Don has been President of JESNA since June, 2005. In his time at JESNA, Don has helped the agency improve Jewish education in North America by focusing on figuring out what works in Jewish education and actively disseminating and helping apply it in geographic and topical communities throughout North America.

Before taking on his present responsibilities at JESNA, Don was a member of the JESNA Board for six years, participating in a number of JESNA committees and task forces. Don has also served as a congregational president, a founder and president of Kol Ami, the Community Hebrew School of Columbus, and Vice Chair of the Columbus Jewish Federation for a decade, in charge of allocations and strategic planning. Other lay leadership positions Don has undertaken include being a member of the Board of Directors of the Ohio State University Hillel Foundation, and of the Executive Committee of the Melton Center for Jewish Studies at Ohio State University. Don has also served in leadership roles in the Northeast Lakes Region of the U.A.H.C.

For many years, Don was a Political Science professor at Ohio State University. His research, writing and teaching focused on international relations, political psychology, and foreign policy decision making, with a specific emphasis on Israeli-Palestinian relations. Don has served in a number of leadership roles in professional organizations.

Jonathan Woocher is JESNA's Chief Ideas Officer and directs its Lippman Kanfer Institute: An Action-Oriented Think Tank for Innovation in Jewish Learning and Engagement. Jon served as JESNA's chief professional officer for twenty years before assuming his new role this year. In addition to guiding the work of the Lippman Kanfer Institute, he is a member of the agency's senior management, working with his colleagues on JESNA's strategic direction, new project development, external relations, and financial resource development.

Prior to coming to JESNA in 1986, Jon was an Associate Professor in the Benjamin S. Hornstein Program in Jewish Communal Service at Brandeis University, where he taught courses in Jewish political studies and communal service and directed the program in Continuing Education for Jewish Leadership.

He received his BA from Yale University, summa cum laude, in Political Science and his MA and PhD from Temple University in Religious Studies. He has also studied at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.

Leora is the chief professional leader of the Learnings and Consultation Center. She leads the Center's expert team in codifying learnings about what works under what conditions in Jewish education, and disseminating and applying these "lessons learned" in ways that the field can use through a variety of strategies including consultations, workshops and presentations, publications, the web, demonstration projects, and professional networks.

As Vice President for Programs and Organizational Learning, Leora works closely with other members of JESNA's Senior Management Team and board members to ensure effective strategic and tactical management of the agency.

Leora began her career at JESNA in 1986. Prior to this, she was a research assistant at the American Jewish Committee and served as faculty at the College of St. Elizabeth, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Before joining the JESNA staff, Ellen's career in Jewish communal service included positions as Executive Director of the New Jersey region of the American Jewish Congress, Campaign Director at the UJA Federation of Bergen County, Assistant Campaign Director at the United Jewish Federation of MetroWest, and in various roles at B'nai B'rith International.