ProCon 2025 shined a big, bright light on the largest workforce on North America’s Jewish communal landscape—JCC professionals. A handful were invited to tell their stories during the conference, and we’re sharing a few of them here. Watch Jason tell his story, read the others’ quotes, and you, too, will be inspired by these dedicated individuals, the valuable work they do each day, and the tremendous impact they and their colleagues throughout the movement are having as they create and sustain vibrant Jewish life in communities across the continent.
Jason Vasquez
Chief Executive Officer at the Louis S. Wolk JCC of Greater Rochester in Rochester, New York
Kivunim, 2025 Cohort
Brandeis Executive Seminar on Addressing Antisemitism participant
Past JCC Association scholarship recipient
Rachel Appell
Director of Children and Teen Programs at JCC Rockland in West Nyack, New York
Merrin Teen Professional Fellowship, Cohort 12
Tzedek: Jewish Service-Learning Cohort
JResponse®: Hineni Foundational Training
“I’ve been lucky to take part in JCC Association learning opportunities like the Merrin Teen Professional Fellowship, Tzedek, and JResponse®. The people I’ve met through the JCCA, and the people I work with every day at JCC Rockland, have shaped me into the professional I am today and equipped me with the skills to be a leader in my community.”
Abigail Goldberg
Teen Director at the Trager Family JCC in Louisville, Kentucky
Merrin Teen Professional Fellowship, Cohort 12
JCC Maccabi® Delegation Head
“A JCC is more than a building; it’s a place of community, a source of belonging, and lifelong connections. I’ve taken tap dancing and ballet classes and performed in those recitals from age 3 through 7. I’ve competed on the JCC swim team and of course participated in teen programs like Teen Connect and BBYO. These early JCC experiences helped me understand that connection isn’t solely built through programs and activities; it’s built through relationships, shared values, and moments that inspire learning. Today, I have the privilege of serving as the teen director at the Trager Family JCC in Louisville, Kentucky. This is extra special because it’s both the city I am from and the JCC I grew up in! Now, I lead the programs that I loved when I was a teen. The programs that helped make me who I am today. Every day I see the same magic in the teens I work with. I hope these programs inspire them, because their energy and leadership are what keep me inspired in what I do.”
Kimberly Gordon
Cultural Arts Director at Peninsula Jewish Community Center in Foster City, California
Peer Community Leader (Arts and Culture)
JCC Leadership Training Institute (JCCLTI) participant
Past JCC Association scholarship recipient
“I saw a post about a JCC in Northern California that was looking for someone to head a new cultural arts program. It was the first time I realized that there was a professional path that embedded arts presenting within Jewish agencies. I’d only worked for very large arts organizations and found the prospect of developing a program from scratch (within a larger institution) appealing. See, I have always held a romanticized notion of a community where everyone contributes something; one that values education, health, diversity, and kindness. I want the proverbial “butcher, baker, and candlestick maker.” I also care deeply about culture—and it was important to me that I find a place where I could contribute to a thriving arts ecosystem by supporting artists and performers in their work.”
Stephen Gray
Director of Health and Wellness at the Prosserman JCC and Schwartz/Reisman Centre in Toronto, Ontario
Discover CATCH trainer
“The JCC has become a second home for my family. My kids go to preschool here, take swim lessons on weekends. And every day I get to show up to work with a blank whiteboard, ready to build projects, strengthen community, and bring meaning to what happens within our four walls—from the fitness center to the basketball courts, all the way to the deep ends of the pool.”
Ashley King
Senior Director of HR at Shalom Austin in Austin, Texas
Peer Community Leader (Human Resources)
Past JCC Association scholarship recipient
“I’m proud to be part of a place I can both support through my work and truly call my community. The most rewarding part? I think it’s seeing the full circle. Watching children I once taught now walk through our doors as employees, and seeing their parents as part of our community as well. It’s amazing. Moments like that remind me of the impact of this place and why I’m inspired by the work we do together every day.”
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Learn more about JCC Talent, JCC Association’s portfolio of resources, events, networks, and cohorts that support JCC professionals and lay leaders across our movement.