Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Supporters of JFCS East Bay,
I’m writing to let you know that after fifteen years as Executive Director of Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay, I am going to retire at the end of September 2020. It’s a difficult step to take, leaving this agency that I’m so passionately committed to, but it’s time for me to move on to life’s next chapter.
It has been an honor to be part of this agency’s long tradition in our community, and I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished during these past fifteen years. JFCS East Bay is far more visible, more impactful, and more far-reaching than ever before, due to the hard work of dedicated board members, compassionate and skilled staff, and our magnificent circle of colleagues, collaborative partners, amazing volunteers, and wonderfully generous supporters. Working with all of you has been a pleasure and an inspiration. I’m confident that you will all continue to be part of this awesome collective effort, having an increasingly powerful positive impact on our East Bay community.
During the next nine months, the board will undertake a search for our next Executive Director. They will conduct this process with wisdom and integrity, as is true with everything they do, and I’m confident that the agency will benefit from the perspectives and energy that a new leader will bring. I trust that all of you will welcome the next Executive Director with the same kindness and collaborative spirit that you have always extended to me.
Thank you for all the support you have given to our clients and community, and to me as the person who has had the privilege of leading this agency.
Our Board President, Katherine Haynes, would like to share this message with you:
The JFCS East Bay Board of Directors expresses our deep appreciation to Avi for serving our community with heart and dedication over the past fifteen years. Under his tireless leadership, our agency has grown tremendously, expanding to encompass home care for older adults and legal services for immigrants, as well as steadily increasing our services for young children and their families, refugees, Holocaust survivors, and older adult caregivers. He has been a strong advocate for our vulnerable clients and has galvanized many others to stand up with us.
As Avi said, we will conduct a thoughtful and thorough search for a new Executive Director. We look forward to a smooth transition and to extending our agency’s proud 143-year-old tradition of responding to the evolving needs of our East Bay community.
Katherine Haynes, Board President
