Robin brings over 25 years of Finance and Accounting experience. She oversees the finance department and strives towards creating a productive, welcoming, and friendly work environment, while providing the leadership team support with their budgetary and programmatic financial needs. Robin has varied experience in multiple accounting roles working in the non-profit, construction, and IT industries. Robin began her journey at JFCS East Bay as the Controller and has recently been promoted to the Director of Finance & Administration. Robin received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix. In her spare time, Robin enjoys dancing, hiking, reading, and theater. She lives with her husband and cat in Benicia.
Organizational Leadership
Leadership Team
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Robin Mencher, Chief Executive Officer
Robin leads JFCS East Bay’s efforts to envision a community where everyone can flourish with dignity. She builds civic and community capacity so that we can realize our mission of contributing to the resilience of communities, families, and individuals through advocacy and comprehensive support services at every stage of life. Prior to JFCS East Bay,…
Robin leads JFCS East Bay’s efforts to envision a community where everyone can flourish with dignity. She builds civic and community capacity so that we can realize our mission of contributing to the resilience of communities, families, and individuals through advocacy and comprehensive support services at every stage of life.
Prior to JFCS East Bay, Robin served as executive director of KQED Education where she led the public media organization’s service to the education community in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond through providing free, high-quality open educational resources that deepen youth civic engagement, media literacy development and relevant, engaging real-world connections supporting college, career and community readiness.
A former classroom teacher and teacher leader in the East Bay and designer of leadership professional learning experiences for educators as program director at the San Francisco Education Fund, her work in education focused on media and digital literacies, youth voice, technology integration, teaching English learners, and educational equity. She served on several state-wide and regional education policy and implementation task forces, advisory councils to advance arts, STEM, and literacy education throughout California.
As an active member of the Jewish community, Robin worked for several years early in her career as an informal Jewish educator and for a national Jewish education organization. She has served on the New Generations and SF Bay Area regional board of directors of the New Israel Fund.
She currently serves on the board of the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE).
Mencher earned her M.A. in Education at Mills College and her B.A. in American Studies at U.C. Santa Cruz. She also studied at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies year program and attended Hebrew University for a year as an undergrad.
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Michael Chertok, Chief Advancement Officer
Michael brings a unique blend of resource development, philanthropic, program management and social entrepreneurial skills. He previously worked at the Jewish Community Federation as Sr. Philanthropy Advisor and at Silicon Valley Community Foundation as Vice President of Donor Experience and Engagement. Before that, he was a co-founder of Digital Divide Data, and served as their…
Michael brings a unique blend of resource development, philanthropic, program management and social entrepreneurial skills. He previously worked at the Jewish Community Federation as Sr. Philanthropy Advisor and at Silicon Valley Community Foundation as Vice President of Donor Experience and Engagement. Before that, he was a co-founder of Digital Divide Data, and served as their Chief Development Officer and Executive Vice President of Impact. Michael was also a Program Officer for Global Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and co-founded the philanthropic initiative of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. He has a B.A. from Yale University, and an M.B.A. and Certificate in Public Management from Stanford University.
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Jonathan Wang, Chief Operating Officer
Jonathan oversees operations for the organization. Before JFCS East Bay, he served as the COO of FACES SF, which provides early childhood education, mental health, and workforce development services in San Francisco. He was also the Director of Finance and Administration at New Door Ventures, which serves transitional-aged youth with internships, job training, and education…
Jonathan oversees operations for the organization. Before JFCS East Bay, he served as the COO of FACES SF, which provides early childhood education, mental health, and workforce development services in San Francisco. He was also the Director of Finance and Administration at New Door Ventures, which serves transitional-aged youth with internships, job training, and education programs. Earlier in his career, Jonathan worked at the San Francisco Chronicle in IT, Human Resources, and Organizational Development. He also started out as a high school science and social science teacher in public schools. Jonathan received his bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine and has an MBA from the University of Phoenix.
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Robin Shelton, Director of Finance & Administration
Robin brings over 25 years of Finance and Accounting experience. She oversees the finance department and strives towards creating a productive, welcoming, and friendly work environment, while providing the leadership team support with their budgetary and programmatic financial needs. Robin has varied experience in multiple accounting roles working in the non-profit, construction, and IT industries….
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Fouzia Azizi, Director of Refugee Services
Fouzia is a refugee from Afghanistan who brings a wealth of professional and personal experience to her work serving refugees in our community. After she fled Afghanistan, she worked in Pakistan on educational programs and women’s rights, including on a project to create the educational curriculum for all the refugee girls’ schools in Pakistan. She…
Fouzia is a refugee from Afghanistan who brings a wealth of professional and personal experience to her work serving refugees in our community. After she fled Afghanistan, she worked in Pakistan on educational programs and women’s rights, including on a project to create the educational curriculum for all the refugee girls’ schools in Pakistan. She was also involved in establishing schools for refugees in the northern border region near Afghanistan. Over the years, Fouzia worked with the UN High Commission on Refugees, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and the International Rescue Committee. After coming to the United States, Fouzia pursued further education, raised her children, and eventually served as a volunteer with JFCS East Bay.
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Rita Clancy, LCSW, Director of Adult Services
Rita is a licensed social worker (LCSW) who served as JFCS East Bay’s Holocaust Survivor Services Program Manager for eight years prior to becoming Director of Adult Services in August 2013. She specializes in counseling with older adults, families, couples, and people who have experienced trauma. Rita has extensive expertise in Gerontology, including working with…
Rita is a licensed social worker (LCSW) who served as JFCS East Bay’s Holocaust Survivor Services Program Manager for eight years prior to becoming Director of Adult Services in August 2013. She specializes in counseling with older adults, families, couples, and people who have experienced trauma. Rita has extensive expertise in Gerontology, including working with adults living with dementia, providing advice and support to family caregivers, advocacy in long-term care communities, and management of home care providers. Rita has over fifteen years of experience in medical social work and care management. Before becoming a social worker, Rita worked in clinical laboratory and medical sciences. Rita has a Master’s Degree in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley with a specialization in Gerontology and has been with JFCS East Bay since 2005.
Board of Directors
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Jeff Ilfeld, President
Jeff completed his medical education in Internal Medicine at the UC Davis Medical Center and served as Medical Director for the Healthcare Empowerment Alliance for People Living in Transitional Living Project in Sacramento County. He worked as a physician at the Kaiser Oakland Medical Center, holding various leadership and administrative positions and serving as Associate…
Jeff completed his medical education in Internal Medicine at the UC Davis Medical Center and served as Medical Director for the Healthcare Empowerment Alliance for People Living in Transitional Living Project in Sacramento County. He worked as a physician at the Kaiser Oakland Medical Center, holding various leadership and administrative positions and serving as Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program.
A lover of the outdoors with a passion to address climate change, Jeff is now in the second phase of his career as CEO of California Clean Energy, which specializes in helping nonprofit organizations utilize solar energy without capital expense. He is a member at Temple Beth Abraham in Oakland, where he served on the board as Men’s Club president. Together with his wife, Jo, he is the proud parent of three young adults. Jeff joined the JFCS East Bay board in July 2020.
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Sam Alcabes, Vice President
Sam is a real estate, land use, and small business attorney living in Rockridge. He grew up in the East Bay and attended nursery school at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley. Throughout college and law school, he participated in most aspects of the congregation’s youth programming. For more than five years, he has been a…
Sam is a real estate, land use, and small business attorney living in Rockridge. He grew up in the East Bay and attended nursery school at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley. Throughout college and law school, he participated in most aspects of the congregation’s youth programming. For more than five years, he has been a member of the Camp Kee Tov Foundation Board.
Sam has volunteered or worked on political campaigns locally and nationally. He began his legal career as an immigration attorney and remains active in the field, including raising funds to cover DACA application fees and serving on the governing board of The Bare Life Review (a literary journal devoted to work by immigrant and refugee authors). Sam joined the JFCS East Bay board in 2019.
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Micah Trilling, Treasurer
Micah serves as a Managing Director at the global firm FTI Consulting, where he specializes in forensic accounting: helping attorneys with financial aspects of cases that involve large potential damages and investigating financial malfeasance. Micah is a Certified Public Accountant and holds licenses as a Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Valuation Analyst. Micah lives in…
Micah serves as a Managing Director at the global firm FTI Consulting, where he specializes in forensic accounting: helping attorneys with financial aspects of cases that involve large potential damages and investigating financial malfeasance.
Micah is a Certified Public Accountant and holds licenses as a Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Valuation Analyst. Micah lives in Oakland with his wife, Ortal, who is a psychoanalyst in private practice. One of his daughters is currently attending UC Santa Barbara and the other daughter is beginning her freshman year at Tulane University.
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Rachel K. Leff-Kich, Secretary
Rachel is a family law attorney representing a diverse range of clients, including company founders, venture capitalists, teachers, and stay-at-home parents throughout the Bay Area. She grew up in Berkeley and was involved with Congregation Beth El and Camp Kee Tov. During law school, she was active with public interest student groups, clerked with several…
Rachel is a family law attorney representing a diverse range of clients, including company founders, venture capitalists, teachers, and stay-at-home parents throughout the Bay Area. She grew up in Berkeley and was involved with Congregation Beth El and Camp Kee Tov. During law school, she was active with public interest student groups, clerked with several nonprofits and social justice organizations, and worked part-time at an immigration law firm.
Rachel has previously served on the San Mateo County Bar Association Board of Directions, the Public Interest and Social Justice Endowment Board at Santa Clara University, the OneJustice Strategy Council, and the Art Point Board of Directors. Currently living in San Francisco, Rachel remains deeply connected to the East Bay and joined the JFCS East Bay board in July 2020.
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Elizabeth Friedman Branoff
Elizabeth Friedman Branoff currently serves as Executive Director, Major Gifts at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. She has led major gift strategies and raised philanthropic gifts to support the school’s priorities of innovation, inclusion, and sustainability during her 12-year tenure there. Elizabeth also secured gifts for the Institute for Business and Social Impact, the…
Elizabeth Friedman Branoff currently serves as Executive Director, Major Gifts at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. She has led major gift strategies and raised philanthropic gifts to support the school’s priorities of innovation, inclusion, and sustainability during her 12-year tenure there.
Elizabeth also secured gifts for the Institute for Business and Social Impact, the Center for Responsible Business, the Center for Social Sector Leadership, the Clean Tech to Market (C2M) program, and the Center for Gender, Equity & Leadership. Elizabeth was formerly the Bay Area Director of the American Jewish World Service and serves on several boards, including Berkeley Hillel. Elizabeth and her husband live in Albany and have two teenage children.
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Janis Burger
Janis retired her post as CEO of First 5 Alameda County after 20 years there, including as Deputy Director. She received her Master’s of Public Health from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and worked for the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency for 15 years with a focus on maternal, child, and adolescent…
Janis retired her post as CEO of First 5 Alameda County after 20 years there, including as Deputy Director. She received her Master’s of Public Health from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and worked for the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency for 15 years with a focus on maternal, child, and adolescent health.
Janis provided leadership to many countywide initiatives, including the Alameda County School-Based Health Center Coalition, Help Me Grow Developmental Screening, and others. Janis has served on many national, state, and local advisory boards in public health, early childhood policy, and health care. In retirement, Janis has been pursuing her passion of documentary photography and is continuing to consult in early childhood policy. Janis lives in Berkeley and joined the JFCS East Bay board in 2018.
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Rena Davis
Rena Davis is a native of the Bay Area who has lived in the East Bay communities of Oakland, Pinole, and Richmond. Rena attended Howard University and graduated from UC Santa Cruz and the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law. A former staffer for Senator Boxer, Rena has led policy teams in academia,…
Rena Davis is a native of the Bay Area who has lived in the East Bay communities of Oakland, Pinole, and Richmond. Rena attended Howard University and graduated from UC Santa Cruz and the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law.
A former staffer for Senator Boxer, Rena has led policy teams in academia, nonprofit, and most recently technology. She is Google’s Head of State Government Affairs and Public Policy for California and serves on the Board of the CalAsian Chamber. Rena enjoys reading, gardening, and hiking with her corgi mix and golden retriever.
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Stewart Florsheim
Stewart worked in the software industry for more than 40 years, predominantly leading global teams that develop technical and marketing content. He was born in New York City, the son of refugees from Hitler’s Germany, and has lived most of his adult life in the Bay Area. Stewart has a BA in Journalism and Philosophy…
Stewart worked in the software industry for more than 40 years, predominantly leading global teams that develop technical and marketing content. He was born in New York City, the son of refugees from Hitler’s Germany, and has lived most of his adult life in the Bay Area. Stewart has a BA in Journalism and Philosophy from Syracuse University, and an MA in English (Creative Writing) from San Francisco State University.
Stewart is the author of five books of poetry and the editor of Ghosts of the Holocaust, an anthology of poetry by children of Holocaust survivors. Stewart is also Vice President of the Board of Directors of End of Life Choices California, and mentors students for Oakland Promise. He lives in Piedmont with his wife and has two grown daughters. Stewart joined the JFCS East Bay board in 2021.
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Suzan Kotch
Suzan was born and raised in the East Bay, graduated from UC Davis, and went on to get her Master’s Degree in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley. She graduated from the Title IVE Public Child Welfare training program with a concentration in Child and Family Services. Suzan was a Child Welfare Worker in Alameda County…
Suzan was born and raised in the East Bay, graduated from UC Davis, and went on to get her Master’s Degree in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley. She graduated from the Title IVE Public Child Welfare training program with a concentration in Child and Family Services. Suzan was a Child Welfare Worker in Alameda County for 13 years and specializes in working with infants and young children in the foster care system.
Suzan is currently the Director of Social Work at East Bay Children’s Law Offices, a nonprofit that represents children in the foster and probate court systems. Suzan is a Camp Newman/Swig Alumna and taught Sunday School and Midrasha for more than 13 years. She and her husband live in Oakland with their two young children. Suzan joined the JFCS East Bay board in 2019.
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Eric Leve
Eric is the Chief Investment Officer of Bailard, a Bay Area investment management firm. He grew up in the Los Angeles area and moved to the Bay Area to attend UC Berkeley, where– as a third-generation Golden Bear–he graduated with a degree in economics. Eric has proudly been an Oakland resident for more than 15…
Eric is the Chief Investment Officer of Bailard, a Bay Area investment management firm. He grew up in the Los Angeles area and moved to the Bay Area to attend UC Berkeley, where– as a third-generation Golden Bear–he graduated with a degree in economics.
Eric has proudly been an Oakland resident for more than 15 years. Eric has served on the board of directors of Temple Beth Abraham in Oakland and is currently on its board of trustees. Eric began volunteering on the JFCS East Bay Investment Committee in 2018 and joined the board in 2019.
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Aliza Metzner
Aliza’s professional career has spanned product and market development, management consulting, and event planning. She has been involved with social activism and volunteering since her teenage years. Aliza’s initiated activities include: The Mindful Life Project in Richmond, The Shiva Project at Temple Isaiah in Lafayette, and Firewise organizer and community wildfire adaptive educator. She serves…
Aliza’s professional career has spanned product and market development, management consulting, and event planning. She has been involved with social activism and volunteering since her teenage years.
Aliza’s initiated activities include: The Mindful Life Project in Richmond, The Shiva Project at Temple Isaiah in Lafayette, and Firewise organizer and community wildfire adaptive educator. She serves on selection committees for the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards and JFCS-EB Art of Living Committee. Aliza holds a BA from Colgate University in Social Psychology and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Her other interests include sculpting and writing.
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Harris Mojadedi
Harris Mojadedi was born in Fremont CA, the son of refugees from Afghanistan. He is a Policy Analyst at UC Berkeley, managing the student fee portfolio in the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Office. Harris is a dedicated community organizer who has volunteered and served on boards of several organizations in Alameda County, including SAVE,…
Harris Mojadedi was born in Fremont CA, the son of refugees from Afghanistan. He is a Policy Analyst at UC Berkeley, managing the student fee portfolio in the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Office.
Harris is a dedicated community organizer who has volunteered and served on boards of several organizations in Alameda County, including SAVE, New Haven Schools Foundation, and Afghan Coalition. He also serves the communities of Union City and South Hayward as a trustee of the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District.
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Shamila Rahim
Shamila is a Hospitalist at Kaiser Oakland Medical Center. Her family left Afghanistan and moved to the US when she was five years old and settled in Alameda, where she spent her formative years. After attending UC Berkeley for her undergraduate studies, she completed her medical education at Temple University in Philadelphia. In addition to…
Shamila is a Hospitalist at Kaiser Oakland Medical Center. Her family left Afghanistan and moved to the US when she was five years old and settled in Alameda, where she spent her formative years. After attending UC Berkeley for her undergraduate studies, she completed her medical education at Temple University in Philadelphia. In addition to her rewarding clinical practice, she enjoys working on improvement projects and has received her Lean Six Sigma certification.
As an immigrant herself, Shamila’s passion is in serving her community in any capacity she can. Fortunately, her husband, Sultan, and their two boys share her passion. As a family, they spend time volunteering at different charities and were recently involved in helping Afghan immigrants. Shamila and her family are outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy hiking, camping, and traveling abroad.
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Marjorie Stamper-Kurn
Marjorie Stamper-Kurn Marjorie is a senior consultant with The Justice Collective, a social impact consulting firm that brings a racial equity lens to traditional organizational development. Drawing upon degrees in Ethnic Studies, Management, and Education, Marjorie works across sectors to create strong and equitable organizations by developing values-based programs, practices, and policies. Marjorie has also…
Marjorie Stamper-Kurn Marjorie is a senior consultant with The Justice Collective, a social impact consulting firm that brings a racial equity lens to traditional organizational development. Drawing upon degrees in Ethnic Studies, Management, and Education, Marjorie works across sectors to create strong and equitable organizations by developing values-based programs, practices, and policies.
Marjorie has also delivered social emotional learning and diversity and inclusion programming in classrooms and school communities throughout the Bay Area. Active in her community, she has served on numerous equity and racial justice committees, including at Oakland Technical High School and Congregation Netivot Shalom. Marjorie loves to travel the world and is just as happy when she is at home in Oakland with her husband and two mostly-grown sons.
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Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prusan
Peretz came to the Bay Area to teach printmaking at UAHC Camp Swig and study at the San Francisco Art Institute. After a decade of creating Ketubot, printmaking, and working in informal education, he traveled to Jerusalem in 1985 to study at the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. Peretz served Congregation Emanu-El,…
Peretz came to the Bay Area to teach printmaking at UAHC Camp Swig and study at the San Francisco Art Institute. After a decade of creating Ketubot, printmaking, and working in informal education, he traveled to Jerusalem in 1985 to study at the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. Peretz served Congregation Emanu-El, San Francisco, as rabbi and senior educator for 20 years. In 2002, he was awarded the Covenant Award as an Exceptional Jewish Educator who has had a significant impact on others, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the transmission of Jewish knowledge, values, and identity.
In 2004, Peretz became a Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute and from 2010 to 2020, Peretz was the Rabbi-in-Residence at KehillahSF and served on the leadership team and teaching faculty of Lehrhaus Judaica. He is now an independent teacher and printmaker. Peretz and his wife, Becki (a second-generation native of the East Bay), live in Berkeley. He joined the JFCS East Bay board in 2019.