenscp.org, attend the gala, and continue advocating for inclusion. “We want people to be accepting of our children with special needs, and to have us be part of their community, and them as part of our community,” she said.
