Jewish Community Foundation Appoints New President & CEO

Jewish Community Foundation Board Announces Charlene Seidle as New President and CEO Dear Jewish Community Foundation Friends, I am very pleased to report that, following a national search, the Board of Directors of the Jewish Community Foundation recently approved the appointment of Charlene Seidle as the President and Chief Executive Officer and holder of the Miriam and Jerome Katzin Presidential Chair effective January 20, 2015. Charlene is exceptionally qualified to carry on the important work of the Jewish Community Foundation. She reflects the best of our commitment to trust, competence and high quality service to our valued donors and community partners. Currently Executive Vice President at the Leichtag Foundation, Charlene has played a key leadership role in the development and implementation of Leichtag's strategic framework; oversees grantmaking; has designed innovative and creative programs such as the North County Jewish Hub, Jerusalem Matching Grant Initiative, Jewish Food Justice Fellowship and others; and provides overall management and strategy development. Prior to her work at Leichtag, Charlene has worked at the Jewish Community Foundation in various roles since 1997. While still an undergraduate student at UC San Diego, Charlene started her employment at the Jewish Community Foundation and assumed positions with increasing responsibility to ultimately become a Senior Vice President at the Foundation. Most recently, Charlene has held a senior consulting role with the Jewish Community Foundation. Charlene serves on the board of the Jewish Funders Network and received the prestigious J.J. Greenberg Award, an international prize for excellence in the field of philanthropy. She is also highly regarded in the local philanthropic community and has served on the board of the San Diego Grantmakers. Replacing Marjory Kaplan, who has served as the Foundation's chief professional for 20 years, Charlene's tenure will begin January 20, 2015. Marjory has led the Foundation since 1994 and has helped it grow with several innovative programs for the community, most notably the Endowment Leadership Institute and family philanthropy initiatives. During her tenure, the Foundation has come to be regarded as a model of outstanding governance. Marjory will continue in an advisory role after taking a few months off. Charlene was chosen after a search directed by the Foundation's Search Committee led by Barbara Bry with members including Edgar Berner, Emily Einhorn, Joan Jacobs, David Kabakoff, Larry Sherman, Jeff Silberman, Andrew Viterbi and me. I thank Barbara and the committee for their outstanding efforts. I look forward to welcoming Charlene as our new President and CEO. She has demonstrated success in so many areas of philanthropy, has a tremendous track record for innovation, and is the ideal person to lead the Foundation. Please stay tuned for an announcement about how we will celebrate Charlene's appointment and Marjory's retirement. I thank you for your partnership with the Jewish Community Foundation. You may find the full press release here. With warm regards, Jane Scher Chair, Jewish Community Foundation