Michele Bollinger has worked in the field of oncology for the past 20 years, providing consulting and management services to cancer centers, hospitals, hospitals systems and physician practices across the United States and internationally. Her experience includes strategic planning, developing feasibility studies, facilitating physician-hospital transactions, conducting market and program assessments, facility planning as well as program development and marketing. She served as Vice President at Aptium Oncology from 1998 through 2011, with responsibility for developing new business relationships, leading large-scale consulting projects, and managing the Company’s corporate marketing and public relations efforts. Bollinger received an MBA with Honors from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor’s Degree from UCSD.
Megan Earhart is a partner at JMBM’s Trusts & Estates Group. Her practice includes estate planning, probate, trust administration and related income, gift and estate tax matters.
Jack Friedman (Board Chair) is an experienced entrepreneur in the education space with deep passion for serving low-income and first-generation students.
Jack is the founder of Study Smart Tutors, a Los Angeles based education company providing tutoring, college access programming, and career readiness to students nationwide.
In addition to his work at Study Smart Tutors, Jack co-founded Educational Gaming Services and Advanced Employment Group. He serves as the Board Chair of Tzedek America and the boards of the Youth Business Alliance, GEAR UP Alumni Association, and the ACT’s CA Council.
Avram Mandell (Founding Director) is a leader in the Jewish education world and has twenty-five years of professional experience in various Jewish settings, including youth groups, summer camps, and synagogue schools. He is the former Director of Education at Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles, California, and Temple Beth El in San Antonio, Texas. Avram holds a Master of Arts in Jewish Education (MAJE) from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Miami University. He was named the 2016 RHSOE Alumni-in-Residence Educator for Hebrew Union College. In addition to expertise in teen engagement and life-long learning, Avram brings many of his passions to Jewish education, including camping, improvisational comedy, music, and service. A published author and frequent speaker on various topics in education, Avram is married to Abby Fifer Mandell, MAEd, Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the USC Marshall School of Business, and is the proud father of Shai and Bo.
Elizabeth Saiger (Secretary) Elizabeth Saiger is a systems thinker and organizer. Professionally she works in academic operations in the field of Education Reform and is currently the Director of Academic Operations at Ednovate Charter Schools, a network of high performing charter high schools. She is active in her synagogue IKAR and in organizing parents events at her children’s schools. She loves making connections and learning and was part of the Avodah Professional and NewGround Fellowship. She met her husband as a counselor at Camp Ramah, and they have three children.
Steven Weinstein (Board Chair Emeritus) spends his days as CEO of Seismic Capital Capital, an early-stage tech investment firm based in Los Angeles that he and his partners created to democratize venture investing in young companies. Over his adult life, he has worked in many capacities – journalist, marketing executive, technology manager, CEO – and he has always taken the long view towards making things better. Because he believes so strongly that things can and should be better and fairer, he spends his evenings and weekends helping social justice organizations, including Tzedek America, which he joined before its formation, to strive for a more equitable world.