Jewish Federation of St. Louis has formed a search committee to find candidates to succeed Andrew Rehfeld as its President and CEO. Rehfeld will be leaving Federation at the end of March to become the new president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
“The 13-member search committee brings diverse backgrounds, experience, and perspectives to the search and includes people who were recommended by community members and staff,” said Gerry Greiman, Federation’s Board Chair, who will be a co-chair of the committee.
The committee includes individuals who affiliate with the reform, conservative, orthodox, and reconstructionist movements. They include Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials.
Greg Yawitz, the other search committee co-chair, emphasized that the panel will undertake a national search to find the right person to succeed Rehfeld.
“We will start by identifying a search firm, which will seek out diverse candidates to continue Federation’s work as the community’s central philanthropic, planning, and community-building organization,” Yawitz said.
The search committee members are:
Gerald P. Greiman, Co-Chair, Search Committee – Chair, Federation Board of Directors; Partner at Spencer Fane LLP, focusing on business litigation; member of Central Reform Congregation; Past President of the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis
Greg Yawitz, Co-Chair, Search Committee – Owner, Keat Properties LLC; Vice Chair of Federation’s Planning & Allocations (Transition) Committee; Past President, Congregation Shaare Emeth; Board Member, Chair of Autism Speaks St. Louis
Patricia Croughan – Psychotherapist, MSW, LCSW; Past Chair, Federation Board of Directors; Co-Chair, L’Chaim 2019; Past President of Congregation Shaare Emeth
Dan Friedman – Assistant Vice President with Enterprise Rent-A-Car; member of Federation’s Planning & Allocations (Transition) Committee; past member, Jewish Federation of North America’s National Young Leadership Cabinet; and member, Congregation Shaare Emeth
Susan Goldberg – Community Volunteer; member, Federation Board of Directors; member, Board of Barnes-Jewish Hospital; Past President, Ready Readers; past member, Temple Israel Board; member, Temple Israel; marketing career included Ralston Purina, the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, and Holiday Inn Worldwide
Abby Goldstein – Member, PJ Library Advisory Committee, currently a PJ Library Parent Ambassador; active member, Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy; member, Kol Rinah
Emily Stein MacDonald – Funeral Director at Berger Memorial Chapel; Vice Chair At-Large, Secretary of Federation Board of Directors; Chair, Federation Marketing Committee; member, The Rubin Israel Experience Committee; member, The J Associates Board; member, Central Reform Congregation
Heschel Raskas, Ph.D. – President Emeritus, Raskas Foods; former Professor of Pathology and Microbiology, Washington University of St. Louis School of Medicine; Past Chair, St. Louis Jewish Federation Board of Directors, Past Treasurer, Jewish Federations of North America, member Board of Governors, the Jewish Agency for Israel; member, Young Israel
David Roberts – Founding Board member, MO WINS; Board Chair Emeritus, Reconstructing Judaism and Reconstructionist Rabbinical College; Chair, Reconstructing Judaism Nominating and Leadership Development Committee; Co-Founder, Past President, and current member Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Community; former Jewish Federation Executive in Boston and Portland, Oregon; non-profit consultant work includes Saul Mirowitz Community Day School; past member, Federation Executive Committee
Rabbi Brigitte Rosenberg – Senior Rabbi at United Hebrew Congregation; member, Federation Board of Directors; Chair, Jewish Fund for Human Needs; past Board member, Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), chaired 2015 convention, and Past Chair Annual Giving Campaign
Jonathan Spetner – President of Spetner Associates, Inc.; member, Board of Torah Prep; member, Board of Missouri Torah Institute; member, Agudas Israel
Harvey Wallace – Co-founder & former Managing Partner, Brown Smith Wallace; Immediate Past Chair, Federation Board of Directors; Chair of Federation Nominating and Board Development Committee; member, United Way Board; member, Shaare Emeth
Hank Webber – Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Administrative Officer at Washington University in St. Louis; member, Federation Board of Directors; Chairman of Cortex; member of the Boards of Directors of Forest Park Forever, Downtown Partnership, Provident, and RISE; member, Central Reform Congregation
The search committee will be staffed by Emily Bornstein, Federation’s Manager of Impact and Evaluation.
An interim team of senior staff members will lead Federation’s professional staff after Rehfeld leaves on March 31. The team will consist of Chief Operating Officer Don Hannon; Senior Director of Community Engagement Karen Sher; and Chief Philanthropy Officer Michael Oberlander. Hannon will have the functional authority of chief executive officer, while retaining his COO title.
Federation supports more than 90 agencies, programs, and services in St. Louis and around the world to ensure a thriving Jewish community, respond to emergencies, and care for our most vulnerable.