Executive Committee
Michael is the Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel for Alex N Sill Company, LLC, the nation’s leading public adjusting company and property loss consultant.
He has been involved with ORT on a local basis for 30 years including twice being President of ORT America, Ohio Region. Michael also serves on the local board of the ADL and is the President of the Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple Foundation. Michael is married to Shari Sill Perlmuter, and they have two grown children, Lexi and Brittany.
Dr. Louanne Smolin is a retired university professor and research consultant with diverse experiences in urban education, arts research, and teacher education. Her areas of expertise include curriculum reform through multimedia and arts integration. She has extensive knowledge in curriculum studies and teacher education. She most recently served as principal investigator on large-scale program evaluations. Dr. Smolin has published journal articles and book chapters related to collaborative program evaluation, multimedia, and teacher professional development, and has also been a recipient of the Best Practice Award for the Innovative Use of Technology, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
Mark Adler is a native Clevelander. He met his wife, Trish, at the University of Pennsylvania and moved back to Cleveland. Mark is a Managing Director and the Manager of Piper Sandler’s California Public Finance practice. His career has been dedicated to advising municipal entities on their capital projects, most specifically for school and community college districts. He previously served on the Executive Board of the California Public Securities Association and was formerly its chairman. While his career has been in California, sharing time between Cleveland and LA, his heart is in Cleveland.
Mark has been a dedicated leader in local ORT leadership for over 20 years. In 2005, he was recognized with ORT’s Sadie and Maurice Friedman Leadership Award and has since served in various positions on the Executive Committee. Trish and Mark Adler have an impressive commitment to and involvement in the Cleveland Jewish Community, to Israel, and to education. In 2016, they were honored with the Ohio Region’s Maimonides Award for their service and fierce dedication to education. Mark is a former member of the boards of The Mandel JCC and The Temple-Tifereth Israel.
Mark and Trish are the proud parents of two adult daughters, Samantha and Shelby.
Saul Berkowitz has been involved with ORT for over 30 years. He has been a board member since 2016 and was elected to the executive committee in 2020 and is the current treasurer of the board. He is a Certified Public Accountant and was a partner at RSM US LLP where he practiced for over 50 years. He is currently a business adviser to several of his former clients and is a partner in a consulting firm known as Leveraged Wisdom. A graduate of Syracuse University, Saul and his wife Suzanne have two children (and one grandchild), both of whom work for non-profit organizations.
For more than 20 years, Saul has been a member of the Accountants, Attorneys and Financial Services Chapter of ORT in New York City, and is the Chapter Leader. He is an active member of the New Jersey Society of CPAs and has been recognized by several charities for his active participation with them. He has been an officer and is a current board member of Temple B’nai Abraham in Livingston, NJ, where he has been a member for over 40 years. He is the treasurer and board member of the Jewish Community Housing Corporation of NJ.
Richard N. Bernstein served as Deputy President of World ORT in 2016-2020. A prominent corporate attorney, Mr. Bernstein is a specialist in non-profit governance and operations as well as cross-border transactions, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity. His communal service includes being on the Board of ORT America since 2020 and serving as Chair of the ORT America Executive Committee from 2020-2022. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Jewish Federations of North America, Past Chair of the United Israel Appeal, past Chair of The iCenter for Israel Education, and membership on the Boards of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and the Jewish Federations of the Palm Beaches.
An alumnus of the College of Charleston, Austin spent eight post-university years in New
York City, honing his artistic talents and teaching in the mediums of drawing, painting,
ceramics, and sculpture at the Children’s Museum of the Arts. This led to his work being
exhibited across the United States and internationally as he continued to master his craft before returning home to Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2003 — continuing as an exhibiting artist and forming Austin Center Studio. It was during his time in Chattanooga that he was trusted with overseeing the growth of Acuity Merchant Services, a credit card processing company that serves community banks across the South, before selling the company in 2021.
Austin has served as Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Bright School — the oldest
elementary school in Tennessee. Additionally, he is currently Community Relations Chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga, and former Chair of the Board. He also served on the advisory board of the Children’s Rights Institute, the Lawfare Project, and the Board of the Association of Visual Arts.
Through the building of new affinity groups like the young-minded professionals’ group Avant-Art at the Hunter Museum and early-childhood curricula at Thompson Street Coop in SOHO, Austin has maintained a focus on art, education, and community cultivation through all his efforts. In 2019, he helped lead a delegation from the University of Tennessee to Israel to help facilitate and form partnerships with Israeli Universities and continued his involvement with education through his work with World ORT as an executive committee member of ORT America and a representative of the World ORT Council of Governors.
It is with all of these foundational moments of human compassion in mind that Austin now spearheads anc Group Consulting. Committed to building bridges of community and partnering with nonprofit entities to ensure sustainability, anc Group has become a vessel for Austin to continue his legacy in altruism, while helping educate and uplift the next generation of leaders and organizations. Currently Austin has been hired by the City of Chattanooga as the Public Arts Collection Specialist — overseeing the city’s vast collection of public art and ensuring its legacy for future generations.
Conrad Giles was appointed President of World ORT in May 2016, after serving as Vice President from 2013. He currently serves as Honorary President of World ORT. He was Chair of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs from 2008-2011, having served as Vice Chair from 2005. He became active in the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit in 1967 and served as its President from 1986 to 1989. Subsequently, he served as Chairman of Federation’s Executive Committee, President of the Michigan Jewish Conference, and as regional Chairman and national Vice Chairman of UJA. After holding various committee and officer posts, Conrad was named president of the Council of Jewish Federations (CJF) in 1996. Following the merger of the UJA and CJF, he was elected Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the United Jewish Communities in 2000 and continues to serve on the board of the Jewish Federations of North America. He also served on the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel from 1990-2002, serving on its Executive Committee from 1996-2000. From 1990-1999 he was a Board member of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee serving on its Executive Committee from 1996–1999. He was Chair of the Jewish Council of public Affairs from 2010 to 2012.
Conrad was President of Detroit’s Men’s ORT chapter from 1978-1980. He was a Vice President of American ORT Federation from 1980-1983. He served as a member of the initial Executive Committee of ORT American Federation for three years.
A pediatric ophthalmologist, Dr. Giles has published extensively in professional journals. He is Chief Emeritus of Ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital of Michigan and Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Wayne State University.
Robert J. Grey is a partner with K&L Gates in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office and focuses
his practice on energy matters. He has particular experience with mergers and acquisitions,
regulatory compliance, litigation, and corporate governance.
Prior to joining K&L Gates, Grey was the executive vice president, chief legal officer, and general counsel of PPL Corporation, one of the largest investor-owned companies in the U.S. utility sector. He joined PPL in 1995 as vice president, general counsel, and secretary. He was promoted to senior vice president in 1996, and to executive vice president in 2012 until his retirement in 2016 when he joined K&L Gates. Previously, he was general counsel for Long Island Lighting Co. Prior to that, he had been a partner with the law firm of Preston Gates & Ellis (now K&L Gates) in Seattle and Portland. His experience also includes several years as a staff counsel for the New York Public Service Commission, and he served as an attorney for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Grey is a member of the bar in Maryland, the District of Columbia, New York, Oregon,
Washington, Pennsylvania, and Georgia (Emeritus). Grey was appointed in 2013 to and currently serves on the Columbia Law School adjunct faculty as a Lecturer in Law. He serves on the board of visitors of Columbia College, is a member of the law school advisory board of Emory Law School and is an honorary board member of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. He is also a member of the board of trustees of World ORT and is on the board of ORT America.
A native of Westbury, Long Island, in New York, Grey earned a bachelor’s degree from
Columbia University, a Doctor of Laws degree from Emory University, and a Master of Laws
degree in taxation from George Washington University.
Suellen Kadis has been involved in ORT for more than 30 years. She currently serves as Vice President of the Northeast Ohio Chapter and nationally on the Executive Committee of ORT America. She is a past President of the Cleveland Region of Women’s American ORT, served nationally on the U.S. Operations Committee, and co-chaired ORT America’s mission to South America. Suellen was recognized for her leadership at the annual ORT America Brunch in Cleveland and was their first individual female honoree.
Suellen currently serves as a Vice Chair of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Secretary of the Friends of JCC Krakow and on the board of 70 Faces Media. In Cleveland, she serves on the Executive Committee and chairs the Leadership Committee of the Jewish Family Service Association. She is an active leader with the Jewish Federation in Cleveland, serving as incoming chair of the Development Committee and on the Community Relations Committee.
Suellen is a graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in International Relations & Photojournalism and has a JD from CWRU School of Law. She is the proud mom of
Justin (Jackie), Alex (Emily) and Samantha (Jake), and Nana to Amelia and Cameron.
From a very young age, Debbie Kanter was aware of her family’s commitment to ORT, although it took her many years to connect with ORT as an adult. In the interim, with a B.S. in Speech from Northwestern University, she taught and supervised programs for deaf children, and negotiated teacher contracts for South Suburban Chicago. Her next stop was Cleveland, where she founded and supervised the first Total Communication program (using sign language) in the Cleveland suburbs while earning her M.Ed. in Special Education Supervision.
Debbie has had an eventful history with ORT, working as Chapter President in Des Moines and serving on the Midwest District Board in Chicago. Through ORT, she became active in the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines, where she served on the Women’s Division Cabinet and as local Program Chair of the “Anne Frank in the World” exhibit from Amsterdam. She then turned her attention to the Des Moines Jewish Community Relations Commission.
A prolific writer, Debbie penned articles for ORT, Federation, and other local publications, which led to authorship of a series of op-ed articles on Soviet Jewry for the Des Moines Register.
After relocating to Miami, Debbie served as School Board Chair of the local Solomon Schechter Day School during and in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, and subsequently became president of her congregation.
A move north to Boca Raton and environs rekindled her interest in writing—newsletters, speeches for local politicians, proposals for policies, and strategies for organizational implementation.
ORT recaptured Debbie’s imagination. Still passionate about writing, she wrote and gave a speech to the ORT America Florida Region Leadership Cabinet (now Board) about the history of ORT and its impact on the Jewish world. She deeply believes that education in its highest contemporary applications will help individuals gain career skills and personal dignity, and result in Jewish communities’ ability to survive and flourish. In our quest to fundraise for our ORT schools and programs, it became evident that public awareness of our mission and our cutting edge quality are inextricably linked to the funds we are able to raise.
Husband Larry continues to be the love of her life. Their two children are each married and live in the greater Washington D.C. area. Their family is blessed with two grandchildren. And at 93, Great Grandma Shirley Sokolsky has overseen the fun, still stays focused and in the loop, and is grateful that ORT continues to command our attention and commitment.
Gail Lanznar has been active in ORT since 1994. She served as President of Highcrest Chapter from 1995 to 1997, then moved on to the Region Board serving as Donor Chair, Annual Campaign Chair, Executive Vice President and as President of Suburban Chicago Region in 2003-2005. A graduate of the President’s Young Leadership Council of Women’s American ORT, Ms. Lanznar has served on the National Board of Directors of ORT America since 2007, and she also serves on the Chicago Region Campaign Cabinet. Ms. Lanznar has also been very involved as Sisterhood President and on the Board of Directors of her temple.
Before retiring to raise her children, Ms. Lanznar pursued a career for many years in marketing research and information management in the packaged goods industry. She has two sons, Marcus and Jonathan, and two daughters-in-law, Erica and Emily. Her three grandsons - Cooper, Oliver and Owen are the light of her life. Her favorite activity is traveling with ORT, and she has been to ORT schools in Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Russia, Israel and the U.S. “I love meeting our students, administrators and extended ORT family all over the world,” she says.
In 2019, Howard became ORT America’s Chairman of the Board after serving in a number of national leadership roles including Treasurer and Chair of the Executive Committee. Previously, he was active in Chicago, taking on numerous responsibilities that resulted in a strong local organization.
As Chairman he worked tirelessly with Board members to strengthen the organization by expanding the donor base and focusing on building a cadre of young leaders. His vision for ORT America’s future is greater recognition that can lead to more engagement and increased donations to support ORT’s critical work around the world.
Professionally, Howard is a seasoned business executive and legal advisor. He is a Senior Managing Director of Xyresic Capital, LLC, and a Senior Partner of Sporos Capital Partners, LLC both private equity firms, and is a Senior Advisor with Accordion, a nationally recognized, private equity-focused financial and technology consulting firm. Howard previously served as is the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Diamond Resorts International, Inc. With over 35 years of experience as a legal counselor and business advisor, principally as Senior Partner and Chair of the national corporate practice of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, a major U.S. law firm, he has focused on all aspects of public and private mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, as well as securities offerings and the counseling of corporations. He has been recognized multiple times as one of America’s leading lawyers.
A devoted supporter of ORT for more than 35 years, Judy Menikoff was elected as Secretary and Deputy Chair of the Board of Trustees in 2016. She has served as Treasurer of World ORT (2008-2012), and Interim President of ORT America. Previously, as President of Women’s American ORT, she advanced its fundraising capabilities, reached out to new members, and increased its overall effectiveness and productivity.
While Chair of World ORT’s Fundraising Committee, she created the organization’s elite donors’ group, The 1880 Society. Ms. Menikoff is also Assistant Treasurer of the American Section of the World Jewish Congress. In June 2023, she was elected Vice Chair of the World ORT Board of Trustees.
Bubba has been involved with ORT for over twenty years. He is a Past President of ORT America Michigan Region (2011-2014), Past Rub-a-Dub Event Chair (2006, 2007, 2015), and current ORT Michigan Sponsor Chair (2015-present). In 2018, he joined the board of Women’s American ORT Foundation, and is honored to now join as a National Board Member of ORT America. Bubba’s late mother was a long-time member of Women’s American ORT. Her involvement, and that of the many dedicated ORT lay leaders he has encountered over the years, has been an inspiration and the key to his success in helping make the ORT Michigan Region the most successful region in the country.
Bubba volunteers and sits on many boards and committees of Detroit Jewish organizations including the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit, JARC, and the Holocaust Memorial Center of Detroit. He is a past alumnus of the National Young Leadership Cabinet of Jewish Federations of North America.
Bubba is the 2019 ORT Michigan Rub-a-Dub Honoree and on August 20th he will receive The Hermelin ORT Legacy Award for his achievements as a visionary leader of ORT’s Michigan Region and for his steadfast commitment to ORT’s critical mission. He previously received ORT America’s first National Leadership Award for leading the way with his innovative thinking, fierce dedication and buoyant spirit (2016).
In March 2016, Bubba married ORT Michigan Regional Director Nicole Miller. He enjoys watching movies and travelling, but above all, Bubba loves spending time with his family, including stepchildren Max and Bella, and Golden retriever (child #3) Rocky!
Board of Directors
Steven is the COO of Mayson Food Products, Inc, a leading wholesale syrup, beverage, and
cocktail mix manufacturing company.
He has been involved with ORT Atlanta on a local basis for many years. Since 2018 he has
been an active member of the Atlanta ORT Board. Additionally, he is currently on The Davis
Academy Board where he has served for the last four years. He and his wife, Delilah, are active
participants and supporters in many local and national organizations including JNF, IDF Widows
and Orphans, the Israel Parasport Center, Aurora Day Camps for Special Needs, the Atlanta
Jewish Education Loan Fund, Hadassah and the Marcus Jewish Community Center.
Steven is a native Atlantan and graduate of The University of Georgia. He loves sports, travel,
and enjoys giving back to the community.
Steven is married to Delilah Cohen, and they have four daughters. The oldest is a graduate of
The University of Michigan, currently working at the Ann Arbor Veteran's Hospital on clinical
studies for suicide prevention among veterans. Their second daughter is a sophomore at The
University of Texas; they have a 4th and 5th grader at The Davis Academy.
For over four decades, David Eaton has successfully guided companies through sophisticated financings, restructurings, and special situations.
His years handling sophisticated global deals as a Partner at Kirkland & Ellis and Managing Director at PriceWaterhouseCoopers Corporate Finance gave him a steady hand in navigating complex financial deals, M&A, and strategic alternatives. His background includes being a founder and managing director of AEG Partners, a financial advisory and business transformation firm. Mr. Eaton has also served on the boards of numerous companies in special situations, including as executive chairman.
Throughout his career, David has been recognized as an elite player in the restructuring space, including leading the deal M&A Advisor named the 2011 “Large Turnaround of the Year” and “Large Divestiture of the Year.” He was lauded by legal industry guide Chambers as “an esteemed and skillful” professional “who delivers every single time” with a “deeply practical and no-nonsense” style.
Mr. Eaton has played major roles in innumerable high-profile workouts, reorganizations, financings, acquisitions, and divestitures of stressed businesses. He has also led some of the largest out-of-court restructurings and complex Chapter 11 reorganizations in the world.
Mr. Eaton received his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law and his B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan. He served for 4 years as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, teaching International Insolvency law.
Suze Goldman has been a committed member of the Western Massachusetts community since moving to Longmeadow with her husband Dr. Marc Goldman, a gastroenterologist, in 1978. The couple have 3 adult daughters and 2 grandchildren. Immediate Past President of Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts she also served as secretary and Major Gifts Chair. Currently she serves on the Board of Directors of Sinai Temple, Board Member and Secretary of the Springfield JCC and the Board of Directors of Interfaith Homes in Longmeadow. Suze is a former Hadassah vice president, member of the Board of Directors of JFS and one of the founders and President of the Hatikvah Holocaust Education and Resource Center.
Professionally, Suze maintains a private psychotherapy practice working with adolescents, adults, couples and families. In addition, she has been an adjunct Professor of Psychology at Elms College teaching many students for whom higher education is a first experience for their families. Suze has been actively involved in collaborative interfaith programming linking Elms College and the Jewish community through film and other educational modalities.
Suze and Marc were participants in the World ORT Missions to Russia in 2016 and Ukraine in 2018.
Roberta Goodman has been involved with ORT Chicago for many years, including serving as President (2018-21), Vice President (2017-18), Annual Campaign/Contributions Chair (2014-16) and Education Committee chair (2014). She has been a member of the ORT National Board since 2021.
Roberta works as counsel at EMCO in Pleasant Prairie, WI and has served as counsel at several Chicagoland companies over the past 30+ years. She graduated from Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in the field of marketing and received a law degree from Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law.
Roberta and her husband, Steve, live in Highland Park, IL and have two children, Emily and Will.
Jan is the Director of Tax and Compliance at Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a major charitable organization focused on curing cystic fibrosis. She previously has worked with other large for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, including Johnson & Johnson, Princeton University and Thomson Reuters. Jan currently resides in New Jersey and is engaged in her local community as a board member and treasurer of the Princeton Mercer Bucks Jewish Federation, and as a board member of both Greenwood House Home for the Jewish Aged and Jewish Learning Ventures. She also serves on the finance committee of Jewish Federation of Philadelphia.
Nationally, Jan is a member of Jewish Federations of North America’s National Young Leadership Cabinet. Jan holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance and a master’s degree in accountancy and is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in New Jersey.
Jon Lanznar has over 15 years of experience in advising and managing healthcare services, technology, and pharmaceutical companies. Most recently, Jon was the Chief Strategy Officer at vitaCare Prescription Services, a division of GoodRx, where he led the company’s strategy and commercial functions. Prior to joining vitaCare, Jon served as the Vice President of Strategy at Truveris, a healthcare technology company providing affordability and access solutions for the pharmacy and market. While at Truveris, Jonathan led the growth and expansion of the life sciences business for 6 years, during which he oversaw sales, marketing, account management, operations, and product development. Prior to Truveris, Jon held various roles in marketing, business development, sales, and strategy consulting within the healthcare industry.
From a young age, Jon was exposed to the impact of ORT through his parent’s ongoing involvement and dedication to ORT and students around the world. In 2008, he began volunteering for ORT, serving on the national marketing committee and later establishing and leading both the New York City and national ORT Next Gen groups. Jon has an MBA in Healthcare Management and Entrepreneurship from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Emory University. He lives in New York City with his wife, Emily, and son, Cooper.
Jon Levine is the President of The Image Group, a top 40 promotional products distributor in the country with offices in Toledo, OH, Richmond, VA, Cleveland, OH and Ann Arbor, MI. Jon is responsible for strategic direction as well as acquisitions. Prior to joining The Image Group, Jon was an Executive in the Steel Distribution industry holding positions with O’Neal Steel of Birmingham, AL and Wabash-Lagrange Steel of Toledo, OH.
Jon serves as the Current Chair of the JSS SO, a $12 million supporting organization for Jewish Seniors in Greater Toledo. He is also the current member of the Toledo Museum of Art Development Committee, and has served as the Past President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo, the Past President of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of NW Ohio, and was a Past Board Member of the United Way of Greater Toledo, as well as a Past Board Member of Mercy Health System ($4 billion revenue hospital chain).
Jon graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting in 1980. Jon has been married for thirty five years to Arleen Levine and they have two adult sons.
Keith is from Highland Park, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1983 and after a year at what became PWC he attended Loyola University of Chicago School of Law where he graduated in 1987. After practicing in Chicago for a few years, he moved to Atlanta in 1989 to continue his legal career and became a Partner at Arnall Golden Gregory LLLP, after 16 years there he joined Greenberg Traurig where he worked as a Partner for 7 years before he started his own firm where he practiced until recently retiring. Keith has also been an avid real estate investor and home builder since his mid-30s. He has two adult sons, Jonathon and Brad.
Keith’s family has a rich history of involvement with ORT. The family’s engagement was led by Carol Linch, a prior National President of Women’s American ORT as well as Chairperson of the Executive Committee who served ORT for decades in numerous other roles. Keith served in various roles within the Atlanta Region of ORT America and is a past region President. He’s participated in various charitable and volunteer activities including the Urban Land Institute and Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers. He also supports other local and international charities including the IDF through the Friends of the IDF.
Keith currently lives in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Joe, 38, is active in his community and businesses. He currently resides in Kansas City, MO and has offices in New York City, and Sayulita, Mexico.
Professionally, Joe enjoys growing proven teams at the intersection of people, projects, and markets through innovative collaboration. Joe’s projects focus on the real estate and energy industry with a broad interest beyond the asset to work with transformative managers.
Communally, Joe is involved in Jewish leadership, with a focus on communities of shared values like Chabad, Jewish Federations of North America, and the Orthodox Union. Beyond the Jewish community, Joe is active in education and helping provide opportunities for those who are seeking rehabilitation.
Personally, Joe is dedicated to his family, community, and health. He is passionate about personal and professional growth, as well as helping others realize and obtain their full and greatest potential.
The best way to connect to Joe is to reach out and talk about what you’re most passionate about.
Greg has been a supporter of the Cleveland chapter of ORT for over 30 years where he held many roles including serving as President from 2019 – 2021. He is also a recipient of the Sadie and Maurice Friedman ORT Leadership Award.
He is an active leader with the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. Currently serving as vice-chair of the Federation’s National Liaison Team of the Allocation Committee, Technology Committee member, and an active solicitor of the Campaign for Jewish Needs including past Business Division co-chair, matching gifts, and cash committee chair.
He is a life trustee of the Mandel JCC and a life trustee and officer of Menorah Park Center for Senior Living. In addition, serving as a board member of the Cleveland Jewish News.
In the general community he participated in the Cleveland Leadership Center's Bridge Builders Program and served as a Pepper Pike Civic League Board Member.
Professionally he is President of Patient Results Network. He is married to Shelley, and they have one son.
As a child, Justin attended local ORT fundraisers organized by his mother. Although he wasn’t familiar with the work of the organization at the time, he enjoyed the events because they typically involved bagels and chocolate rugelach. Years later, his wife’s grandmother shared her story of receiving skills training from ORT in a displaced person’s camp after World War II. With this history in mind, Justin started engaging with ORT to support the organization’s continuing work.
Justin is a Managing Director at PineBridge Investment LLC where he manages a global private equity portfolio. He holds a BS in Finance and Marketing from New York University Stern School of Business and resides in New York City.
Bio coming soon.
Barbara Siegel joined ORT in 1972. She served in several capacities until she became President of the North Woodmere-Hewlett Chapter of the South Nassau Long Island Region. She has served as Vice President of the newly formed chapter of Nassau Singles ORT.
Barbara was a teacher for 34 years in the New York City School System. In addition, she ran her own Defensive Driving business. Barbara is a graduate of Long Island University, and has accumulated additional courses in Human Resources towards a Master’s Degree at the New School for Social Research.
When she and her husband Jerry moved to Cascades in Boynton Beach, Florida it was another perfect fit. She quickly joined ORT and served as its first Membership Chair and in that capacity Cascades had phenomenal growth and is still growing strong. She then became president of Cascades for two very successful years.
Barbara went on to become Executive Vice President of the North Palm Beach County Region and from 2005 through 2007, she served as President of the Region. Currently she is on the ORT America Florida Regional Board and serves as Annual Campaign Co-Chair, Major Gifts Co-Chair and Area Development Advisor, and previously served as president of the ORT America Cascades chapter. She was the Florida Region Chair for the 2011 Mission to Israel, and the National Chair for the ORT America Annual Meeting 2016.
Barbara is a mother of three, as well as a stepmother of three more, and has ten lovely grandchildren to enjoy. Her love of fundraising and her unique ideas are well known. Her high level of energy enables her to enjoy Jewish studies, literature, the theater, mahjong and golf.
Barbara lives her favorite quote, which is: “Life is not a dress rehearsal!”
Danielle Weizman was born and raised in San Diego, where she currently resides with her
husband and two sons. She graduated with a BA in Urban Studies & Planning, with a Master of
Energy Regulation & Law from Vermont Law School and a MS in Strategic Management from
Indiana University – Kelley School of Business.
After working for almost 10 years consulting in land use planning, she has been working at San
Diego Gas & Electric Company in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility. Currently, she
serves as Clean Transportation Business Development Manager, where she oversees
regulatory policy matters and customer program development. As part of this work, she serves
on the board of the California Electric Transportation Coalition. She also serves as board
secretary for her local community planning group since 2020, chairing various subcommittees,
and is always looking for more ways to serve the community meaningfully.
Within the Jewish community, Danielle grew up conservative, worked at the synagogue
preschool, torah school, and tutored b’nai mitzvah. She currently serves on the Jewish
Federation of North America’s National Young Leadership Cabinet, where she was introduced to
ORT America as a board observer. She has visited ORT schools in Latvia, Argentina, and
Mexico! Because of her lifelong dedication to learning, education, and tikkun olam, ORT’s
mission and values resonate with her, and she is extremely excited to provide her time,
treasure, and talent to support the organization
Lawrence A. Wolfe was born in Ontario, Canada and moved to Detroit with his family in 1952. He earned a Bachelor of Art’s degree from Wayne State University in 1969 and his Juris Doctor Degree from the Detroit College of Law in 1972.
Mr. Wolfe practiced law for seven years specializing in corporate and labor law. In 1979 he joined Production Tool Supply Company, an international distributor of industrial tools, supplies and machinery. He became President/CEO in 2003.
Mr. Wolfe has long been very involved in philanthropy in the Detroit area as well as internationally. He is the immediate past president of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and immediate past Chair of the State of Israel Bonds for Metropolitan Detroit. Mr. Wolfe is currently a board member of Jewish Fund, Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network (Bloomfield/Detroit), Yeshiva Beth Yehuda Partners in Torah, American Friends of Rambam Hospital, the Shabbat Project and the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator; He is a Board of Trustees member of World ORT, Kids Kicking Cancer and the Detroit Zoological Society as well as past president of Adat Shalom Synagogue and the Jewish community center of metro Detroit.
Awards received include the Sam Rich Memorial New Leadership Award (Israel Bonds 1988), the Susan Alterman New Leadership Award (Metropolitan Detroit Jewish Community Center 1995), the ORT Visionary Award (ORT America 2001) and two awards from Yeshiva Ben Yehuda (Golden Torah Award 2010 and Guardian Award 2016).
Mr. Wolfe lives in Bloomfield Hills (MI) with his wife Andrea (Andi). They have two children, Jeremy and Ericka (Mathew Thacker), and five grandchildren.
A steadfast proponent of ORT’s mission, Mr. Wolfe notes, “Education is a cornerstone for improving all aspects of one’s life. ORT is a significant collaborator and facilitator in achieving improved educational process, cutting edge teaching materials and methods of learning. I am honored to be a small part of this most worthwhile organization and endeavor to improve quality of life through education.”
Lewis Zipkin of Cleveland, OH is a second-generation ORT member and donor; his parents were members of American ORT (WAO) long before the two organizations merged into ORT America in 2007.
Active at the local and national levels of the organization, Mr. Zipkin has served in various capacities. He was vice president of WAO’s Cleveland Chapter, as well as vice-president and member of the national board. He was also chair of the Finance, Budget and Investment, Planned Giving and Real Estate Committees. Presently he serves as a member of the Advisory Committee for the Cleveland Region, assists ORT America with its real estate holdings, and is co-chair of the Nominating Committee.
He is the founder and principal of the law firm Zipkin Whiting, which focuses on employment discrimination and class action litigation. He has received awards as an extensive real-estate owner in the Cleveland area and holds real estate in other states.
Mr. Zipkin and his partner Dawn split their time between Cleveland and a home in Siesta Key, Florida. In Cleveland, he has been involved in United Way, the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Care Association and the City Club of Cleveland. He was an initial trustee of Ohio’s Second Special Improvement District, where he served as president and a member of the board, and he currently serves as the District’s vice president.
Mr. Zipkin’s daughter is a professor at North East Ohio Med School and his son-in-law is a physician in private practice. He has four grandchildren.