Guest Speakers
Joseph is the Athletic Director at the Miami Beach JCC, Girls Varsity Basketball Coach, and Co-Coach for Boys Varsity Basketball at Hebrew Academy, and coach and mentor for hundreds of children in the community. He is very involved in Maccabi Games USA and has led many teams to achieve medals in highly competitive basketball tournaments as part of Maccabi and other leagues. He has organized numerous fundraising events and hosted Shabbatons with kids from all over the country. Joe presents the “state of the athletics department” at monthly JCC board meetings, has been invited to speak at various Jewish Federation conferences, and was sent to Israel to represent the Miami Beach JCC at the Miami Beach “sister” city of Yerucham. Joe believes his key to success is leading by example.
Joe was born and raised in North Miami Beach. He attended the University of South Florida, and lives in Aventura with his wife, Jami, and two stepsons, Alex and Sammy.
Assaf Shami is a family man, an entrepreneur, and a community leader. Assaf is a community thought leader, dedicating his time to serving the Jewish-Israeli community in Miami. He is a mentor to young entrepreneurs and a keynote speaker who shares his knowledge of entrepreneurship and community. He has founded many business ventures, including Herbal Research, Inc, Adventurix, FeedbackNow, Webtrix Pro, and Bizness Ignite.
Assaf serves the Jewish-Israeli community in several capacities, including director of the Israeli Division in the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Founder and President of the Miami Israeli Parliament, and CEO of Oriane to Life, a non-profit dedicated to supporting bereaved families from Israel who live in North America. He serves on the Board of Directors in the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center and is co-founder of the “Children of Israelis” Task Force at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, among other positions. Assaf is married to Carmel and has three amazing children.
Alberto Perlman is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Zumba Fitness, LLC, the largest branded fitness program in the world, counting 15 million weekly participants in 200,000 locations across 180-plus countries.
Born in NYC, Judge Spencer Eig worked in the George H. W. Bush White House before becoming a lawyer in Miami. He has served as a Circuit Court Judge since 2005.
Elise is an attorney, mediator, business owner, consultant, and coach. She has served as legal counsel to several companies regarding employment law and corporate transactions. She is currently a principal at Scheck Group, a family office and is a Certified Circuit Court Mediator. Elise is the co-founder of Amenta, a website that supports artisans and their communities throughout Latin America by selling their products, and the co-founder of Simpact, an organization committed to increasing the performance of social sector organizations. Elise is a member of the National Women’s Philanthropy Board, Overtown Youth Center, vice chair at the JCC, and a mentor with Women of Tomorrow. She is also a Vice Chair of the Board at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. Elise graduated from University of Miami Law School and Columbia University. She completed the Executive Program in Social Impact Strategy at the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Miami with her husband, Gil Bonwitt. They are the proud parents of five children.
Adam Hendry is an accomplished entrepreneur and executive who believes in building performance-focused organizations by developing people, processes, and culture. As CEO of Tzadik Management, Adam has led efforts to develop a continuous improvement mindset and establish best practices across all managed portfolios. He has over 15 years and more than 25,000 units of progressive management experience in the real estate and property management industry, with significant emphasis on strategic planning. A charismatic and visionary leader with a bias for action, Adam is passionately focused on developing and growing a workforce that the competition would envy, relationships with tenants that cause them to be raving fans, and vendors/partners that speak highly of Tzadik Management (both as individuals and the organization as a whole). It is all done in a scale-able and repeatable way across the properties as the company proliferates through acquisition.
Jacob Solomon began his affiliation with the Greater Miami Jewish Federation in 1981 and currently serves as the President and CEO. Nationally, Jacob served two terms as President of JPRO Networks. He has held leadership positions in the World Council of Jewish Communal Service and is actively involved with the Jewish Federations of North America and the Jewish Agency for Israel. Before coming to Miami, Jacob trained at the Jewish Federations in New York and Philadelphia while a student at Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work, where he received his Master’s in Social Work degree. He began his studies in Jewish communal service as a recipient of a Federation Executive Recruitment and Education Program scholarship award from the Council of Jewish Federations. In addition, he also holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in East Asian Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Jacob and his wife, Dr. Mindy Hersh, live in South Miami-Dade County and are the proud parents of three children and five grandchildren.
Bonnie Schwartzbaum serves as the Food Bank director at Jewish Community Services, overseeing a facility serving more than 400 Jewish families in Miami-Dade. During Covid, Bonnie started a program to distribute excess Florida produce to over 1000 families weekly. She partners with the Greater Miami Jewish Federation to do several public food distributions monthly. Bonnie’s most beloved program is the Kids For Kosher Food Bank, visiting schools weekly to talk to kids about making a difference in their communities, followed by a food drive. Prior to JCS, Bonnie served as chair on several Boards. She has been honored by the City of North Miami. Bonnie is mom to Adam, Alison, and David and has been married to her husband, Steven, for more than 40 years. She is most proud of her ability to help people every day, advocating on behalf of families in need. As Bonnie often shares, “I am so lucky to have the best job in the world.”
Maor Elbaz-Starinsky serves as the Consul General of Israel in Miami. A career diplomat since 2006, his focus in Miami is to build partnerships and coalitions for Israel with the people and governments of Florida, Kansas, Missouri, and Puerto Rico.
As a member of the Strategic Affairs Division, Maor represented Israel at various international forums and conferences. In particular, he was involved in discussions related to Arms Control at international organizations.
He also served as a Policy Adviser to the Israeli Delegation to the European Union and NATO and was responsible for regional strategic security and NATO related issues.
Maor’s first posting was as the Deputy Ambassador at the Embassy of Israel in Nairobi.
He holds an MA with distinction in Conflict Management and Resolution from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He also attended a Master’s degree program in immunology at the Graduate School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University.
His BA is in Biology from the Department of Biology at Tel Aviv University, where he ran projects in Marine and Molecular Biology. For his IDF service he was a commander in the Paratroopers.
Maor is an avid marathon runner, scuba diver and marine enthusiast. Maor is joined in Miami by his wife – a Doctor for Genetics and expert in Forensic Science in Israel’s National Police – and their five children.
Mr. Alberto Kamhazi has a diversified business history spanning nearly 30 years throughout multiple corporate arenas. Starting his career in his family’s Venezuela based business Group KPT, which specialized in watch production and multiple consumer products, Group KPT eventually transitioned to a Hong Kong based company, Supply 26 LTD., Alberto has worked throughout South America, the United States, and Asia with major corporations such as PepsiCo, Frito Lays, and Door to Door sales companies, to grow and maintain his families’ dynamic operation.
Joy has a master’s in psychology and serves on the Board of Directors of the Drug Policy Alliance. She is the Chair of the Miami Committee of Human Rights Watch. A very active philanthropist, she is a committed leader and activist for harm reduction policies, and has played a critical role in advocating for the establishment of syringe access programs in Florida.
Mr. Feldman serves as a Managing Partner to multiple real estate ventures. With 25 years of multi-discipline background in real estate and corporate law, valuation, title, foreclosure, and finance, he is uniquely positioned to deftly handle sophisticated real estate investment transactions.
Previously, Mr. Feldman served as Director of Aztec Group Inc., a full-service real estate investment banking firm. Mr. Feldman began his career in the legal field, practicing real estate, property taxation, and general corporate law. During this time, he founded Florida Title Escrow & Abstract, Inc. providing title insurance in Florida, and Tri County Realty, Inc., a real estate brokerage and professional tax adjustment company. In 2009, Feldman founded FBS Property Tax Abatement, LLC., where he represented over $10 billion of property and saved his clients over $15 million in property taxes.
As a licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida for over 20 years, Sofi maintains a private practice in North Miami, servicing the Surf/Bal/Bay, Aventura, and Miami Beach communities. She provides in-person and online psychotherapy, marriage counseling, couples therapy, family therapy, and executive counseling in both English and Spanish.
Sofi believes in inspiring change by empowering her clients to focus on the solution rather than the problem. Through cognitive-behavioral and psycho-educational/spiritual approaches to transformation, Sofi guides her clients to become responsible for their lives, to be the cause and not the effect, and to develop specific steps towards achieving those goals.
Sofi was a mentor in the 2019- 2020 and 2021-2022 sessions of the Solomon Leadership Program at The Shul.
Abi Goldstein graduated with an MBA specialization in global business. He worked in his family’s business in the manufacturing sector as a business analyst in the industrial engineering department, analyzing data for process improvement and optimization. Abi moved to Miami in 2017 and dedicated a year to the Aleph Institute as head of business development. He then joined a real estate company where he worked as an underwriter. When Covid hit he pivoted into PPE and did government, hospital, and other sales in the Covid supply business, transitioning back into real estate and other businesses and investments as Covid died down. He is proud of being in recovery for 13 years, and credits his success to sobriety, good fortune, and G-d’s grace.
Brigadier General Avivi concluded his service as the Head of the Auditing and Consulting Department of the Israeli Defense Establishment, including the Israel Defense Force, the Ministry of Defense and Israeli Military Industries. In that position, Avivi managed more than 100 military auditors and advisors. He was responsible for the audit of military readiness, budgeting, procurement, projects, bids, cyber, logistics, infrastructure and operations. Avivi served as Brigade Commander, Deputy Division Commander and head of the Military School of Engineers. He also served as the aide-de-camp for the Chief of the General Staff of the IDF, Lt. General Moshe “Bogie” Yaalon and was at the heart of the policy making process in the Israeli Government and Defense establishment during that term. Avivi also serves as the Principal of the New State Solution working group. Avivi is the Founder & CEO of Habithonistim.
Chief Raleigh Flowers’s dedication to the law enforcement profession extends over 25 years of specialized and executive level policing. Chief Flowers began his career at the Hialeah Police Department and then joined the Bal Harbour Police Department in 2015 as a member of the department’s command staff. In 2018, Chief Flowers was appointed to lead the Bal Harbour Police Department.
Chief Flowers is a Miami native. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from St. Thomas University and an MS in Human Resource Management from FIU. Chief Flowers is a Police Academy Instructor and Training Advisor at Miami-Dade College School of Justice.
He is a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy and the University of Louisville, Southern Police Institute, Command Officer Development Course. Chief Flowers is a prestigious member of numerous law enforcement organizations, and a member of the Christian Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, where he serves on the Deacon’s ministry.
Since 2001, Simon Falic has been Chairman and COO of Duty Free Americas, Inc. Headquartered in Hollywood, Florida, Duty Free Americas is the largest travel retailer in North America, with more than 150 duty free stores and international brand boutiques. Recently, Mr. Falic and his brothers have expanded to Latin America, the Caribbean, Macau, China, and Israel. Between 1999-2001, Mr. Falic was the CEO of Lion Group International, Inc., a group of integrated logistics companies. Mr. Falic co-founded E Com Ventures, Inc., formerly known as Perfumania, and was chairman and CEO from 1987 to 1998. During that time, Perfumania was the largest perfumery chain in the US. Between 2002 and 2007, Mr. Falic and his brothers acquired Hard Candy LLC and Urban Decay, LLC, Christian Lacroix, the French fashion designer house and the worldwide license to manufacture and distribute fragrances and cosmetics for women and men under the Perry Ellis brand name.
As the founder and CEO of FM Home Loans, David is one of the mortgage industry’s most distinguished and accomplished leaders. David is known for his professionalism, expertise, and leadership. He maintains a stellar reputation amongst industry professionals, clients, and company employees. Over more than thirty years in the mortgage industry, David has steered FM Home loans and its subsidiaries, FM Capital and Sheridan Capital, through various market shifts and industry changes. Despite the uncertainty of today’s market, David and his team have always successfully maintained the company’s level of service to its clientele. Most notably, through David’s efforts and ability to assess risk, the company is one of the few that survived the great recession of 2008 and has thrived ever since. David spends much of his spare time involved in helping others through his involvement with a number of charitable causes.
Oscar Feldenkreis is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Perry Ellis International, Inc., a leading global fashion house representing a diverse portfolio of lifestyle brands. Our core and licensed brands consist of: Perry Ellis®, Perry Ellis America®, An Original Penguin by Munsingwear®, Callaway®, PGA Tour®, Ben Hogan®, Cubavera®, Savane®, Rafaella®, Laundry by Shelli Segal®, Farah®, and Nike® Swim.
Oscar has been immersed in all aspects of the organization since joining the company in 1980, and takes great pride in the development of the business coupled with his personal and long standing industry relationships. He served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer beginning in 1993 and was elected Vice Chairman of PEI’s Board of Directors in 2005. In April 2016, he was appointed CEO and President providing the company’s strategic foundation and direction, resulting in increased operational and financial performance enhancing shareholder value. Oscar’s entrepreneurial spirit, visionary leadership and transformative approach to the future has enabled the company to flourish recently celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Additionally, he devotes his time and energy to various civic and philanthropic commitments. He is a member of the YPO/WPO, and belongs to the United Way of Miami-Dade’s Tocqueville Society. Oscar has received various charitable awards such as the 2010 K.I.D.S. Achievement Award from Kids In Distressed Situations, Inc., the recipient of the 2012 National Father’s Day Committee’s Father of the Year Award, and was Apparel Industry Honoree for the 2016 Ronald McDonald House New York Annual Gala.
Presiding over the Greater Miami Chapter of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces is a labor of love. He also supports the Kosher Food Bank, sits on the Miami Dade College advisory board for the Miami Fashion Institute, and is an active advisory board member for the Jay H. Baker Retailing Center, of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He serves on the American Apparel and Footwear Association Board, the U.S. Advisory Board for the U.S. Istituto Marangoni and most recently appointed to the board of the Nicklaus Children’s Foundation.
Oscar has been married to his wife Ellen for 37 years and resides in Miami Beach, Florida. They have three beautiful daughters: Jennifer Hardoon, Erica Lichy and Stephanie Tauber.Adoring grandparents to granddaughters, Hailey, Elizabeth, Miriam along with grandsons, Henry, Moshe, and Meir. He is proud of his Cuban heritage, strong faith and believes in the importance of instilling generational family values. He is a tennis enthusiast, an avid sports fan and takes pleasure in boating and cycling.
Following her graduation with honors from the University of Florida School of Law in 1975 (one of just 17 women in a class of about 250), Ms. Ungaro practiced law in Miami, Florida where in 1981 she became a partner in Tew, Critchlow, Sonberg, Traum & Friedbauer, P.A. She subsequently joined Sparber, Shevin, Shapo & Heilbronner, a prestigious local law firm, as a partner. She practiced law mainly in the area of complex commercial litigation, including in the areas of securities, corporate and tax law. From 1987 to 1992, Ms. Ungaro served as a trial judge on the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of the State of Florida.
Judge Ungaro was appointed to serve on the federal U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in 1992, after being nominated by President George H.W. Bush and being confirmed by the U.S. Senate. In her time on the federal bench, she presided over and ruled in numerous major civil and criminal cases.
During her tenure on the federal bench, Ms. Ungaro served on national, regional and local committees responsible for court administration. Most notably, she served for eight years as a member of the Judicial Resources Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States, the committee responsible for making compensation and other human resource-related recommendations to the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. She also served as Chair of the southern District of Florida’s Clerks Committee and the Magistrate Judges Committee from time to time.
After 29 years of federal service, Ms. Ungaro announced her retirement from the federal bench to join the prestigious law firm Boies Schiller Flexner LLP. She has published articles in the areas of administrative law, legal ethics, and civil procedure. She is the recipient of the ORT Jurisprudence Award and has been recognized on several occasions by other organizations for her achievements in the law and service to the community.
Ms. Ungaro serves on the board of directors of Longeveron, Inc., a publicly traded company registered on the NASDAQ. She also has numerous community involvements. Among others, she served on the Florida Supreme Court Race and Bias Commission, and she currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Family Learning Partnership, a non-profit that supports needy families with educational and related resources, and participates on a voluntary basis (having formerly participated in her judicial capacity) in CARE Court, a court-assisted reentry program for moderate and high risk offenders recently released from prison.
Ilan was born in the Israeli heat, spent 13 years in the Minnesota cold, and is a more recent resident to South Florida.
Ilan is the President and Founder of Students Supporting Israel, an international student movement in the United States, Canada, Argentina, and Israel.
Students Supporting Israel is a Pro-Israel international campus movement that supports the Jewish Democratic State of Israel on college campuses, and supports students in grassroots Pro-Israel advocacy.
Prior to founding Students supporting Israel, Ilan was a Head Soccer coach, most recently at Palm Beach Gardens.
He holds a BS from the University of Minnesota and an MS from Ohio University.
Steven Glassman is serving his second term as Commissioner of District 2. Commissioner Glassman also served as Fort Lauderdale’s Vice Mayor from April 2020-April 2021. Steve was born in New York City in 1953 and grew up on Long Island. After receiving a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree, he settled in Buffalo, New York where he was an educator for eighteen years. Steve and his spouse of forty-nine years, Rande, moved to South Florida in 1994 and they have lived in District 2 for almost 25 years. For eleven years, Steve was an administrator for the Broward County Cultural Division. Steve served on the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Beach Redevelopment Advisory Board and the Planning and Zoning Board, where he grew to understand the importance of building consensus and working as a team to get things done. Steve’s priority as Commissioner is to ensure that the quality of life and integrity of each and every neighborhood is protected. Steve loves Fort Lauderdale and feels it is an honor to serve.
Lynette Falzone has been with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department since 2000, serving in many different roles of increasing responsibility, culminating in her position today. She currently serves as a Major and is assigned to the Investigations Bureau. Lynette teaches various mental health and leadership topics and coordinates the department’s Peer Support Team. Lynette obtained her Master’s degree in Administration from Lynn University, graduating magna cum laude with honors. She has completed many certification courses in her field. In 2017, Lynette was awarded the International Association of Chiefs of Police 40 under 40 Award, as well as a Past Presidents’ scholarship award from the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives. Lynette served on the Executive Board for the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE) and is an active member of several police associations. Outside of work, Lynette is a single mother to 8-year-old twins, a son and a daughter. Lynette enjoys time with her family, as well as traveling and outdoor activities.
Alan Veingrad, Keynote Speaker on Motivation, Teamwork and Overcoming Adversity, had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. Alan has shared his inspirational messages of positivism, personal excellence, team play and leadership to corporate and business audiences worldwide.
Alan’s candor and charisma keep audiences spellbound while he shares stories of the intense training, ruthless competitive atmosphere, and performance requirements of professional football life. His dynamic presentation style and post-retirement experience in business development have made him a much sought-after speaker by Fortune 500 companies, professional services firms, and owner-managed businesses.
Holocaust survivor Bernard Igielski was born on May 12, 1927 in Brzeziny, Poland. He had ten siblings. The Germans entered Bernard’s town a few days after invading Poland in 1939, and immediately created a ghetto in Brzeziny. Bernard and two of his brothers were forced to leave in May 1941 and were transported by truck to the Lodz ghetto. He never saw his mother, father, or many younger siblings again. Bernard was later sent to the hospital at Birkenau. There, a Jewish doctor saved his life by hiding him several times. At the end of April, 1945, he was on a death march that lasted two weeks and by May 1945 he was liberated by the Americans in the town of Allach. He left Germany in May 1948 on a Marine ship and was sponsored by his brother who was already in New York. Following in his family’s footsteps, Bernard worked in the garment industry. He served in the army during the Korean War, after which he worked in construction in Tucson, Arizona. In 1960, he visited Israel, where he married his wife. They returned to New York and had a son and a daughter.
Harold F. Pryor was elected Broward State Attorney to Florida’s 17th Judicial Circuit in November 2020. He leads a staff of 462 employees, including 213 prosecutors, whose mission is to make our community safer while working to ensure justice, equity and fairness for everyone affected by our criminal justice system. He is the first Black state attorney in Broward and the first Black man to be elected state attorney in Florida. A fifth-generation Floridian, Pryor graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and then attended Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law, where he graduated with honors and was selected to give the commencement address. Pryor was inducted into Florida Blue Key, the state’s oldest and most prestigious leadership honor society. Pryor strongly believes that securing a guilty verdict should never be a prosecutor’s primary goal but that the pursuit of truth, fairness and justice should be paramount. Pryor’s passions include mentoring young people and attorneys, and he is very active in community affairs. He is married and has a young son.
Rebecca Jarquin, LCSW is the Program Director of Eagles’ Haven Wellness Center. Eagles’ Haven was established in 2019 as a direct result of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Rebecca oversees programming for the Parkland/Coral Springs community impacted by the shooting that includes intensive case management, support groups, community education and workshops, crisis intervention, suicide prevention, therapeutic wellness programming, mind-body skills groups, and community outreach. Rebecca’s experience includes therapeutic work with individuals, children, and families, including children living in the foster care system and high-risk youth and families. Rebecca has extensive certification in therapeutic trauma care. Most recently, Rebecca and her team collaborated with the Broward County Victim Advocate’s Unit and Prosecution team to provide three crisis/support rooms during the Parkland sentencing trial. Rebecca continues to assist communities throughout the country impacted by mass violence. As a part of JAFCO, Rebecca serves the needs of not only the MSD community but supports the overall mission of the agency.
Marsha Levy is a longtime educator, environmentalist (tree hugger), child advocate in the Broward County 17th Circuit Court system, and a community activist focused on legal and social justice system issues. Her most important role has been as a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. As a native Floridian, she received her undergraduate education at the University of Georgia, and Florida Atlantic University and completed her Master’s Degree in Special Education at FAU. Marsha is passionate about education and believes that every day is a teachable moment for each of us. A quote from Yung Pueblo, “As we move into deeper wisdom, we become more motivated by a growing sense of compassion for ourselves and others”.
Mr. Berman is the Head of H.I.G. Capital’s U.S. Private Equity business. He joined the firm in 1996, and has served as an Executive Managing Director since 2007. Before that, Mr. Berman led the acquisition of more than 40 businesses for H.I.G. Capital. Prior to joining H.I.G., Mr. Berman was a Consultant at Bain & Company, one of the world’s most successful management consulting firms. While at Bain, he managed a variety of projects for Fortune 1000 clients, developing expertise in manufacturing, telecommunications, and financial services. Mr. Berman holds a BA degree with Honors in Economics from the University of Virginia, and an M.B.A. degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.”
Jack is the Founder of Dayan Group, LLC, an American private investment firm that manages the capital of Jack Dayan and his family. Prior to the founding of DGL, Jack was the Founder and CEO of Spectrotel Corporation, a leading national integrated solutions provider, delivering next-generation, industry-award winning solutions to help businesses digitally transform. Mr. Dayan is proud of the fact that many of his key associates had a tenure of twenty plus years. Spectrotel was acquired by a private equity firm in January, 2023.
Prior to founding Spectrotel, Jack spent his early years working in his family business developing consumer audio components. These early lessons all offered Jack very valuable training on customer service, something was woven into Spectrotel and remains embedded to this day.
In Mr. Dayan’s spare time, you will find him involved with several philanthropic causes or spending time in Montana or Colorado, enjoying the outdoors. He attended New York University and lives in Manhattan with his wife Grace and four children.
Dr. M. Marc Liechtung, D.M.D. is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and completed his fellowship in Advanced Restorative Dentistry. Dr. Liechtung has been a practicing dentist in the state of New York for over 28 years. He has owned Manhattan Dental Arts, a multi-specialty, multidoctor dental practice in the heart of New York City for the majority of his career. During that time he invented and developed the appliance SnapOn Smile, a revolutionary cosmetic appliance.
Dr. Liechtung has since been heavily involved in the business side of dentistry, buying, selling, and developing dental practices in the NY-NJ area. He joined Guardian Dentistry Partners in 2021 as the Managing Partner of the NY region. In 2022, Dr. Liechtung was asked to join the business development team as the executive director of Partnership Development. He has been featured on CBS News, CNN, and The View, among others.
Dr. Liechtung and his wife, Louisa, have three sons, Jack, Paul, and Ross. Dr. Liechtung truly loves dentistry and also enjoys good food, working out, and golf.
Mr. Sammy Saka is a leader in business as well as the community. Mr. Sammy Saka is the Vice President at Sakar International/Vivitar, a global consumer electronics and accessories company which licenses more than 40 entertainment brands that include a diverse portfolio of products, as well as the lifestyle brand, Vivitar, and the Altec Lansing brand, a company with a deep legacy in audio. Sakar re-established Altec as a market share leader. Mr. Saka rose though the company over many years, eventually heading international imports. Today, he continues to be the liaison for all international exports, expanding globally to South America, Europe, Canada, and Asia.
Mr. Sammy Saka is currently the Chairman of Hillel Yeshiva’s Board of Directors. In 2003 he became President of Hillel Yeshiva. As President, Mr. Saka embarked upon a new era. He endeavored to raise the level of education and made administrative changes that had a positive impact on the school. He guided the efforts to enhance Hillel’s facilities with the creation of new indoor and outdoor playgrounds for the Early Learning Center, a new Ashkenazi Midrash in the High School, a state-of-the-art music room, the refurbishment of school bathrooms, a new student lounge in the High School, and a professional level baseball field.
Mr. Saka is a pillar in the community and responsible for much of the exponential growth of the Jersey Shore Jewish community.
Russell showed an early interest in the public markets when his grandfather taught him how to read the stock tables as a child. After losing both his parents at a young age, Russell learned the value of self-sufficiency and perseverance as he invested and paid his way through college. Russell’s career began at Dawson-Samberg Capital Management. At the age of 26, Russell started his own long/short equity hedge fund within the firm. With $10m of initial backing, Russell successfully grew the Southport Millennium family of funds to a total AUM of $3b (2000-2009). During this time, Russell ultimately became Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dawson-Herman Capital Management. The fund’s areas of focus were the technology, consumer, media, healthcare, industrial, and commodity sectors.
Russell then founded Herman Capital Management, the predecessor to White Pine Capital Management. After analyzing the changing dynamics in the public equity markets, Russell started early-stage private market investing in 2012. While maintaining a multi-asset class portfolio, Russell has become an active investor in the startup community. Through fund investments and direct equity participation, Russell enjoys working with and advising his network of fund managers and founders.
Other than spending time with his beloved family and various charitable organizations, you can usually find Russell in the surf, rolling on two wheels, or somewhere in the mountains.
Sheriff Shaun Golden is the 76th elected Sheriff of Monmouth County and is the Chief Executive of the agency which consists of four divisions: Law Enforcement, Communications, Special Operations, and Corrections, as well as, the administration of the Monmouth County Police Academy and the Office of Emergency Management, which played the lead role in efforts related to Superstorm Sandy. Under Sheriff Golden’s leadership, the Office offers over 30 community safety programs including volunteer programs, programs for children and veterans, and rehab programs.
Prior to being elected sheriff in 2010, Mr. Golden served as undersheriff and was responsible for the Monmouth County 9-1-1 Communications Center and the communications and computer networking equipment for both county and municipal agencies. A lifelong resident of Monmouth County, Sheriff Golden is experienced in law enforcement and public administration. He was a career law enforcement officer for 25 years, graduating number one in his class at the Monmouth County Police Academy. He has also worked as a certified paramedic, volunteer firefighter, and EMT.
Sheriff Golden is an adjunct professor at Monmouth University with the Department of Political Science and Public Policy and has completed the prestigious Mid-Atlantic Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar (MA-LEEDS). He serves on several community-oriented boards. He has been the recipient of multiple awards, including the Good Scout Award from the Western Monmouth Council of Boy Scouts.
Mr. Carey Lathrop is a Partner and the Chief Operating Officer of Credit at Apollo Global Management. Carey joined Apollo in October 2022, after more than 30 years at Citigroup, having last served as the Global Co-Head of Markets. Carey held multiple leadership positions during his tenure at Citi, including COO of Citibank N.A. and Chair of the Citigroup Business Practices Committee, among others.
Carey is a former member of the US Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, a position he held from December 2012 through April 2018. His responsibilities included providing market feedback on a regular basis to the Treasury Department on a variety of fundamental and technical debt-related topics.
Carey earned an M.B.A. degree from Harvard Business School and a B.S. degree from Stony Brook University.
Mr. Eric Carney is the President & CEO at Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus. Prior to Monmouth, he served at Barnabas, where he led efforts to develop an ambulatory network and an outpatient laboratory network. He also served as project lead for the Cyberknife vault project and was service line leader for Oncology and Neurosciences.
Carney began his career at RWJBarnabas Health more than 20 years ago as a respiratory therapist. He served in numerous positions of increasing responsibility across the health system, leading to his position today. He earned a bachelor’s degree in management science from Kean University and a master’s in Healthcare Administration from Johns Hopkins University. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Eric is a resident of Howell.
Steve Kassin founded Infinity Real Estate in August 2005 and is currently a managing partner there. Infinity is a privately owned developer, owner, and manager of high-quality real estate, headquartered in New York City. Under Mr. Kassin’s leadership, Infinity has acquired or developed commercial property representing over $1.5 billion in direct investment transactions across more than 75 projects and honed its expertise in the urban multi-family, lodging, and retail sectors. In October 2015, Steve was named “Fifty Under 40” in Globe Street’s Real Estate Forum publication. He is also an active participant on various industry panels and guest lectures at NYU Stern School of Business and at other educational institutions. Steve currently serves as an NYU Stern Real Estate Advisory Board Member, NYU Alumni Council Chair, NAIOP Advisory Board Member, and ICSC Next Gen.
Dr. Patrick F. Leahy became Monmouth University’s 10th president in 2019. Under his leadership, Monmouth has enrolled the most academically qualified and diverse incoming classes in the school’s history, serving an increasing percentage of Pell Grant-eligible and first-generation students. . On the graduate level, Dr. Leahy has championed two new doctoral programs, the Doctor of Occupational Therapy and the Doctor of Social Work in Human Rights Leadership. He has also worked to greatly expand the athletics program.
Leahy’s external leadership positions include a two-year term on the board of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and as a member of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s Higher Education Restart Advisory Group. Prior to Monmouth, Dr. Leahy served a successful seven-year term as president of Wilkes University, where he supported the introduction of 20 new academic programs, the university’s first honors program, the launch of the university’s first Ph.D. program and expanded the athletics program.
A native of Towson, Maryland, Dr. Leahy holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Georgetown University, and two master’s degrees from Cornell University in business administration and in labor relations, where he was both a Fried Fellow and a CEED Fellow. In 2009, he earned a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Pennsylvania, focusing his dissertation research on organizational change in higher education. Dr. Leahy and his wife, Amy, have four children: Grace, Molly, Jack, and Brian.
Mr. Irwin Kramer is a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist and role model. He was a pioneer in commercial software, starting a software firm in 1968. He ultimately founded two state of the art software firms and developed both companies from one-man startups to major world class players in the field.
Following his “retirement” Mr. Kramer devotes much of his time to philanthropy and community activities, helping the poor and sick, and guiding entrepreneurs on how to build their companies.
Mr. Kramer also devotes a considerable amount of his time to supporting and enhancing other organizations, including the Jewish General Hospital Foundation, the Miriam Home for Autism and mentally handicapped people, CJA, Chabad TMR – for support of poor families, Sun Youth and others. At the Shaare Zion in Montreal, he rebuilt the chapel which was renamed “The Kramer Family Chapel”
He is Vice Chairman of the Foundation for a Bright Future, a charitable foundation that supports the needs of underrepresented and underprivileged children.
He is a past board Member of the Jewish Community Foundation and is Chairman of the Board of several leading technology companies in Canada, Europe and the USA. He is also on the advisory board of Black Dragon Capital, a US based private equity firm. He has been the recipient of many awards recognizing his service to the Community.
Ronald Reuben is a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist who is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Medicom Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of personal protective equipment and infection-control solutions. Today, Medicom has 10 factories around the world, major operations in Asia, Europe and North America, and sales in 95 countries to Fortune 500 companies and governments.
Ronald is the winner of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in Health Sciences for Quebec, and Medicom has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies. Ronald is a strong supporter of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and sits on the boards of several non-profit organizations such as Arthritis Society Canada, as well as supporting Chabad TMR, Hope and Cope, the Jewish General Hospital, Quebec Food Banks, One Tree Planted, the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute and several other causes.
Gad Bitton is the President and CEO of Holand Automotive Group & Companies which operates 18 dealerships across Canada and the US, with over 2000 employees globally. Gad is the CEO of Holand Leasing Canada and USA, and various entities across North America.
He has various interests in other industries such as real estate, hotels, parking lots and land development. A large part of the group’s focus is supporting over 200 charities for philanthropy and youth organizations in Jewish communities in Canada and the US.
More than two decades ago, Elisa Dahan partnered with her childhood friend Eran Elfassy to build Mackage, a brand that fused fashion with function and has revolutionized the way people look at outerwear. Mackage is now available in more than 240 stores globally. The family-owned company was sold in 2017.
Ready to revolutionize another category, and using her 20+ years of experience, Elisa has launched Dodiee, inspired by her mother who passed away at a young age battling with cancer. This is Elisa’s way of giving her mom life through her new brand and collection.
Dodiee is a new type of luxury, uniting knitwear and shapewear in a manner developed in partnership with best-in-class Italian manufacturers. Dodiee launched at the end of October 2022 and was already featured in Vogue, Elle, Forbes, and WWD amongst others. Dodiee was also worn by emblematic models and actresses like Helena Christensen, Brooke Shields, Pat Cleveland, Maria Borges and Nazanin Boniadi.
Dr. James Orbinski is a world-renowned physician, humanitarian activist, author and leading scholar in global health. Dr. Orbinski attended Dawson CEGEP. Following medical school, he began working internationally with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Dr. Orbinski served as MSF’s Medical Coordinator in Somalia during the Somali Civil War and famine of 1992–93, and was MSF’s Head of Mission in Rwanda during the Rwandan genocide of 1994, and in Zaire during the refugee crisis in 1996–97.
As international president of MSF from 1998 to 2001, he has led medical humanitarian relief in situations of war, famine, epidemic disease and genocide in many countries. Dr. Orbinski co-chaired MSF’s Neglected Diseases Working Group, which created and launched the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi). He has also been a founding board member of several international organizations committed to improving health equity and effectiveness in Canada and around the world. Dr. Orbinski has received many prestigious awards, from both the Canadian government and internationally
As a pioneer and leading entrepreneur in the Canadian generic drug industry, Mr. Morris Goodman has dedicated his career to creating a difference in global healthcare.
After graduating from the University of Montreal’s Faculty of Pharmacy in 1953, Mr. Goodman co-founded his first company, Winley-Morris. In 1971, he sold Winley-Morris to the International Chemical & Nuclear Corporation (ICN) and continued to serve as the President of ICN Canada until 1983. Mr. Goodman founded Pharmascience in 1983.
Pharmascience, with over 1500 employees, is the largest pharmaceutical employer in Quebec. Mr. Goodman was awarded the Order of Canada in January 2022.
Debra Margles was born and grew up in Montreal, Quebec and from a young age knew she wanted to pursue her dreams of working in the fashion industry. After four years of studying Business and Economics at FIT, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1984. Debra worked for Perry Ellis Portfolio for several years in NY and then moved back to Canada. Debra then worked for Pretty Talk, Kasper, Anne Klein Canada and the Jones Apparel Group. In 2004, Debra left to pursue a new role with Michael Kors where she was named the President of the Canadian division. Debra has since led the Michael Kors team to be best in class and leaders of luxury fashion landscape in Canada. With over 30 retail locations, 1000 employees and a Canadian run ecommerce website, Debra continues to be motivated everyday by the talent she surrounds herself with, the constant digital innovations of the brand and the continuous excitement of the fashion world today. This year marks Debra’s 30th year in the fashion industry…!
As a mother of three, Debra is very dedicated to her family. Health, wellness, nutrition and fitness are other passion points of Debra’s and you can often find her researching the newest nutrition or beauty fad, in an early morning pilates class or at home baking healthy treats for her family and colleagues before a long workday. Debra has been a philanthropist since a young age and over her career has dedicated herself to many worthy causes. Debra is involved with ORT, ICRF, ME to WE and Combined Jewish Appeal in Montreal where she travelled as a chaperone on March of the Living, participated in the Mega Mission and is a proud Lion of Judah. For the second year in a row, Debra was asked to judge the Mcgill University Dobson Cup Awards and has enjoyed getting involved and mentoring young entrepreneurs entering different sectors of the business industry. She loves to inspire the younger generation and ‘pay it forward’ to up and coming talent. In all areas of her life, Debra truly lives by the quote “Do it with passion, or don’t do it at all”.
Dax Dasilva is the creative mind behind Lightspeed Commerce and Age of Union. Founded in 2005, Lightspeed is a one-stop commerce platform for merchants around the world to simplify, scale, and provide exceptional customer experiences. The platform transforms and unifies digital and physical operations by enabling multichannel sales, expansion to new locations, global payments, financial solutions, and connection to supplier networks.
Dasilva was appointed Executive Chair of Lightspeed’s Board of Directors on February 2, 2022. Prior to that, he led the company’s operations as Chief Executive Officer.
Age of Union is a non-profit environmental alliance that supports and makes visible a global community of changemakers working on-the-ground to protect the planet’s threatened species and ecosystems. Launched in October 2021, the non-profit was formed following Dasilva’s 2019 release of his book Age of Union, a compelling guide for igniting today’s changemaker. Grounded in four pillars—leadership, culture, spirituality, and nature—the book advocates that the time for change is now and that our choices are the catalyst. This mission comes to life through an environmental alliance for the guardianship of the world’s ecosystems in debut projects spanning five countries.
As the third-generation Canadian, Stephen Bronfman is driven by a deep sense of duty and commitment to community. Stephen is Executive Chairman of Claridge Inc. Under his leadership, Claridge has distinguished itself by its entrepreneurial spirit and a flexible investment structure. The company manages a diversified global portfolio of investments in the form of private placements, third party-managed funds and real estate. The company’s holdings reflect an optimal mix of economic and geographic sectors.
Stephen Bronfman has been actively heading a group of local Montreal business community leaders, in a plan to bring Major League Baseball back to the city. In June 2019, the MLB Commissioner announced that the Tampa Bay Rays organization was authorized to engage in discussions with the Montreal Baseball Group to explore a sister city concept that would allow the team’s home season games to be shared between cities.
Stephen Bronfman’s sustained philanthropic commitment has been an important part of his life since his youth. Through the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Family Foundation, the sectors of focus are the Montreal community, environment, culture, entrepreneurship and Jewish identity. He sits on the boards of several non-profit organizations, chairs major fundraising campaigns, and initiates a host of projects, which have so far distributed more than $100 million to Quebec and Canadian charities. He mobilizes private and public partners to ensure the effective and sustainable long-term implementation of each project.
He is married to Claudine Blondin and they have four children.
Julie Gniwisch is the founder and CEO of Delmar International, a leading international diamond and jewelry business. Born in the Carpathian Alps, as a baby she was hidden from the turmoil of the Holocaust sweeping Europe, and eventually fled to Canada, where she grew to raise a family of her own. Julie’s heart was set on the jewelry business, and her passion for pearls led to her founding Delmar in Montreal, QC, in the basement of the Gniwisch family home. Delmar continued to grow, amassing over fifty retail partners and delivering innovative designs that gained international renown. Together with her husband, Julie raised six children and today she is an active philanthropist and proud grandmother of over 100 grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Daniel is a seasoned entrepreneur, executive and investor. For the past 15 years, Daniel has built, acquired and grown several tech businesses that have enjoyed huge commercial successes, including: Adaware (formerly Lavasoft), Lulu Software and UpClick amongst others.
In March 2018, Adaware and its group of Companies proudly announced a merger with the French company Avanquest, a subsidiary of Claranova to form a strategic partnership and create a new global internet player. After developing this partnership even further and taking it to even greater international level, Daniel made the decision in November 2021 to sell his shares and move onto his next venture.
Mr. Assouline’s passion for tech started early. He sold his first commercial software program at the age of 13 (a game) and sold his first software business to Sanyo at the age of 16. He worked at Dell for 7 years where he was promoted thru the ranks in sales, marketing and technology.
For the past ten years, Daniel has acquired and developed many high profile real-estate projects, in both the residential and commercial sectors in Canada, the United States and Mexico and continues to expand his real-estate portfolio.
Daniel holds an MBA from Queen’s University in Canada and is bilingual in English and French, as well as, fluent in Spanish.
As a well-respected Philanthropist, Daniel gives generously to many charitable organizations with his time, support and his ongoing dedication and involvement in the community through fund raising, mentoring and other initiatives.
Thomas Iovino has over 40 years of experience as a visionary leader in the construction and infrastructure industry. He currently serves as Chairman and Founder of Iovino Enterprises, a family of companies providing major civil and specialty construction services in six states. Mr. Iovino is a member of the World Presidents’ Organization, the Chief Executives Organization, Construction Industry Roundtable, and The Moles. He is a Trustee on the Board of Directors of the Norton Museum. Mr. Iovino founded the IF Foundation, which empowers families in Haiti to create their own pathway out of poverty. He also serves on the Solomon Board of Directors.
Dr. Peress is the Medical Director of Boca Fertility, and a hostage survivor of Operation Entebbe, a successful counter-terrorist hostage rescue carried out by the Israel Defense Forces at Entebbe Airport in Uganda in 1976.
Dr. Peress graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and completed a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He received his board certification in Ob/Gyn in 1986 and is the founder of Boca Fertility.
Dr. Peress has trained and lectured many doctors in advanced reproductive surgical techniques and performs minimally invasive robotic laparoscopic surgery. He was selected as a Top Doctor twice and is an elected member of multiple Societies in his field. Dr. Peress is a life member of the Endometriosis Association and has been the Clinical Affiliated Assistant Professor at The Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida since 2013.
Nancy G. Brinker has been described as the leader of the global breast cancer movement. In a time where no one talked openly about breast cancer, Brinker broke the silence around it. Her organization, Susan G. Komen®, is now the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists. It has invested $3.2 billion in cancer research, education, screening, and treatment. In 2009, President Barack Obama honored Nancy with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for her work.
In 2018, Brinker spearheaded the creation of Promise Fund of Florida, a nonprofit organization that provides necessary education and screenings to prevent late stage diagnosis and improve community health for under-resourced women confronting health disparities. Brinker is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, where since 2014 she has facilitated the organization’s task force on Global Health.
Jacqueline Goldman is a child of the Holocaust, having lost 27 members of her family in Auschwitz. During the past sixty plus years, she has been instrumental in supporting many causes to ensure Israel’s survival, through fundraising, chairing numerous galas, and serving on the National and International Boards. She received the AFMDA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
Together with her husband Nathan, she built the gateway to the Kotel in Jerusalem. She has also received an Honorary Doctorate from Bar Ilan University. Among the organizations she has supported are Israel Bonds, Jerusalem Foundation, US Holocaust Memorial Museum, United Jewish Appeal, Council for a Beautiful Israel, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Magen David Adom, and Israel Tennis Center.
For her good works and achievements, Mrs. Goldman has been recognized by Chaim Hertzog, Abba Eban, and Menachem Begin for her nobility of spirit and sterling qualities of intelligence, loyalty, dedication and of course, a delightful personality.
As State Attorney, Dave Aronberg leads a team of 120 prosecutors and 220 professional staff in five offices throughout Palm Beach County. He graduated with honors from Harvard College and Harvard Law School, and was then elected to the State Senate in 2002 as its youngest member and served until 2010.
In 2010, Aronberg returned to the Florida Attorney General’s Office as a Special Prosecutor for Prescription Drug Trafficking. His leadership reduced the record number of people dying each day from oxycodone abuse.
In July 2016, he created a Sober Homes Task Force that has made over 115 arrests for patient brokering and insurance fraud in the rehab industry. The crackdown on rogue sober homes and corrupted drug treatment led to a 40% decrease in opioid overdose deaths in Palm Beach County in 2018. His work to save lives from drug overdoses continues as a top priority to this day.
Terry Kassel is the Head of Strategic Human Resources at Elliott Investment Management L.P. and serves on the Management Committee and the Compliance and Operational Risk Committee.
Previously, Ms. Kassel was Global Head of Human Resources and a member of the Operating Committee at Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. from 2001 to 2006, Counsel and Head of Human Resources for the Private Client Division at Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. from 2000 to 2001, and Litigation Counsel at Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith from 1985 to 2000. A renowned philanthropist, Ms. Kassel serves as Chairman of the Board of Start-Up Nation Central, a not-for-profit based in Israel. She also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Paul E. Singer Foundation, and as Board Member of OneTable, Onward Israel, Jewish Funders Network, and Jewish Food Society.
Steve is an icon in the business world who has served as Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. Advisory Board, Chairman and CEO of iCore Networks, Member of the Board of Directors for WBB and Excel Communications, active Chairman of EnergyWare LLC, and currently the Senior Partner of Anacostia Ventures. Most recently, he has joined Solomon’s Board of Directors.
Mr. Leone is President of the 124-year old, privately-held Breakers Palm Beach, which owns and operates The Breakers, the only large historic luxury resort in the country still in the hands of its original owners and the oldest continuously operating business in Florida. Leone holds a BS in Accounting from the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics, and is a licensed CPA.
He joined The Breakers as Controller in 1985 and was appointed President of the company in 1994, at the age of 36. As President, Leone has been credited with engineering and sustaining the turnaround of one of the greatest resorts in the world by creating and fostering a unique company culture, and achieving best-in-class employee satisfaction, guest satisfaction, and financial performance.
Mr. Leone was recently recognized with the World Leaders Group Servant Leadership Award and Hotels Magazine Independent Hotelier of the World.
Congressman Brian Mast is in his fourth term representing the 21st Congressional District of Florida.
Prior to his election to Congress, Brian followed in his father’s footsteps by serving in the U.S. Army for over 12 years, earning medals including The Bronze Star Medal, The Army Commendation Medal for Valor, The Purple Heart Medal, and The Defense Meritorious Service Medal. In Afghanistan, he worked as a bomb disposal expert under the elite Joint Special Operations Command. The last improvised explosive device that he found resulted in catastrophic injuries, which included the loss of both of his legs.
Brian remained on active duty following the injuries and provided expertise to the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms during his recovery process. After his retirement from the Army, he continued working in counter-terrorism and national defense as an Explosive Specialist with the Department of Homeland Security.
Paul Levy is a former trustee of the University of Pennsylvania and former overseer of Penn Law School, who publicly resigned in April 2018 in protest of the University’s treatment of law professor Amy Wax. His resignation letter provided a spirited defense of academic freedom and intellectual diversity, and garnered regional and national media attention from the Wall Street Journal and the Philadelphia Inquirer.
A private equity expert and former lawyer, Mr. Levy founded the New York-based investment firm JLL Partners in 1988 and now serves on the management committee. Previously, he was a managing director at Drexel Burnham Lambert, where he oversaw the firm’s restructuring and exchange offer business in New York. He has served as the CEO of Yves Saint Laurent, Inc., New York; vice president of administration and general counsel of Quality Care, Inc.; and an attorney with Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP.
Mr. Levy is a noted philanthropist who, along with his wife Karen, established the Levy Scholars Program and funded the construction of the Levy Conference Center, among other gifts, at Penn Law. At Lehigh University, Mr. Levy created and funded the Levy International Scholars Program to introduce outstanding high school graduates to the Lehigh community. He has supported organizations that span the arts, education, healthcare, Jewish Studies, and social services: Mr. Levy has served as the director of BioClinica, Inc.; as a trustee of the National Constitution Center; and as the chair of the George Jackson Academy Board of Trustees. His wife serves on the board of Rockefeller University and The Juilliard School.
He received his B.A. from Lehigh University, where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and a certificate from the Sorbonne Institute of Political Science in France.
Mr. A.J. Steigman grew up in Coral Springs, Florida. Steigman, a childhood prodigy, was an international chess champion, and one of the best chess players in the United States. In high school, Steigman contracted Lyme Disease and almost died. He had to take a year off from school. He credits chess in helping his mind recover from the disease. Steigman went on to win in the 2002 US Junior Open one year after being diagnosed. Steigman has been an advocate of chess. He was involved in the development of Emory University’s award winning chess program, and has donated to the World Chess Hall of Fame and Sidney Samole Museum in Miami, Florida. He was also involved in a community service program where he played inmates in high security prisons.
Mr. Greg Hauptner has been afilm producer, author, director, motivational speaker, screenwriter, playwright, and a stuntman. He has been devoted to helping build character in young people, both on and off the screen. In 2003, that devotion went from an idea to a reality when he founded G-Star School of the Arts. His Vision was to provide students with the opportunity to obtain a college-prep education, move on to college, and encourage them to ignite their creative sparks, while exploring new career opportunities through hands-on training in the film, animation, and performing arts industries.
Mr. Ricky Wade is a McDonald’s franchisee of 30 restaurants in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties. In his commitment to reinforcing positive lifestyle habits, he is vice president of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida and an advisor to The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beaches. He is currently the Executive Committee Board member for the Urban League of Palm Beach County and Board Member for Palm Beach State College, The Honda Classic, The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Foundation, and a Governing Board Member of Good Samaritan Medical Center, Inc. Mr. Wade is the Vice President of the South Florida Marketing Association, the NFLA Florida Representative, the NFLA Chair for the Atlanta Field Office Alignment Council, and he is also a member of the RTB Board. His business presence and personal involvement enriches his communities. His time is dedicated to overseeing his business and giving back to the community.
For over 50 years, Stuart Bernstein has been a recognized leader in real estate development and investment in the Mid-Atlantic region, with the focus of his business efforts centered in the Washington, DC area. In 2001, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to represent the United States as Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark, where he served with distinction until January, 2005. Currently, Mr. Bernstein serves on the Board of Trustees of the Council of American Ambassadors, he is a member of the Council of the Woodrow Wilson Center, a member of the International Council of CSIS, a Society of Fellows member of the Aspen Institute, and on the Board of the US Diplomacy Center Foundation.
Gary Bailey grew up in South Africa and started his career with Wits University in Johannesburg. He established himself as a Manchester United goalkeeper in the late 1970s following the retirement of Alex Stepney. He was considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in England in the early- to mid-1980s. During his time with Manchester United, Bailey won the FA Cup medals in 1983 and 1985.
Wenfred Dorsey holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ministry, with an emphasis on youth ministry. Mr. Dorsey also has a Masters Degree from Webster University in Counseling and Psychology. He was inducted into the National Honor Society for Religious Studies, Theta Alpha Kappa, and is a lifelong member. He also holds an International Certification in Life Coaching. He is a talented motivational Speaker, Life Coach for people battling addiction, and has made it his life-long mission to ease the suffering of those who are disadvantaged or struggling in one way or another.
Wenfred Dorsey resides in Palm Beach County with his wife and three daughters.
Bruce Gendelman, who grew up in Milwaukee and now lives in Palm Beach County, has been a hobbyist artist since the third grade. He has a special passion for photography and painting, and turned to art as an important means of expression. His art is now exhibited in the National Museum of Jewish History.
Mr. Gendelman is also the owner and CEO of Bruce Gendelman Insurance Services, the leading national authority on liability insurance.
Dr. Elizabeth Gundersen is a family medicine doctor in Boca Raton, Florida, and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Bethesda Hospital East and Boca Raton Regional Hospital. She received her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, and has been in practice for 19 years.
Dr. Gunderson also serves within the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine as the Director of the Ethics Curriculum, Director of the Geriatrics & Palliative Care Clerkship, Associate Director of the FAU Internal Medicine Residency Rotation in Geriatrics & Palliative Care, and as a Learning Community Advisor. Dr. Gundersen is dedicated to training well-rounded, quality-minded, and patient-centered physicians.
Jeff Greene was born in 1954 in Worcester, Massachusetts, to a working class, Jewish family.
Greene worked many jobs to put himself through college at John Hopkins University, graduating in three years with a B.A. in economics and sociology. Later he attended Harvard Business School, where he earned his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree in 1977.
Greene began investing in real estate while still in business school, and he built a successful real estate business from being a mere busboy at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. The success of his company and the return on his investments, eventually put Greene on The Forbes 400 list.
Born and raised in New York, Leone was exposed to the hospitality industry at an early age, having been raised in a family that owned and operated five local motels and two restaurants. He went on to study accounting in college to follow in his uncle’s footsteps and became a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Leone joined The Breakers in 1985 as Controller and climbed up the corporate ladder until, in January 2016, Leone was appointed CEO of Flagler System, Inc. and The Breakers Palm Beach, Inc. respectively. He is married and is the father of four sons.
Brian Mast was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he attended South Christian High School. In 2016, he obtained his A.L.B. from Harvard University’s Harvard Extension School, studying economics with minors in government and environmental studies.
Mr. Mast served in the United States Army from 2000-2011, and has won the Bronze Star Award, Purple Heart Award, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and The Army Commendation Medal.
Michelle McLean (born in 1972 in Windhoek, Namibia) is a Namibian actress, writer, model and beauty queen, who was crowned Miss Universe in 1992. She was 19 years old when she represented Namibia, and became the first (and so far only) woman from Namibia to win the crown. In 1992 Michelle founded the Michelle McLean Children’s Trust in Namibia, which focuses on the education and care of under-privileged children.
Major General Ronald D. Silverman earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his DDS from the Kornberg School of Dentistry. For more than 40 years, Silverman brought his medical expertise to the United States Army. A true embodiment of perseverance and strength, Silverman was recognized with some of the highest military awards one can receive. He was awarded a Bronze Star and two Distinguished Service Medals, which is the third highest military award. Now, retired, Major General Ronald D. Silverman lives with his wife in Palm Beach, Florida.
Robert Weinroth is a 26 year resident of Boca Raton, with an extensive background in business, public service, and community involvement.
In 1975, Robert Weinroth earned his Bachelor of Science and Business Administration from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1978, he earned his J.D. from New England School of Law.
In November 2018, Commissioner Robert Weinroth was elected to the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, representing District 4.
After receiving a $300 scholarship to attend Beth Israel Hospital’s nursing school, Lois Silverman Yashar received her nursing degree in 1961. In 2005, she became the first woman chair of the Board of Directors at BIDMC, and has served on virtually every lay leader committee at the medical center, including most recently its philanthropic arm, the Foundation. With an award-winning professional career that spanned more than 30 years in business, Mrs. Yashar founded CRA Managed Care, a provider of services to reduce insurance claims costs, and The Commonwealth Institute, a non-profit committed to helping women entrepreneurs and senior executives build successful companies.
Christine Hunschofsky is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party in the state of Florida. She was born and raised in Boston and attended Boston University, where she focused on Business Administration and Philosophy.
Hunschofsky became involved in her community after moving to Parkland and served on the Parkland Education Advisory Board for seven years. In 2012, she was elected City Commissioner and in 2016, she was elected Mayor of Parkland.
Hunschofsky was serving as Mayor of Parkland on February 14, 2018, when the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland claimed 17 lives and injured another 17 people.
In 2020, Hunschofsky ran for the Florida House of Representatives, seeking to fill Kristin Jacobs’ vacated District 96 seat, which she won. She has been a member of the Florida House of Representatives since 2020, representing District 96.
Mr. Jeremy Ring started as one of the first employees at Yahoo, opening their first east coast office. He later left the tech industry to focus on making a positive impact in people’s lives and ran for office in the Florida Senate, where he served for ten years.
Mr. Ring is a successful entrepreneur and author of the book We Were Yahoo. His wealth of experience and insights on leadership and Communication are truly invaluable. He is a proud father of four.
Saul was born in Poland in 1925. Until 1939, he lived a usual life in Cracow. His youth ended at the start of World War II when the life of Jewish people was turned into a nightmare. Although Saul spent years in concentration camps, his passion for music has helped him to survive. After liberation by the American army, he spent a few years in Italy and then moved to the US, where he met his wife and started his business. Now Saul is over 90 but his stolen youth is still within him. As the founder of the Holocaust Survivor Band, he runs concerts and speaks around the world.
Sarah Franco is the founding CEO of JAFCO, Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options. JAFCO was created three decades ago to fill an unmet child welfare need in the Jewish community and serves any child or family in need. Over the past 30 years, JAFCO has grown from a one-person grassroots agency to a major child welfare agency with 200 employees, providing an entire continuum of quality child welfare services to abused and neglected and at-risk children. They also serve children with developmental disabilities and those traumatized by the Parkland school shooting.
Sarah holds a master’s degree from Nova University in Ft. Lauderdale and a bachelor’s degree from York University in Toronto. She is a mother and new grandmother and is a second-generation Holocaust survivor. Sarah feels that the words of Anne Frank best described the meaning of life when she said “How wonderful it is, that one need not wait a single moment, before starting to improve the world.”
David Shteif is the Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at Digital Media Solutions (DMS).
He leads the mergers and acquisitions activity for DMS, a leading digital performance marketing company. By always prioritizing relationships, Shteif has implemented business opportunities at a frequency and scale unmatched by most entrepreneurs.
In addition to being a cofounder of DMS, a public company since 2020, Shteif has launched or scaled and successfully exited five business ventures, including Revenue Enhancement Group, Media Trust / Ad Valiant, DM Buyers, and Media Edge. Because of his early and continued success, Shteif admits to having been “caught up in the new car smell,” as his entrepreneurial career took off, and believes better planning would have put him on an earlier path to greater achievements.
Once Shteif began working with a personal mentor – someone more successful than him, who was able to demonstrate the next level of business – Shteif realized filtering opportunities was as important as scaling his win volume.
Yudi Hercenberg has been a senior managing director at Walker & Dunlop since he joined in March 2017. He provides financing to commercial real estate developers and owners throughout the United States.
Yudi joined Walker & Dunlop after they acquired Deerwood Real Estate Capital, a company he co-founded in 2009 with two partners. At that time, he was the youngest senior managing director at any NYSE public company. During his seven years at Deerwood, Yudi originated, underwrote, and placed over $10 billion in capital. He has a broad understanding of multifamily, office, hospitality, retail, industrial, and manufactured housing.
Yudi graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Business Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University, with a specialty in finance. Beyond business, Mr. Hercenberg has been involved with over fifty charitable non-profit organizations. He has received three public service awards including the Making a Difference Award, Community Service Award, and Good Heart Award. He lives in Parkland with his wife, Simcha, and his son, Abe.
Cindy Arenberg Seltzer is the first President and CEO of the Children’s Services Council of Broward County. She works hard to dramatically transform young lives through a focus on supporting proven programs delivered by more than 100 “provider” agencies that achieve measurable outcomes. Her leadership and advocacy on behalf of the children of Broward County has made a real difference for all Broward residents, and especially for Broward’s children.
Prior to being named President/CEO of the Children’s Services Council, Mrs. Arenberg Seltzer held other positions, such as the Director of the Children’s Services Administration Division for Broward County, Director, Legislative and Government Affairs at Day, Berry & Howard, Attorneys-at-Law; and Chief of Staff to the Majority Leader, Connecticut House of Representatives.
In addition to her official duties, Mrs. Arenberg Seltzer can often be found working in Broward’s neighborhoods to raise money for its children. She participated in the first season of Dancing with the Stars for the Pantry of Broward and came in second.
A. J. Steigman is the Founder & CEO of Steignet, which analyzes residential real estate deals. Steigman is an international chess champion and was ranked #1 for his age for eight years. He was the youngest expert in the U.S. at the age of 10, beat Bobby Fischer’s record at the age of 13, was an All-American for 8 years, and represented the U.S. in numerous international competitions. Steigman combines his pattern-recognition capabilities with his finance and real estate backgrounds to disrupt the residential real estate market.
A.J. attended Emory University’s Goizueta Business School on the Goodrich C. White academic scholarship and graduated with Honors with concentrations in Finance & Management. He has an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania as a triple major in Finance, Real Estate, and Entrepreneurial Management, and graduated with honors. He attended Wharton on several academic, entrepreneurial, and real estate scholarships. He is a Lyme disease survivor and in his free time, tries to help out others affected by the disease.
Born and raised in Plantation, Florida, Honorable Judge Stacey Schulman graduated from Nova High School. Upon graduation from law school, she worked for the Broward State Attorney’s Office as an Assistant State Attorney, working on a wide variety of cases. She then spent several years practicing civil law including employment litigation as well as complex civil litigation.
In 2016, she was elected by the voters of Broward County to the Circuit Court bench. Judge Schulman currently sits in the Dependency Courts and is Chairperson of the Dependency division in Broward as well as a member of the faculty at Florida Judicial College. In addition to her professional work, Judge Schulman volunteers for organizations like the Justice Unit, Jewish Federation, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She loves to run and can be found many weekends doing 5Ks with her family for various charities. Judge Schulman’s greatest accomplishments are her sons, Brandon and Sammy.
Family and philanthropically oriented, Jacqueline Goldman grew up with a French background and a Parisian upbringing. Following in the footsteps of her parents and grandparents, who were leaders in various philanthropic activities, it was quite natural for her to become a leader in her own right in communal endeavors in Israel, New York, and Florida along with her husband, Nathan Goldman, obm. Mrs. Goldman is passionate about her family and Israel. Mention Israel and she speaks about it in almost mystical terms, conveying an intense feeling of dedication and loyalty – all of which she considers the hallmark of a Jewish heritage. She is a child of the Holocaust, having lost 27 members of her family in Auschwitz. She sees Israel as a glorious hymn of survival for the Jewish people. Through the past sixty plus years, she has been instrumental in supporting many causes to ensure Israel’s survival, especially Magen David Adom, through fundraising, chairing numerous galas, and serving on the National and International Boards. She received the AFMDA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. Together with her husband Nathan, she built the gateway to the Kotel in Jerusalem. She has also received an Honorary Doctorate from Bar Ilan University. Among the organizations she has supported are Israel Bonds, Jerusalem Foundation, US Holocaust Memorial Museum, United Jewish Appeal, Council for a Beautiful Israel, Simon Wiesenthal Center and Israel Tennis Center. For her good works and achievements, Mrs. Goldman has been recognized by Chaim Hertzog, Abba Eban and Menachem Begin for her nobility of spirit and sterling qualities of intelligence, loyalty, dedication and of course, a delightful personality.
Rabbi Adi, the youngest of nine children, was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. In 2001, Rabbi Adi joined Chabad of SW Broward as an intern and has been serving the local Jewish community ever since. He received his Rabbinical ordination from the West Coast Rabbinical Seminary in Los Angeles, California. In addition to co-directing Chabad at Monterra with his wife, Malky, Rabbi Adi holds the position of Director of Jewish Life at the Posnack Fischer High School.
David Shteif is an American entrepreneur, digital marketing expert. and innovator. He is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and sold more than a half-dozen companies, including Revenue Enhancement Group, MediaTrust, Direct Media Buyers, and others. Shteif has a background in media buying and emerging media technology solutions. During his career, he held the positions of CEO, president, and managing partner. Shteif is considered one of the best-known entrepreneurs in Florida, who entered digital marketing in 1999 and pioneered media buying and email list building. As of 2013, he serves as the managing director of Digital Media Solutions, a digital media company
Cindy Arenberg Seltzer is the first President/CEO of the Children’s Services Council of Broward County. In that role, she has carefully guided the development of the organization, which was created by the voters of Broward County in September, 2000, and reauthorized by the voters in 2014. She works hard to dramatically transform young lives through supporting proven programs delivered by more than 100 provider agencies that achieve measurable outcomes, while ensuring transparency and accountability for the CSC. Her leadership and advocacy on behalf of the children of Broward County has made a real difference for all Broward residents, and especially for Broward’s children.
Mr. Lowell is a nationally recognized financial and administrative executive, specializing in large scale business operations, financial control, financial reporting, and operating efficiency. He is the COO of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County and a recipient of the Patriot Award from the US Department of Defense.
Mr. A.J. Steigman grew up in Coral Springs, Florida. Steigman, a childhood prodigy, was an international chess champion, and one of the best chess players in the United States. In high school, Steigman contracted Lyme Disease and almost died. He had to take a year off from school. He credits chess in helping his mind recover from the disease. Steigman went on to win in the 2002 US Junior Open one year after being diagnosed. Steigman has been an advocate of chess. He was involved in the development of Emory University’s award winning chess program, and has donated to the World Chess Hall of Fame and Sidney Samole Museum in Miami, Florida. He was also involved in a community service program where he played inmates in high security prisons.
Mr. Ring is a Democratic politician and former tech startup executive from Florida. He served in the Florida Senate from 2006 to 2016, representing areas in Broward County. He was the Democratic nominee for Chief Financial Officer of Florida in the 2018 election.
Dr. Peress is the Medical Director of Boca Fertility, and a survivor of the famous Operation Entebbe, a successful counterterrorist hostage rescue mission carried out by commandos of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on July 4, 1976.
Mr. Dreier was born in Poland in 1925. He describes his life in Cracow, Poland as “normal” up until 1939, when his youth was upended by the second World War. He spent years in the concentration camps, where he credits his passion for music for helping him survive. After liberation by the American army, he spent a few years in Italy and then moved to the US, where he met his wife there and started a successful business. Today in his 90s, Mr. Dreier says he is enjoying a second youth. He is the Founder of the Holocaust Survivor Band, performs at concerts which he organizes, and speaks around the world. He uses his music to spread awareness of the Holocaust and to ensure “never again.”