JCC - Key Persons


Adam Stein


Adrienne Bergeron

Job Titles:
  • Director of Youth Arts Education

Ally Feldman

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Director of J Camps

Amy Schwartz

Job Titles:
  • Senior Director, Fitness and Wellness

Antonius Reterink

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Director, Member & Guest Services Operations

Barak Hermann - CEO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive Officer
Barak comes to us with over 17 years of experience working in the JCC environment. Prior to moving to Baltimore, he was the Executive Director of the Central Jersey JCC in Scotch Plains, N.J. for five years, prior to this he was the Chief Operating Officer and Assistant Executive Director of the Metro West JCC in West Orange and Whippany, N.J. He is a graduate of Yeshiva University - Wurzweiler School of Social Work and has a Bachelors from Stoney Brook University and Associated Degree from Johnson & Wales University. The JCC is your home away from home, where all are welcome and every one can experience the vitality of our Jewish community.

Barak Stockler

Job Titles:
  • Diller Coordinator

Brad Kerxton

Job Titles:
  • Senior Director of Operations

Danielle Frye

Job Titles:
  • Director, Stoler Early Learning Center
  • Early Childhood Education

David Van Dinter

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Director, Fitness, OM

Denard Smith

Job Titles:
  • Fitness Director

Desharn Fowlkes

Job Titles:
  • Finance Associate

Diana Solomon

Job Titles:
  • Director

Elena Mengazova

Job Titles:
  • Accounting Manager

Emily Peisach Stern

Job Titles:
  • Chief
  • Program Officer
Emily Stern, our newly appointed Chief Program Officer had her first experience with the JCC of Greater Baltimore at 13 years old as a Teen Volunteer. In 2008, Emily joined our team full-time as the Early Childhood Education Administrative Assistant and has since worked in every section of our Youth & Family department. Emily has shown her dedication to enhancing our youth programming, including as Senior Director of J Camps for the past 6.5 years. She joins the Executive team as Chief Program Officer where she will oversee all programming for the Center for Youth and Families. Emily holds a Masters of Education in School Counseling from Loyola University Maryland and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Mary Washington.

Esther Greenberg

Job Titles:
  • Chief Advancement Officer
Esther currently supervises the JCC's Marketing and Park Heights Programming Departments. She is also responsible for fundraising activities involving JCC events including J Live, JCC Maccabi Experience, Block Party and Hall of Fame. She also writes grants on behalf of the JCC. Prior to the JCC, Esther worked for three years as a Development Associate for Hillel of Greater Baltimore. Before working in the non-for-profit world, Esther was the Marketing Director for a creative services agency in Washington, DC for more than 10 years. Esther has a Bachelor of Arts degree from The George Washington University in Political Science/Public Policy.

Gail Neer

Job Titles:
  • Welcome Desk Supervisor, Park Heights

Geena Ghimire

Job Titles:
  • System Support Specialist

Geoffrey Campbell

Job Titles:
  • Information Systems
  • Senior Director, Information Management Systems

Hen Tsaig

Job Titles:
  • Payroll and Accounts Payable Associate

Ijeoma Onyenekwu

Job Titles:
  • Staff Accountant

Ivey Och

Job Titles:
  • Senior Director, Plant Operations

J Camps

Job Titles:
  • Office Administrator

Jack DiLeonardi

Job Titles:
  • Maintenance Supervisor

Jesse Cerrotti

Job Titles:
  • Senior Director of J Camps

Jessica Faircloth-Flamer

Job Titles:
  • Member and Guest Sales Coordinator - Owings Mills

Jill Shapiro - CHRO

Job Titles:
  • Chief People Officer
Jill Shapiro started at the JCC in 1997 as the Director of Human Resources and was promoted to Chief People Officer in May 2021. In her role Jill works to support the needs of the JCC by helping to maximize employee potential. She also leads the human resources department overseeing benefits, HR policies and procedures, employee engagement, employee relations, talent acquisition and more.

Judith Krumbein

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Director, Member and Guest Services

Judy Jacobson

Job Titles:
  • Administration
  • Executive Team Coordinator

Julie Mazer

Job Titles:
  • Marketing Project Manager & Digital Strategist

Justin Dominick

Job Titles:
  • Senior Director, Fitness

Kamala Lyons

Job Titles:
  • Asst Marketing Director, Arts & Culture and Web Development

Ken Karsh - CFO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Financial Officer
Ken Karsh started at the JCC in 2009. As the Chief Financial Officer, Ken is in charge of the Finance department. Prior to coming to the JCC Ken was the Vice President of Finance at THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore. He has an MBA in Finance from Pace University. Ken grew up in Yonkers, New York.

Kim Young

Job Titles:
  • Human Resource Generalist
  • Human Resources

Kimberly Davidson

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Director, Stoler Early Learning Center
  • Director, Noah 's Ark Camp

Laura Kurcfeld

Job Titles:
  • Senior Program Director

Linda Lapidus

Job Titles:
  • Parent Infant Toddler Program Supervisor

Lynne Kness

Job Titles:
  • Senior Director, Member and Guest Services

Marilyn Zvili

Job Titles:
  • Operations Assistant, Gordon Center

Mary Bell

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Director, Member and Guest Services

Mary Eda Coleman

Job Titles:
  • Administrative Assistant

Meghan Risper

Job Titles:
  • Aquatics Specialist

Melissa Seltzer

Job Titles:
  • Senior Director, Arts & Culture

Michael Justice

Job Titles:
  • Finance
  • Senior Director

Muriel Fisher

Job Titles:
  • Facilities Maintenance
  • Housekeeping Supervisor, Owings Mills

Or Caduri


Paul Lurie - COO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Operations Officer
  • Chief Operating Officer of the JCC of Greater Baltimore
Paul Lurie is the Chief Operating Officer of the JCC of Greater Baltimore overseeing the Center for Sports and Wellness, Information Management and Facility operations. No stranger to the J, Paul has served in executive and directorial roles at the JCC for nineteen years, since 2003. He has served, variously, as JCC Maccabi Experience Director, Sports and Recreation Director, Children and Teen Services Director, and as Senior Program Director. Paul also works very closely with executive team colleagues on strategy, analysis and reporting in addition to working on the agency's fiscal management. Paul holds undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Economics from UMBC as well as an MBA from the University of Baltimore. Paul also currently serves as the national co-chair of the JCC Maccabi program.

Peter Michaelson

Job Titles:
  • Senior Director, Theater and Live Music, Gordon Center

Rabbi Ariel Platt

Job Titles:
  • Rabbi
  • Director of J Life

Rachel Cohen

Job Titles:
  • Program Director

Rebecca Chinsky

Job Titles:
  • Senior Director of Aquatics and Recreation

Richard McComas

Job Titles:
  • Maintenance Supervisor

Robin Rose-Samuels

Job Titles:
  • Senior Marketing Director
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Media Inquiries
  • Senior Director, Marketing

Sara Qureshi

Job Titles:
  • Film Program Director

Sara Shalva

Job Titles:
  • Chief Arts Officer
  • Officer at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore
Sara Shalva, Chief Arts Officer at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore, oversees the strategic vision for the Center for Arts and Culture. Sara graduated from Mary Washington College with a BA in Political Science, and, as a Taub Fellow, from NYU with dual masters in Nonprofit Management and Judaic Studies. Previously, Sara served as the Assistant Director at the Pearlstone Center and the Chief Program Officer - Jewish Life and Learning at the Edlavitch DCJCC. Sara lived in Israel for four years where she studied at Hebrew University and the Pardes Institute, volunteered on Project Otzma and worked at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

Sharon Seigel

Job Titles:
  • Senior Program Director

Shawnise Crawford

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Aquatics Director

Sophia Varon

Job Titles:
  • Assistant Director

Stacey Needle

Job Titles:
  • Asst Marketing Director
  • Asst Marketing Director, Youth & Family and Media Relations

Stefanie Fink

Job Titles:
  • Senior Graphic Designer

Surena Cohen

Job Titles:
  • Group Fitness Coordinator

Torriance Lightner

Job Titles:
  • Housekeeping Supervisor, Park Heights