JFNA Leadership

Our board members are consummate leaders committed to addressing pressing issues in the Jewish world today, and dedicated to cultivating and sustaining a strong global Jewish community—now and for generations to come.

View a full list of the Board of Trustees of The Jewish Federations of North America.

Richard V. Sandler Chair, Board of Trustees

Richard V. Sandler

Richard Sandler is chair of the Board of Trustees of The Jewish Federations of North America. Mr. Sandler is a past chair of the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.

Mr. Sandler is a member of the boards of the American Jewish University, the Valley Beth Shalom synagogue, the Milken Community High School, the University of California at Berkeley Foundation, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Milken Institute.

Mr. Sandler also serves on a number of corporate boards including KU Education, Inc., Knowledge Schools, Inc., and Heron International Limited, an international real estate company.

Mr. Sandler is the executive vice president and a trustee of the Milken Family Foundation. He is a partner in the law firm of Maron and Sandler which specializes in business restructurings and acquisitions, securities transactions and real estate.

A member of the State Bar of California, Mr. Sandler is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and received his law degree from UCLA Law School.

Cynthia D. Shapira Vice Chair, Board of Trustees

Cynthia D. Shapira

Cynthia D. Shapira is the vice chair of the Board of Trustees of The Jewish Federations of North America. Co-chair with her husband David Shapira of the 2016 GA, Ms. Shapira also chairs JFNA’s Jewish Education & Engagement unit.

Ms. Shapira chairs the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and sits on the Board and executive committee of the Jewish Agency for Israel, where she also chairs the Strategy & Planning committee.

Ms. Shapira is President of the Shapira Foundation. With her husband David, she leads the development and implementation of the foundation’s initiatives, such as Onward Israel (which transforms young adults through professional summer internships with Israeli businesses) and the Comprehensive Excellence project with Hillel International (creating a data-informed culture to define and achieve a new standard for non-profit operational excellence.) She is a trustee of Brandeis University and member of the board of the Jewish Funders Network and Leading Edge.

Ms. Shapira was recently elected Chair of the Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. She served as Vice-Chair of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf's transition team, and also serves on the Governor's Advisory Board on Education and Workforce Development. She was appointed by Governor Corbett to the Pennsylvania Commission on Women and was a member of the 2012 Pennsylvania Electoral College. Her civic activity in Pittsburgh includes serving as a Board Member for the Allegheny County Airport Authority. Past service includes chair of the Pennsylvania Center for Women In Politics at Chatham University, the boards of Point Park University, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, The Pittsburgh Promise, United Way of Allegheny County, and WQED Pittsburgh.

Ms. Shapira was Honorary Co-Chair of Allegheny 365, an initiative to ensure access to individuals of varying abilities in Allegheny County, and founded the 21 & Able policy project to address the needs of youth with disabilities aging out. She was a management consultant for twenty years in the non-profit and education sectors, including ten years as executive vice president of Pappas Consulting Group, Inc.

Ms. Shapira has a Master’s degree in public administration (MPA) from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude from Wellesley College.

Harold Gernsbacher National Campaign Chair

Harold Gernsbacher

Harold Gernsbacher is National Campaign chair. He is a vice chair and member of the board of directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, where he was previously the Partnership2Gether and Israel & Overseas chair. He has held several positions at the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth & Tarrant County, including Endowment chair, Campaign chair and president.

Mr. Gernsbacher served as vice chair of the United Israel Appeal. He has served as a member of the Jewish Agency Board of Governors since 2009 and is past international co-chair of the Partnership2Gether division, a role he held for 5 years. He has also served as the chair of the Western Galilee Consortium of the Jewish Agency. He was previously chair of the Hebrew Free Loan Society, and was an executive board member of Fort Worth’s Congregation Ahavath Sholom.

Mr. Gernsbacher is an alumnus of the National Young Leadership Cabinet and received the Brachman Young Leadership Award. He is the CEO of Chain Link Services, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.

Judy Altenberg Chair, National Women's Philanthropy

Judy Altenberg

Judy Altenberg is chair of National Women's Philanthropy (NWP) of The Jewish Federations of North America. Ms. Altenberg previously served as co-chair of the International Lion of Judah Conference and as chair of two National Women’s Philanthropy Retreats. Ms. Altenberg is an alumna of the National Young Leadership Cabinet, where she held several positions. Ms. Altenberg is immediate past chair and campaign chair of the Jewish Women’s Philanthropy Center of JEWISHColorado (formerly known as the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado) and has chaired several fundraising divisions. Ms. Altenberg is 2010 graduate of the Wexner Heritage Program.

Ms. Altenberg is currently a Trustee of the Rose Community Foundation and chair of the Jewish Life Committee. Ms. Altenberg is past president of the Colorado chapter of the American Jewish Committee, where she served on the board since 1996 and has also been active on the national level. Ms. Altenberg has been involved in several political campaigns as well as many educational committees on both the state and local levels, as well as at her children’s schools. Ms. Altenberg is immediate past chair of the Cherry Creek Schools Foundation, where she has served on the board since 2009.

Ms. Altenberg is trained as a lawyer but has spent the majority of her professional career volunteering.

Jodi J. Schwartz Treasurer

Jodi J. Schwartz

Jodi Schwartz is treasurer of the Board of Trustees of The Jewish Federations of North America. Ms. Schwartz is a past chair of the Retirement Fund Committee and the Governance & By-laws Committee. She serves on the board of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Foundation for Jewish Camp, the Jewish Community Project of Lower Manhattan and serves on the Board of Overseers of the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Ms. Schwartz, recognized as one of the world's leading lawyers in the field of taxation, is a Partner at Watchell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. She is a member of the Executive Committee and past chair of the Tax Section of the New York State Bar Association and also is a member of the American College of Tax Counsel.

She earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Pennsylvania; an M.B.A from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and an LL.M. from the New York University School of Law.

Robert Kuchner Assistant Treasurer

Robert Kuchner

Robert G. Kuchner serves as the assistant treasurer to JFNA’s Board of Trustees. Robert previously served as chair of JFNA’s audit committee and as president of the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey (now The Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest), and currently serves as its Israel overseas chair.

Mr. Kuchner is a Federation representative to the Jewish Agency for Israel, serving on its board of governors committees. He is the audit committee chair for the Jewish Agency International Development. He is also the current treasurer of Rutgers Hillel, and treasurer of the North American Friends of Amcha Israel.

Mr. Kuchner is a vice president of the New Dramatist (a nonprofit center for the development of talented playwrights). He was the former co-chair of the Theater Group of the Entertainment, Media and Communications Division of UJA-Federation of New York and formerly an honorary trustee of the American Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Kuchner, CPA, PFS, is a partner at Marks Paneth & Shron LLP. He has been awarded the personal financial specialist (PFS) designation by the American Institute of CPAs. He is a member of The All-Star Financial Group, LLC, a national association of CPAs who specialize in financial and tax planning for clients with high net worth and/or unique circumstances.

Mr. Kuchner holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in public accounting from Hofstra University’s Frank G. Zarb School of Business, where he currently serves on its Dean’s Advisory Board.

Sheryl Kimerling Secretary

Sheryl Kimerling

Sheryl Kimerling is secretary of the JFNA Board of Trustees and a National Women’s Philanthropy advisory board member. Ms. Kimerling is also the co-chair of Yesod, a new volunteer leadership program of the Mandel Center for Leadership Excellence at JFNA and a member of the intermediate communities committee.

Ms. Kimerling and her husband Jon are past chairs of the Birmingham Jewish Federation's Campaign. Sheryl is a member of the board of directors of both the Birmingham Federation and the Birmingham Jewish Foundation. Sheryl is the Jewish Community Relations chair and Lion of Judah chair for the Birmingham Jewish Federation. She has also been heavily involved in leadership roles in the broader Birmingham community and has played major leadership roles in the YWCA of Central Alabama and the United Way of Central Alabama.

David T. Brown Chair, Global Operations: Israel and Overseas

David T. Brown

David T. Brown is chair of Global Operations: Israel & Overseas of The Jewish Federations of North America. David is immediate past chair of the Human Services & Public Policy committee and prior to that was co-chair of the Domestic Affairs Health & Long-Term Care Workgroup.

David is an active Board member of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago (JUF) and is immediate past-Chair of its Board of Directors. David has also held multiple positions within the JUF, including Chair of the Overall Planning and Allocations Committee (OPAC), End of the Year Chair for the 2004 and 2008 campaigns, Chair of the Government Affairs Committee, and President of the Young Leadership Division. David is active in AIPAC and is a regular visitor to Israel. David has run in the Chicago Marathon eleven times on behalf of the American Liver Foundation, the American Cancer Society, and most recently on behalf of JUF.

David T. Brown is an accomplished attorney and committed civic leader. David is Chairman of the Chicago-based law firm, Much Shelist, P.C., where he is actively involved in strategic planning and leadership development for the firm. David is an experienced business and transactional attorney who also serves as a valued business advisor to his clients.

David is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law (J.D., 1986) and the University of Illinois (B.S., 1982).

David J. Butler Chair, Domestic Policy and Government Affairs

David J. Butler

David J. Butler is the chair of the Domestic Policy & Government Affairs Council. Mr. Butler is a past President and Annual Campaign chair for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, and the immediate past president of the United Jewish Endowment Fund.

Mr. Butler is an active advocate for the Jewish community in the Washington area, where he has taken on many roles with local Jewish organizations, having served as president of Kemp Mill Synagogue, president of Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy, and treasurer of the Jewish Community Relations Council. He continues to serve as a Trustee of the United Jewish Endowment Fund and a member of the Philanthropic Fund Advisory Council.

Mr. Butler is a past Chair of JFNA’s Global Planning Table and By-laws committee, and is a member of JFNA’s executive committee.

Mr. Butler has more than three decades of experience as a trial lawyer. In addition to his active commercial litigation and dispute resolution practice, Mr. Butler is counsel to Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life and special litigation counsel to the Orthodox Union.

Mr. Butler is a partner in the Washington, D.C. and New York City offices of Morgan Lewis & Bockius.

Bryan M. Drowos Co-chair, National Young Leadership

Bryan M. Drowos

Bryan M. Drowos is co-chair of National Young Leadership (NYL) of the Jewish Federations of North America. Mr. Drowos previously served as the vice chair of Education and Leadership Development for NYL Cabinet, co-chaired the NYL Cabinet Campaign and co-chaired the NYL Leadership Conference in Dallas.

Mr. Drowos is a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County and previously served as their Young Adult Division Chair from 2012-2015. Mr. Drowos is a recipient of the James and Marjorie Baer Outstanding Young Leadership Award. He has also previously served the Jewish Federation of Broward County as member of the Board of Directors and as Chair of their Young Leadership Division from 2003-2004.

Bryan is the Managing Partner of Drowos Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, specializing in investment advisory and legacy planning for high net worth families. He completed his B.S. in Finance and Economics at Virginia Tech, his M.B.A. with a concentration in Financial Planning at Florida Atlantic University and has been a holder of the CFP® professional designation since 2008.

Ronna Schneider Co-chair, National Young Leadership

Ronna Schneider

Dr. Ronna Schneider is co-chair of National Young Leadership (NYL) of the Jewish Federations of North America. At the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, Dr. Schneider served as a Super Sunday co-chair, chaired events such as the Lion of Judah Thank You and young adult engagement and in 2014 received the Allen A. Cower Young Leadership award.

Dr. Schneider has held several Cabinet positions including Campaign chair, Women’s Planned Giving and Endowment chair, and Ritual and Judaica co-chair. As Israel and Overseas vice-chair, she led a study mission to Bucharest and Budapest and with her husband Ben, she co-chaired the NYL Summer Mission to Israel.

Dr. Schneider was recognized by the Jewish National Fund in 2015 for her work as national co-chair for Doctors for Israel. She promotes the Maimonides Society and has sought out ways to use her professional skills to aid residents of Cincinnati’s Israeli sister city Netanya. Dr. Schneider recently completed her term as president of Hillel at the University of Cincinnati.

Dr. Schneider is a pediatrician and owner of a medical practice in Cincinnati.

Andrew Groveman Chair, UIA

Andrew Groveman

Andrew J. Groveman is chairman of United Israel Appeal. He is a member of the Jewish Agency Board of Governors and the Executive Committee, past President of the Memphis Jewish Federation and has served as a Past President of Baron Hirsch Congregation and two Orthodox Jewish day schools in Memphis. Nationally, Andy serves on the National Council of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), is a Trustee of Yeshiva College of Yeshiva University and is past Chairman and current Board of Directors member of the L.A. Pincus Fund, an endowment fund dedicated to Jewish education based in Israel, and is on the Executive Committee of the American & International Societies for Yad Vashem. He is President and Founder of the International Center for Jewish Peoplehood, and is a Board Member of Beit Morasha.

Mr. Groveman is a Principal of Belz Enterprises, a multifaceted real estate development and investment company located in Memphis, Tennessee. The company owns and/or manages a variety of asset classes that include industrial, office, retail, multifamily and the historic Peabody Memphis hotel which is considered the cornerstone of the redevelopment of downtown Memphis.

Gerrald (Jerry) B. Silverman President and Chief Executive Officer

Gerrald (Jerry) B. Silverman

Gerrald (Jerry) Silverman is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Jewish Federations of North America. He is a highly experienced leader in the North American Jewish community and longtime corporate executive, with over 25 years of experience.

Before joining The Jewish Federations, Jerry served as president of the Foundation for Jewish Camp.

For a decade before that, Jerry held a range of executive positions at the Stride Rite Corp. of Boston, including president of its international division; president, Stride Rite Children’s Group, and president, Keds Corp. Between 1979 and 1994, Jerry held several senior executive positions at Levi Strauss & Co. in San Francisco including national sales manager of Levi Dockers.

Over the years, Jerry has been on the boards of a range of Jewish organizations, as well.

Read missives from Jerry Silverman

Read missives from Jerry Silverman

The JFNA Financial Resources Department has recruited a group of high-level, experienced leaders to serve as a strategic governing body for our activities. This FRD Cabinet, which includes past campaign chairs, city-size representatives and affinity representatives, will help the JFNA FRD Department set our vision and strategy and prioritize our work. View a full list of the FRD Cabinet.