Staff Transition at Wexner! Exciting News

Dear Friends,

The Foundation team is energized and focused in the wake of our anniversary last spring. While our “pillar initiatives” move forward, we are simultaneously working on programs for developing, supporting and networking outstanding leaders in the North American Jewish community and Israel’s public service well into the next decade. This is an exciting chapter in our history as, together with our chairmen Leslie and Abigail Wexner, we continue to build new initiatives. Our staff is growing along with our work and I am excited to share with you some changes in the composition of our team.

• As of January 1, 2016 Cindy Chazan, Vice President of the Foundation, will become Senior Advisor. Cindy will continue to be present in the New York office and, though she is transitioning to a two-day workweek, she remains at the core of our leadership team.
• With Cindy’s transition, Or Mars and Rabbi Jay Moses will begin their tenures as Vice Presidents of The Wexner Foundation. Or and Jay have each been associated with the Foundation for many years, starting with their graduate school years as Wexner Graduate Fellows. Most recently, Or served as Director of the Graduate Fellowship, and Jay the Director of the Wexner Heritage Program. They will continue their work with these highly successful programs and expand their responsibilities including the development of our Wexner Summits. I am thrilled to welcome Jay and Or to my senior advisory team and know that in the two of them I am blessed with the brightest and most caring of colleagues. 
• We will soon welcome a newly hired Director of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholars Program. Stefanie Zelkind [WGF Class 16] will assume this position beginning March 1, 2016. Stefanie is the founding Director of the Jewish Teen Funders Network. She served as the National Field Director of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) and the Director of International Affairs for Adam Teva V’Din — The Israel Union for Environmental Defense. Stefanie served on the Wexner Graduate Fellowship selection committee and contributed her talents as a consultant to the Foundation. As a graduate fellow, she earned a double Masters degree in Nonprofit Management and Judaic Studies at New York University and is a 21/64 Certified Consultant in areas relating to teen philanthropy and grantmaking.  Stefanie, her husband Josh Feinberg, a Museum Consultant, and their son, Ari, will be relocating to Columbus, Ohio this winter. Former Fellowship Directors Larry Moses, myself and Or are honored to pass this very special position in Jewish organizational life to such a thoughtful and brilliant leader. The Wexner Graduate Fellowship is in the very best of hands.

I know that you all join me in a chorus of Mazel Tov! to Cindy in her new chapter of leadership, to Or and to Jay as they step into new roles and responsibilities at the Foundation and, of course, to Stefanie as she prepares for her new position and to her family on their move to Ohio.

Warmly,

Rabbi Elka Abrahamson, President
The Wexner Foundation