JCC Association of North America Announces Lisie Gottdenker as Next Chair of Board of Directors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 11, 2026

MEDIA CONTACT: Sami Walley, West End Strategy Team, [email protected]

JCC Association of North America Announces Lisie Gottdenker
as Next Chair of Board of Directors
Board member steps into chair role with more than two decades of experience,
14 new board members join the board of directors for the 2026-2028 term

NEW YORK - JCC Association of North America has named Lisie Gottdenker as the next chair of its Board of Directors. Gottdenker, who has served on the board since 2012, most recently as vice chair, succeeds David Wax, who was the chair from 2022-2026. She assumes leadership of an organization with growing momentum ushered in during the first year of Barak Hermann's tenure as president and CEO.

Gottdenker's connection to the JCC Movement spans more than 25 years, beginning when her children attended early childhood education programming at the JCC of Wyoming Valley in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, now known as the Friedman JCC. In 2004, as a new board member of the Bender JCC of Greater Washington in Rockville, Maryland, she experienced the JCC Maccabi Games^® firsthand when her local JCC hosted the event. Watching her community come together for the Games deepened her commitment to the JCC Movement and inspired her to engage at the continental level.

Since joining JCC Association's board, Gottdenker has served as a member of the executive, governance, and JCC Maccabi^® committees. She chaired JSummit 2024-a landmark gathering of JCC Movement leaders convened after years of postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic-and served on the search committee that selected Hermann to lead JCC Association.

Beyond her work with JCC Association, Gottdenker served on the board of the Bender JCC of Greater Washington for 15 years, including a term as chair that ended in 2017. She has served on the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and currently sits on the board of Jewish Women International (JWI), having previously served as its chair. In 2022, she was honored with the Sondra D. Bender Community Leadership Award during JWI's Women to Watch Leadership Weekend. Gottdenker is a member of the steering committee of the Giving Network, under the auspices of the Aspen Community Foundation, and serves on Global Jewry's Leadership Council.

"What makes this opportunity so exciting is stepping into leadership at a moment when JCC Association has the opportunity to innovate and incubate new initiatives that will strengthen the JCC Movement," Gottdenker said. "I look forward to working together with Barak and our lay and professional leaders as we build a stronger, more vibrant future for our communities."

"Lisie not only brings tremendous experience and heart to this role but also a deep belief in the power of collective leadership," said Hermann. "Her unwavering commitment to the JCC Movement and her ability to bring people together make her an ideal partner as we embark on this next chapter of growth, resilience, and renewed purpose."

"For over 25 years, Lisie has been a passionate advocate for the power and potential of Jewish Community Centers," said Wax. "Her leadership, insight, counsel, and unwavering dedication will strengthen our movement at every level. After the pandemic halted JSummit for two years, her dedication to convening lay leaders turned the gathering into the largest the organization had seen in years. As we continue to build a stronger, more vibrant Jewish future, I have every confidence that she will bring energy, partnership, and purpose to her new role."

Just as the JCC Movement's Stakeholder Partnership centers on stronger, more intentional relationships with affiliated communities, Gottdenker emphasized the collaborative spirit that will define her tenure. "We are looking to be in the best possible partnership with the entire movement, one grounded in mutuality, shared purpose, and a deep understanding that JCCs and JCC Camps are the most powerful tools to affect Jewish life in North America," she said. "When everyone participates in a true two-way relationship, we collectively strengthen Jewish life and ensure a vibrant, successful movement across North America."

A native of Miami, Florida, Gottdenker graduated from Syracuse University and was a buyer for Macy's and a regional sales manager at Coach Leatherware. She and her husband, Michael, have three adult children, Ellie, Noah, and Olivia.

In addition to Gottdenker's election as chair, 14 individuals, a diverse array of Jewish lay and professional leaders from within and beyond the JCC Movement, were elected to two-year terms as directors-at-large:

Matt Baker, Boca Raton, Florida
Jeff Bicher, Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA, Montréal, Quebec
Lauren Blachman, Houston, Texas
Stephanie Chauss, Minnesota JCC, Minnesota
Marc Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio
Paul Geduldig, San Francisco, California
Phil Loewy, Austin, Texas
Amelia Perlstein, Livingston, New Jersey
Jared Powers, Marcus JCC of Atlanta, Georgia
Lily Rabinoff-Goldman, JCC of Greater Boston, Massachusetts
Scott Seewald, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Adam Tachner, Palo Alto, California
Lee Trepeck, Tamarack Camps, Detroit, Michigan
Ken Winkler, Atlanta, Georgia

View the complete list of JCC Association board members for the 2026-2028 term.

From left to right: Barak Hermann, President and CEO, JCC Association of North America; Amelia Perlstein, Livingston, New Jersey; Scott Seewald, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Stephanie Chauss, CEO, Minnesota JCC, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Jared Powers, Ceo, Marcus JCC of Atlanta, Atlanta Georgia; Phil Loewy, Austin, Texas; Jeff Bicher, CEO, Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA, Montréal, Québec; Lisie Gottdenker, Miami, Florida (Board Chair); Suzanne Albin Tucker, Westfield, NJ (Secretary); Lee Trepeck, CEO, Tamarack Camps, Detroit, Michigan; Ken Winkler, Marietta, Georgia; Lauren Kaufman Blachman, Houston, Texas; Adam Tachner, Palo Alto, California; and Paul Geduldig, CEO, JCC of San Francisco, San Francisco, California

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About JCC Association of North America

JCC Association of North America leads the JCC Movement, the most expansive and inclusive platform for Jewish life in the U.S. and Canada, which comprises nearly 150 Jewish Community Centers and Jewish Community Camps (JCCs). By virtue of its size and scope-serving more than 1.5 million people weekly, in person, and online-and with guidance and support from JCC Association, the JCC Movement dynamically influences efforts to create Jewish community, vibrant Jewish life, and intentional and measurable Jewish outcomes in local communities and across the continent. Learn more at JCCA.org or on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Please note that JCC Association of North America should not be referred to as JCCA or the JCC Association but initially as JCC Association of North America and as JCC Association in subsequent references.