Our Professional Team

Renee Kutner is the President and CEO for the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and the Atlanta Jewish Foundation. Renee was a graduate of the inaugural cohort of the Mandel Executive Leadership Program for the development of rising Federation and JCC leaders.

Before joining the Federation, Renee ran Peace by Piece Organizing for six years. In this professional organizing business, she helped bring order to chaos and peace to her clients’ otherwise hectic lives. Previously, Renee spent almost ten years in advertising and marketing, taking a short break to receive her MBA from UCLA. She received her B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan. Renee is also very active in multiple community organizations, including Congregation Ohr HaTorah, and most notably has co-chaired the merger committee that led to the development of Atlanta Jewish Academy.

Lindsay Kopecky is the Frances Bunzl Chief Advancement Officer of the Atlanta Jewish Foundation and Jewish Federation. In her previous role as Vice President of the Atlanta Jewish Foundation, she oversaw the strategy and management of the Foundation and worked closely with donors to help them realize their philanthropic goals.

Lindsay brings over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, with over 14 years as a frontline fundraiser in Jewish, higher education, and healthcare settings. She holds two master’s degrees from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, is a proud alumna of the University of Pittsburgh, and has received both the Chartered Advisory in Philanthropy (CAP) and Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) credentials.

Lindsay’s notable achievements include securing major, endowed, and planned gifts as large as mid-seven figures at Emory University School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, and University of San Francisco. Additionally, Lindsay served as a major gift fundraising consultant for over a dozen nonprofits across the globe.

As Vice President of Philanthropic Advisory at the Atlanta Jewish Foundation, Ghila Sanders leads a small but mighty team focused on facilitating strategic philanthropy and dedicated to supporting donors, nonprofits and professional advisors as they create meaningful change.

Ghila brings to the team 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and development. Her expertise and passion include operations management, strategic planning, and community engagement. Born and raised in the Jewish community of Rome, Italy, she holds a JD from Universita’ di Roma “La Sapienza” and an MBA from Georgia State University. Before joining the Atlanta Jewish Foundation, Ghila served as Executive Director of Roswell Arts Fund, the designated Art agency for City of Roswell, GA. Previously, Ghila was with the Breman Museum, where she served in several capacities, ultimately leading operations as Interim Executive Director. Earlier, she managed the Programs & Events Department at the Jewish Museum of Rome, Italy.

Ghila lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband David, their three children and two dogs.

Joel has been raising funds for the Jewish Community for over 20 years in both Memphis and Atlanta and earned her Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) accreditation in 2017. She was with Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta for 5 years, starting as a major gifts officer, then senior director of major gifts, then VP of Annual Giving before moving over the Atlanta Jewish Foundation as Director of Planned Giving. She received the 2017 Professional of the Year Award from the Association of Jewish Aging Services and the 2017 Outstanding Fundraising Executive Crystal Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Memphis Chapter. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a B.S. in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Joel spent 11 summers at URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp, where she met her husband, Dub. Their three grown children also spent their summers there as will her grand-daughter as soon as she is old enough. After serving as the Jacobs Camp Committee Chair from 2003-2007, she has continued to volunteer her time making sure other Jewish kids can experience the magic of Jacobs Camp.

Kathy Evans brings tremendous experience in finance and operations to her role as Director, Foundation Business. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, with an MBA from the Goizueta School of Business at Emory University, Kathy launched her career in New York in investment banking, working for Merrill Lynch, and then moving to finance at ABC News. Kathy honed her operations experience working for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. She headed up the Staff Accreditation Center, managing a staff of over 100 who processed 30,000 volunteers working on the 1996 games.

Since then, Kathy has worked in finance for The Weather Channel and the Breman Jewish History Museum. She is very active in the city’s Jewish community, serving on the finance and film selection committees for the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival; the Board of Directors and finance committee of the National Council of Jewish Women, Atlanta Chapter; and is a trustee and member of the finance committee of the Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta. Kathy is a member of Temple Sinai and a past treasurer of their preschool board.

Tova Baruch is a strategic operations leader, educator, and community builder with over two decades of experience turning big-picture vision into tangible, people-centered results. After moving to Atlanta in 1998, she launched a successful freelance photography business, focusing on documentary and environmental portraiture for national publications. But it was her deep investment in community—starting in the Cabbagetown neighborhood—that shaped the next chapter of her career. Tova quickly became a driving force behind neighborhood revitalization efforts, spearheading the transformation of underutilized land into a vibrant city park and later helping to found a community center. As board president of the Cabbagetown Initiative Community Development Corporation, she led cross-sector partnerships with city officials, nonprofits, and neighbors to strengthen public spaces, support the arts, and foster connection.

Today, as Philanthropic Advisor at the Atlanta Jewish Foundation, Tova builds lasting relationships with fundholders and fosters their engagement in meaningful, values-driven philanthropy. She supports donors at every stage of their giving journey—from developing multi-generational giving plans to aligning philanthropic goals with community needs—while ensuring a consistently high level of care, communication, and service. Drawing on her background in education, nonprofit leadership, and grassroots organizing, Tova helps families and individuals turn their intentions into impact. Her work is fueled by a deep commitment to equity, service, and Jewish communal life—and she brings grit, warmth, and clarity to every endeavor.

Rachel Lehrer Rosner, CAP serves as Fiduciary Review and Endowment Officer at the Atlanta Jewish Foundation. She began her career as an executive at Bloomingdale’s department stores, serving in various management and merchandising positions for a decade. Rachel is a National Council of Jewish Women, Atlanta Section Past President and Treasurer. She currently serves as the Endowment Chair of the Sandy Springs Society and on the boards of the Northwestern University Club of Atlanta. She is a past board member of the Northwestern Alumni Association. Rachel has a BA in philosophy from Northwestern University.

Shawn Stern is the Director of Business Development for Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. He is responsible for new individual and corporate business development across the entire organization.

Shawn has been fundraising for over 7 years. He has worked for organizations such as the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Teach For America, and Emory University, supporting them with corporate and foundation fundraising and major gifts. Shawn serves as a “Big Pal” for JF&CS’s Pals Program.

He graduated from Pennsylvania University with a B.A. in Political Science and Communications, and completed a Masters in Public Administration from American University. In his free time, Shawn enjoys spending time with his wife, hiking, and traveling.

Brett Stanford is a Donor Services Associate with over 8 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. A graduate of Georgia State University with a BA in Communications, she specializes in donor relations and data management, and is passionate about delivering exceptional service to supporters. Outside of work, Brett enjoys baking, spending time at the beach, and indulging in her love for films.

As the Marketing Lead for the Atlanta Jewish Foundation, Yadin oversees integrated marketing initiatives across digital media, email campaigns, social media, events, and visual storytelling to strengthen the Foundation’s brand and deepen community engagement.

Before joining AJF, Yadin worked as a freelance photographer, videographer, and editor, collaborating with organizations including the Jewish Federations of North America, JCC Association of North America, Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools, United Hatzalah, Thomson Reuters, Kan 11, American Jewish Congress, and many others. Skilled in photography, videography, editing, graphic design, copywriting, and digital marketing, Yadin is passionate about combining high-level strategy with hands-on creative execution. He is proud to support the Atlanta Jewish Foundation’s mission of repairing the world and strengthening Jewish life.