Submitted by the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati
The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati convened the leadership of its grantee organizations, as well as members of the community, for a moderated discussion about the Foundation’s investments in Cincinnati, and how changes in the Foundation’s governance will impact its grantmaking work going forward.
The Foundation’s CEO, Brian Jaffee, began the meeting by addressing the recent traumatic events in Israel. Jaffee announced that the Foundation contributed $1 million to the Swords of Iron Fund being raised by the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, and that the Foundation is joining the Federation in committing additional financial resources to enhance local Jewish Communal security.
The keynote discussion in this year’s Annual Meeting focused attention on the shift in governance at the Foundation, with new Trustee leadership and a reorganized professional team taking on new roles. Walter Solomon will serve as the Foundation’s 10th Chairperson, succeeding John Stein, who provided steady and resolved leadership during his three-year term, bookended by two major global events.
Commenting on this period, Stein remarked: “It has been a great privilege to serve as the Chairperson of the Foundation. I have been honored to work with so many talented and dedicated professionals and lay leaders who are continuing to build a thriving and dynamic Jewish community, even while adapting to challenges presented by COVID and the current crisis in Israel. I feel blessed to have been a small part of it.”
Walter Solomon comes to his new position having enjoyed a successful career in corporate strategy at Fortune 500 companies, and having served in multiple Jewish leadership roles in Cincinnati and on the national state. In addition to serving as a Foundation Trustee since 2020, Solomon has been a board member of the Jewish Federation, Mayerson JCC, UC Hillel, Rockwern Academy and JVS Careers. He led the BBYO International Board for four years, and is now on the Board of Directors of Moishe House.
Solomon added: “I’m honored to assume the Chair of The Jewish Foundation Board, especially now with the momentum created by the strategic focus and new governance structure put in place by John Stein, Bret Caller and our Board. With the resources at our community’s disposal — financial, institutional and human — there’s no doubt in my mind that Cincinnati will continue to emerge as one of the most attractive and forward-thinking Jewish communities in North America.”
Immediate Past Chairperson Bret Caller will rotate off the Board, having served as a Trustee and the Foundation’s chief volunteer officer for a total of nine years. John Stein will remain on the Board in a non-voting, ex officio role for a period of one year as Immediate Past Chairperson.
The Foundation also nominated two new Trustees for election: Tedd Friedman and Ernesto Levy. Friedman, a real estate attorney with Katz Teller, is a lifelong Cincinnatian with a robust leadership track record in our Jewish Community. A former Board Chair of the Jewish Federation, Friedman also chaired the Cincinnati 2020 long-range strategic planning effort, and was a member of the 2013 Wexner Heritage Program class. Beyond the Jewish community he has contributed to several important causes and organizations, including Most Valuable Kids, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber and the Minority Business Accelerator.
Ernesto Levy is a global business executive with an equally long leadership resume in the Cincinnati Jewish Community. A native of Colombia, Levy has spent more than 20 years in Cincinnati at Procter & Gamble and other companies specializing in Consumer Packaged Goods. He has served on the boards of Rockwern Academy, the Mayerson JCC and Adath Israel, and on the Grants Committee of the Jewish Home of Cincinnati. Levy’s specialty on boards has been in leading the redesign of the organization’s visual brand identity, and he is an alumnus of the 2019 Wexner Heritage Program.
Finally, the Foundation announced a restructuring of its professional staff. Brian Jaffee, who has been the Foundation’s Executive Director since 2011, is now Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and will serve as a strategic partner with the Board as he continues to lead the professional team. Director of Finance Teri Haught will now be the Foundation’s first Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and in another first, the Foundation has hired a Chief Program Officer (CPO), Danniell Nadiv.
Nadiv was introduced at the Annual Meeting, her first day on the job, and she comes to Cincinnati from Charlotte, NC, where she served in a senior leadership role with Moishe House. Nadiv also has significant community funding experience with the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, and as Director of Jewish Life & Learning at a JCC near Seattle, WA. She assumes her role prepared to lead the Grantmaking Team at the Jewish Foundation, which will also includes Director of Impact Assessment Mike Boberg, Director of Research & Learning Kim Newstadt, and two new Program Officers who will be hired by the end of the calendar year.
In anticipation of joining her new team and embarking on this next chapter of her career, Nadiv said, “I feel immense gratitude for the opportunity to serve as the first Chief Program Officer of the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati. This role perfectly blends my passions for affecting communal development through grantmaking and establishing authentic relationships with community partners. Cincinnati has a vibrant Jewish communal history, and I am honored to be part of shaping its sustainable future. Through my work, I am eager to continue to uphold the mission of “strengthening Jewish life in Greater Cincinnati now and for generations to come” by actively participating as a thought partner with local and national organizations.”
Summarizing the changes at the Foundation, and looking to the future, Jaffee added: “In this time of unprecedented challenge and opportunity for the Jewish People globally and locally, I am excited to work with such a talented and dedicated team of professional colleagues, strategic and visionary board leadership, and inspiring partners throughout our community. The Annual Meeting was an excellent opportunity for us to engage in a real dialogue about how we see our role in ongoing investment in our community, and we look forward to more fulfilling work in the years ahead.”
