JF&CS welcomed new board members, thanked retiring directors, and honored individuals for outstanding service at the agency’s annual meeting of the board of directors on June 4, 2024.

New Board Members

The three new board members come from impressive and diverse backgrounds:

• Karen Deresiewicz is a recently retired human resources professional who spent most of her career working for Harvard University schools and large business units. She is passionate about organizational effectiveness, with a keen interest in change management and HR communications. As she approached retirement, Karen volunteered with JF&CS Journey to Safety, offering employment guidance to the program mentors. She currently volunteers with JF&CS Family Table, with CJP’s volunteer network, Hineni, and serves on the HR Advisory Committee of JCC Greater Boston. 
   
• Gayle Dublin earned her MSW from Boston University and worked for over ten years with adolescents with emotional and behavioral challenges in residential and outpatient settings. She retired from her social work career when she had her daughter, Grace, and began volunteering with nonprofits, including as Co-President of the Families First board and Vice President of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. She also trained and became an educational advocate. She currently serves on the board of Marblehead Festival of Arts. At JF&CS, Gayle currently volunteers on the CHAI Services Advisory Committee, the Human Rights Committee, and at Family Table on the North Shore.
   
• Adam Suttin is the Managing Partner of Prospect Hill Growth Partners, a private equity firm that focuses on the acquisition of consumer products and healthcare service businesses.  Adam is the incoming Board Chair at Temple Emanuel in Newton and is a director of Jewish Community Relations Council of Boston for which he previously served as Board Chair and as Treasurer.  Adam is a former director of Combined Jewish Philanthropies (including past service as Annual Campaign co-chair), Gann Academy (including service as Treasurer) and Jewish Vocational Service. 

Retiring Board Members

The agency acknowledged the tremendous contributions of three retiring board members: Karen Rosenberg, Jack Swartz, and Susan Wilk.

Karen Rosenberg has lent her talents to many divisions at JF&CS, from serving on the Basic Needs Advisory Committee, to helping acquire several new vans for our CHAI Works clients, to helping organize events that raised over $1 million for our services. She has been a consistent volunteer with Family Table North Shore, packing and delivering groceries to people in need. She has also given her time and energy towards recruiting new Family Table volunteers, attending community fairs and writing pieces for us to attract new volunteers to the program.

Jack Swartz has contributed his financial acumen to the agency, including through his services on the Finance Committee and the IT Committee, where he has helped ensure we have the resources and expertise to do our work. Jack and his wife Sandy have volunteered with JF&CS for more than 30 years, where they have both made a difference in our Friendly Visitor, CHAI Works, and Family Table programs. They have both been committed to the agency and have touched almost every part of it in their decades of support.

Susan Wilk not only served on the Services for Older Adults Committee, she helped bring it into being, recruiting members and keeping them engaged. She has also been a constant influence on our Development Committee, where she has used her network and expertise to engage and support the ideas of the committee. Recently, she took a major role in our Youth Mental Health Task Force, recruiting members and helping organize our No One Alone youth mental health workshop series. In addition, she has gotten involved on the ground by driving Holocaust survivors to medical appointments, being a committed Family Table volunteer and a generous donor for more than 20 years.

Awards

Two individuals received special awards for their extraordinary contributions to JF&CS. Susan Abraham received the Betsy Gross President’s Award for her work on the Strategic Planning Committee. Kate Billman-Golemme received the Simone Lottor Award for Exceptional Volunteer Service. 

President's Award

Susan Abraham has chaired our Strategic Planning Committee since January of 2023, where she has used her intelligence and professional expertise to guide the process of developing a new strategic plan for JF&CS. Susan’s organizational skills and tenacity have been critical to this work. Combined with her commitment to Family Table and the Jewish community, this work makes her the winner of the 2024 Betsy Gross President’s Award.

Lottor Award

As a pro bono attorney with JF&CS Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Kate Billman-Golemme devoted more than 200 volunteer hours to prevent the unjust eviction of a 90-year-old client from his longtime home. Not only did Kate bring our client dignity; she also came up with a novel legal tactic that will help other attorneys protect the rights of vulnerable tenants in the future.