I think I first met Becky Sobelman-Stern when she worked in the Western Region for the United Jewish Appeal -- thinking back, she must have been but a child -- even though she was already the bright, creative and eager young professional who grew into a major, still young professional leader while at both UJA and JFNA. I loved working with her, challenging her as she challenged me right back. Because of JFNA's policy of "no fraternization with our perceived enemies," I have watched Becky's professional growth from afar with admiration as she rose in the ranks to National Vice-President of Consulting..
At JFNA, working first under the leadership of Barry Swartz in Consulting Services, Becky grew to lead Consulting Services and JFNA's participation in any number of communal planning efforts and a series of mergers (one federation professional leader called that effort "taking two failing federations and putting them together to form one larger failed federation").
Becky had been at JFNA from its creation. Her departure announced just this morning will leave a gaping hole in JFNA's Consulting Services but, like Philanthropic Resources a/k/a FRD, it's not clear that JFNA wants to be in that "business" any more or, maybe, Mark Gurvis will take it over.
Becky has joined the Senior staff at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. She will go from strength-to-strength.
Rwexler
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4 comments:
Good people, real professionals, experienced pros, leaving JFNA in an exodus begun with Lee Twersky, Gail Hyman, Vicki Agron and Gail Reese, continuing with Doron Krakow and Sam Astroff and Susan Solow-Dubin to Cheryl Lefland and now, these two pros. The sinking ship is losing the best and brightest, it is leaking talent in a constant torrent. Will the last person to leave 25 Broadway turn off the lights?
If you believe that great pros leaving the umbrella to help our Federations is bad for the Jewish people, then you are gravely mistaken.
Had I even suggested...suggested...that great pros leaving JFNA for the federations "is bad for the Jewish people," then shame on me. Of course, I did not write or imply that that is case and neither did the first Anonymous. It is JFNA that has suffered these losses (and many more).
So, the only one "gravely mistaken" would be you, 2nd Anon.
Without knowing where they have gone, the senior professional brain drain from JFNA is a shanda -- the organization is so lost. How many resumes of others at 25 Broadway are on the street?
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