Sylvia Lindsey was born and raised on a farm North Carolina. She graduated from Morgan State University (then Morgan State College) and earned a master's degree in dietetics from New York University. She moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she worked for the Veteran's Administration directing food and nutrition services for hospitals and clinics in the East Bay. Over her thirty-nine years of public service, she was the recipient of dozens of commendations for meritorious service above and beyond her duties, and finished as the Chief of Dietetic Services. In 1987, she was asked to join the San Francisco Opera Board, where she has been a member ever since. She also served for many years on the Opera's Education Board and the Merola Program Board. During this time, Ms. Lindsey became involved in garnering support for other arts organizations, such as the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Cal Performances, and AileyCamp, a youth dance camp connected with the Alvin Ailey Dancers. Ms. Lindsey has focused on bringing the transformative potential of the arts to young people in the Bay Area, and has used her management skills, business acumen, and passion for hospitality to advocate for the creation of welcoming spaces and communities for visiting performers and African American performers in particular.