By Jewish Federation of Jacksonville

 

As most of you know, the past few months have been a season of change here at the Federation. One of our biggest changes is the addition of four staff members. 


Fourteen months ago, we began working on the merger with the Jewish Community Foundation. We knew we would need to hire a Director of Planned Giving to run the department and direct our planned giving, estate planning and endowment work. As the merger process came to a close, we began our search for the best fit for the job. The search was quite the undertaking, and, after an extensive process, we found the perfect fit with Kellie Kelleher. 


Kellie started mid-May and brings with her 15 years of solid fundraising and development experience - most recently serving as a National Campaign Director developing a major and planned giving program in the southeast United States with the American Cancer Society. During her time there, she launched and managed a two-year $20 million campaign to build and operate a no-cost lodging facility for cancer patients on the Mayo Clinic Jacksonville campus. From 2016-18, she was honored with the Nationwide Highest Achiever Award. Since she walked into our office, we have seen amazing things. Kellie brings invaluable knowledge and charisma to our staff and the community, and we can’t wait to see all she does for our Jewish community.


Two weeks after we started the process of searching for a Director of Planned Giving, we found out that our beloved Women’s Division Director, Erin Cohen, would be leaving us to relocate for her husband’s job. Amid much change, we began the quest of finding someone who could not only continue what Erin had built but also grow our Annual Campaign, Women’s Division, and Society of Healers Division. After interviewing several qualified candidates, we hired Lauren Rickoff as our Director of Campaign and Women’s Division. With her, she brings 14 years of experience working at the Jewish Federation of Broward County. From 2004-14, she served as Vice President, Women’s Philanthropy Director. During her tenure, she managed a $1.7 million women’s campaign. She also co-managed the annual campaign, served as Young Leadership Director and staffed missions to Israel. Since her move to Jacksonville, she has sat on the Girlfriend Connection Committee, co-chaired our most recent Champagne Brunch in January of 2018, and is a member of the PJ Library Planning Committee. Since her start with us in June, Lauren has brought amazing energy and knowledge to our staff. We are in the middle of planning an amazing campaign year and can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on. 

 

Among adding two amazing professionals to our staff, we were also searching for someone to take over our rGEN Division. We found a gem in Faye Hedrick, whom we hired in June as well. She is no stranger to the Jacksonville community, as she grew up here and has also been an active member of the Jacksonville community. She currently sits on the Jacksonville Jewish Center’s executive board as their Vice President of Programming and is the PTA’s Vice President of Membership and Room Parent Coordinator at the DuBow Preschool and Martin J. Gottlieb Day School. Faye recently co-chaired a very successful and inspiring L’Dor V’Dor evening for the Galinsky Academy, the school’s largest fundraiser each year. She also serves on the PJ Library Planning Committee. She brings with her so many great ideas and initiative. Since day one in the office, she has been a delight, and we can’t wait to see what she has planned for rGEN.

 

This month, we say see you again to Shelly Shalev, our shlicha for the past year, and say welcome to Rotem Gabay, our first shaliach. We are so fortunate to be entering into our third year in a row of having the Shlichut (Israeli emissary) program. This would not be possible without the support of the Kraemer family. While here, Rotem will put on different programs in the community, help plan the annual Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration at the JCA, and much more. We are looking forward to having Rotem with us, and can’t wait for you to meet him!