FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 18, 2024
CONTACT:
Lauren Magy, PR Specialist, JCC Association, [email protected]
JCC Association of North America Announces Leadership Transition:
Jennifer Mamlet Named Acting President and Chief Executive Officer, Doron Krakow To Step Down as President and CEO
NEW YORK —JCC Association of North America announced today that Doron Krakow, president and chief executive officer, will end his tenure at the end of March, and Jennifer Mamlet, who currently serves as the organization’s executive vice president, will assume the role of acting president and CEO beginning April 1, 2024.
Doron Krakow was named president and CEO of JCC Association in 2017 and led the JCC Movement for seven years marked by progress and achievement. He oversaw a team that established the JCCs of North America as an important entity worthy of Jewish philanthropy and a desirable partner for collaborations of all kinds, while positioning JCCs as the preeminent platform for Jewish engagement on the continent. During his tenure, Krakow led efforts that brought tens of millions of dollars to bear in support of early childhood Jewish education, professional development, camp scholarships, and travel to Israel; refocused the JCC Maccabi Games® by evolving its strategic framework and bringing the Games back to Israel in 2023 in celebration of Israel at 75; expanded the work of JWB Jewish Chaplains Council® to welcome Jewish military families to JCCs; and increased the number of JCCs actively engaged in the work of the movement from 111 to more than 160.
“It has been among the great honors of my career to serve alongside so many extraordinary professional and lay leaders across this continent, including JCC Association’s outstanding board and staff,” Krakow shared. “Working together with a community of JCC executives, whose work is often unheralded, but is among the most challenging and important in Jewish life, has been a privilege. As the largest and most diverse platform for Jewish engagement in North America, JCCs’ responsibility to shape this next chapter is great, and I know that JCC Association, guided by Jennifer Mamlet, who has served by my side since 2018, will proudly lead the way.” Krakow will return to Israel to be of service to his family and to the country during these troubling and turbulent times.
As the first woman to hold the position in the century-long history of JCC Association, Mamlet will assume the role of acting president and CEO on April 1. Mamlet is a seasoned professional with vast experience both at JCC Association and within the JCC Movement. She served as the executive vice president of JCC Association since 2022, leading the organization’s day-to-day operations and strategic growth, and previously served as chief development officer. Over the four years in this role, she successfully oversaw a more than 10-fold increase in philanthropic investment in the JCC Movement from the year before her arrival. Mamlet is a former executive director of the JCC of Central New Jersey in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, and a senior vice president of development at the Ad Council. Earlier in her career, she was director of SCOPE (Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education) at the New York section of the American Camp Association. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and Spanish from Bucknell University and a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University.
“I come to this moment both humbled and proud, having been asked to step into the role of acting CEO,” shares Mamlet. “I don’t take this responsibility lightly and in partnership with our extraordinary professional team and dedicated board, am determined to do what is needed to steward our organization and our beloved movement through this transition. It has been the highlight of my career to learn from and work in such close partnership with Doron for the last five years. It was his vision that initially brought me to JCC Association, and which has inspired my enthusiasm for our work every day since. I am deeply honored to build on his many successes as we propel the JCC Movement forward.”
David Wax, board chair of JCC Association said, “On behalf of the entire board, we would like to thank Doron for his contributions. Doron navigated JCC Association through many difficult world moments—including the Covid pandemic, Tree of Life massacre, bomb threats, and most recently, the October 7 attacks on Israel—which all impacted our organization and movement, as well as the Jewish world. We are grateful for his hard work and commitment to the movement during this period of unprecedented change.” He continued, “The entire board puts our trust in Jen to lead the organization during this period and into the next chapter, as we begin our formal search for a permanent successor.”
The board of directors will begin a formal search for a permanent president and CEO this spring.
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About JCC Association of North America
JCC Association of North America leads the JCC Movement, the most expansive and inclusive platform for Jewish life in the U.S. and Canada, which comprises more than 170 Jewish Community Centers and Jewish Community Camps (JCCs). By virtue of its size and scope—serving more than 1.5 million people weekly, in person, and online—and with guidance and support from JCC Association, the JCC Movement dynamically influences efforts to create Jewish community, vibrant Jewish life, and intentional and measurable Jewish outcomes in local communities and across the continent. Learn more at JCCA.org or on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Please note that JCC Association of North America should not be referred to as JCCA or the JCC Association but initially as JCC Association of North America and as JCC Association in subsequent references.
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