By Jori Mendel
There’s much to celebrate at Atlanta Jewish Foundation as we welcome new philanthropic professionals, say farewell to a cherished team member, and thank our community leaders.
The big news is that Federation has hired Rob Mann to be the new Frances Bunzl Chief Philanthropy Officer (CPO). As CPO at Federation, Rob will be an essential partner to all of us at Atlanta Jewish Foundation. Philanthropy, service, and leadership are his passions, and he has a long history of volunteering with Federation. In Chicago, he was a member and Campaign Chair of the Young Leadership Division of Jewish United Fund in Chicago and went on to become the National Young Leadership Cabinet Campaign Chair and Chair of the Men’s Cabinet. Rob also chaired the National Training Department for the United Jewish Communities — now known as Jewish Federations of North America. Rob has spoken at or trained in more than 30 Federation communities throughout North America and has been on more than 15 Federation journeys to Israel, The Former Soviet Union, and Ethiopia — often as a chair or learning resource.
We also welcome Tova Baruch as Atlanta Jewish Foundation’s Senior Director of Operations and Donor Services. Tova’s role is to simplify, streamline, and improve current practices and lead the implementation of new solutions. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she holds a BFA from Rochester Institute of Technology in photography and a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from Georgia State University. Tova’s career over the past 20 years has included nonprofit leadership in her community and beyond. She served as an educator, advisor, and program manager for the Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School and also worked with the City of Atlanta Parks Department. Tova has been involved with Jewish Kids Group and Forward Warrior, has served as an NPU representative, and is currently an emeritus member of the Cabbagetown Initiative Community Development Corporation. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, two teenage daughters, and three pups.
Cindy Weik, Foundation’s Senior Director of Donor Services, will retire in mid-June after a 16-year career here in Atlanta, and 36 years working in the Jewish Federation system. She is legendary for the way she handles the needs of our donors with superb customer service. We honored Cindy at the Grow A Legacy event in March and welcome you to make a contribution honoring her years of service to Federation’s Endowment, amplifying her dedication to our community, and carrying her work forward in perpetuity. Please let us know if you’d like to make a gift.
We are also lucky that Madelaine Tesori, who was trained by Cindy, will take on her duties and serve as your donor services representative. She can be reached anytime at mtesori@jewishatlanta.org.
We thank Blair Rothstein for serving as chair of Atlanta Jewish Foundation’s Investment Committee for the last two years. Blair will remain on the committee, and we congratulate him on becoming President of the Board of Trustees of Congregation Shearith Israel. We welcome Mark Teichner, Chief Investment Officer at TMI Trust, who served on the Investment Committee for five years, as its new Chair. Mark brings tremendous expertise and will ensure our investment performance continues on a strong path.