Q. How did you first become involved with Federation?
A. I was doing tax returns at Habif Arogeti and Wynne, LLP, and I saw the kind of gifts that people gave to the Federation. I asked one of our founding partners, Merrill Wynne, what it was about Federation and what they did that people found so attractive. He sent me some contacts. For somebody new to the community, it seemed like the Federation was an easy central place to get involved. From a giving standpoint, it was a central place where you could feel you got to take care of all the needs.  

I actually originally got involved with the Business and Professionals division about 15 years ago. At the time I felt like I didn't have lots of money so I looked into places where I could volunteer my time. From there, I got involved in the subcommittee of Domestic Planning and Allocations (DPA) reviewing financial statements. From there I got involved in DPA and my involvement grew from there. 

I didn't grow up with a Federation background at all. My parents got divorced when I was 13 and money was tight when I was growing up. In hindsight, it has dawned on me that my sisters both went to  summer camp and there is no way my mom had the money to pay for that. They must have gotten Federation help to go to camp because there's no way we could have done it. That makes me feel even better about what I do today. 

Q. Explain what is involved in the planning process and what it is about that process that you find most interesting?
A. Because there is such a limited amount of money, the planning process really gives the community the credibility that we're doing the best job possible with the resources we have to allocate. We look at things from a global perspective and do the research necessary to make tough decisions.  

The way it works is that we have six task forces that study the services that are provided and the gaps and needs that are not being funded and we try to work with the agencies to develop effective programs to meet those needs. In the fall, we ramp up the different task forces and try to get an understanding of any new things in the community that might be different from past years. The task forces meet with the different agencies and with experts on those particular topics, as well as with consumers who have needs that aren't being met. Then they send requests for proposals to agencies to help fill gaps we've identified. It's a complex process. 

Once we determine how much we have to allocate, each of the different task forces gives us the top two that they'd like to fund and we research the strengths and weaknesses of each one.  

We do study existing programs and their effectiveness while trying not to micromanage, but rather, ensure that the money we're allocating is well spent. 

Q. What's the most challenging aspect of planning process?
A. It's always that there isn't enough money to meet the needs. With that being a given, I'd say that we're in an environment that is changing all the time. In the past, the best way to service the needs of the elderly population was to provide a place for the elderly to live. Today we find that providing services to elderly in their homes is more desirable for them. So we're trying to adapt to a changing environment to make sure we're meeting the best practices and working as best we can with the dollars we have. 

Special to ShalomAtlanta.org

Q. What would your advice be for the next generation of leaders in 's Jewish community?
A. You have to keep an open mind about change. Needs change and communities change and sometimes that can cause friction. That being said, we need to be open to the changes that the Federation's strategic plan is going to identify and implement because the Federation is absolutely on the right track. In the future, planning is going to be more important than ever. We're now making an effort to reach out to many different providers, in addition to our beneficiary agencies to serve the community. We hope this will ensure that community-identified priorities are addressed and needs are met in the most effective way possible. In the end, we'll have a Federation that will be a shining example of best practices.

Q. How do you get to know all the various aspects of the myriad of programs that Federation funds?
A. We have an inventory of all the programs both by agency and by task force topic. For example, JETS transportation, a program of Jewish Family & Career Services meets the needs of both people with disabilities and older adults. So, that would be a program that would be considered by two different task forces, though the money may go to one agency.

We try to learn from experts in the field and people in the community what needs are not being met. Some great findings have come out of our research. A few years ago we came up with a phone number to call if you needed info to help your older parent and that was something that came out of our studies. Now, we're hoping to do the same thing for people with disabilities. This year, we conducted a survey of Jews living in the North Metro area and next year the committee will take what we learn from the survey to help identify a set of needs for that geographic area and see where we go from there.

Q. Is there anything about your professional position that makes you especially well-suited for your volunteer position with Federation?
A. The numbers background certainly helps. But we have people on the committee that are in all different types of professions. You have to have a willingness to work because it's not an easy committee. It takes work and commitment and time. I've made it a priority to spend the time and I get so much satisfaction back from the work that I do at Federation.

Q. How do you get to know all the various aspects of the myriad of programs that Federation funds?
A. We have an inventory of all the programs both by agency and by task force topic. For example, JETS transportation, a program of Jewish Family & Career Services meets the needs of both people with disabilities and older adults. So, that would be a program that would be considered by two different task forces, though the money may go to one agency.

We try to learn from experts in the field and people in the community what needs are not being met. Some great findings have come out of our research. A few years ago we came up with a phone number to call if you needed info to help your older parent and that was something that came out of our studies. Now, we're hoping to do the same thing for people with disabilities. This year, we conducted a survey of Jews living in the North Metro area and next year the committee will take what we learn from the survey to help identify a set of needs for that geographic area and see where we go from there.

Q. Is there anything about your professional position that makes you especially well-suited for your volunteer position with Federation?
A. The numbers background certainly helps. But we have people on the committee that are in all different types of professions. You have to have a willingness to work because it's not an easy committee. It takes work and commitment and time. I've made it a priority to spend the time and I get so much satisfaction back from the work that I do at Federation.

Q. Are you involved in a volunteer capacity in other organizations?
A. I am on the board of Hillels of Georgia and I'm the finance chair at the Davis Academy. Right now, I'm just starting to get involved with the Women Lawyers Association. I'm not a lawyer, but I do a lot of consulting for law firms. I've also chaired the creation of the new macro education agency, a combination of JES, AMIT, Tichon, JATCO and Israel Experience.

We're proud of the creation of this new entity because now when people think of education, they'll have one place to go. The combined talent and resources of the four groups together will be much greater than each individual agency. The mission of the new agency reaches beyond just being what we have today and is much more encompassing.

Q. What originally brought you to Atlanta?
A. I grew up in Long Island and went to Albany for four years. It was really cold there and I really just didn't want to go back to Long Island after school. At the time, Atlanta had lots of young people, job opportunities and a great climate. If things were horrible I figured I could jump in the car and be home in day. Luckily, that didn't happen.