Our Leadership

Our professional and volunteer leaders bring a wealth of experience and expertise, reflecting the unparalleled diversity and dynamism of New York’s Jewish community.
They work side by side with our professional staff to address today’s most pressing problems and plan for tomorrow.

LINDA MIRELS

President

Linda is a committed philanthropist with a long history of serving the Jewish community through leadership roles at UJA and other major international Jewish organizations. She is deeply passionate about supporting thriving Jewish communities around the globe.

Linda joined the UJA leadership team as an executive committee member in 1999 and has served in a variety of leadership positions.

Professionally, Linda chairs a diversified global investment company with holdings in food distribution and real estate. 

In addition, Linda serves on the Board of Governors of the American Jewish Committee and the Metropolitan Opera of New York. She also advises her family foundation, which works to build a better society by lifting people up, helping them be self-sufficient, and building culturally rich and tolerant communities, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Israel.

Linda was born in South Africa and spent her formative years in Swaziland, now Eswatini, and she maintains a deep connection to both nations. She has three adult children and three grandchildren, and lives in New York with her partner, artist Gerard Mossé.

MARC ROWAN

Chair of the Board

Marc is a co-founder and CEO of Apollo Global Management, Inc. He currently serves on the boards of directors of Apollo Global Management, Inc., Athene Holding Ltd., and Athora Holding Ltd. Currently, Marc is chair of the Board of Advisors of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, he is involved in public policy and is an initial funder and contributor to the development of the Penn Wharton Budget Model, a nonpartisan research initiative that provides analysis of public policy’s fiscal impact. 

An active philanthropist and civically engaged, Marc is chair of the Board of UJA-Federation, the world’s largest local philanthropy caring for the Jewish community and New Yorkers of all backgrounds. He is also a founding member and chair of Youth Renewal Fund and vice chair of Darca, Israel’s top educational network, operating 47 schools with over 27,000 students throughout its most diverse and under-served communities. He is also an Executive Committee member of the Civil Society Fellowship, a partnership of ADL and the Aspen Institute, designed to empower the next generation of community leaders and problem solvers. 

Marc graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business with a B.S. and an M.B.A. in Finance.

ERIC S. GOLDSTEIN

CEO

Eric is a longtime active member in the Jewish community and served in a number of senior lay positions before being appointed UJA-Federation’s CEO in 2014. Before joining UJA, Eric was a leading partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.

Eric served as vice chair of UJA’s board, was a member of UJA’s Executive Committee, and chair of UJA’s Lawyers Division, Commission on Jewish Identity and Renewal, and Global Strategy Task Force.

Eric was a founding board member of Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and has served as president and chair of the board of Manhattan Day School, president of the Beth Din of America, and board member of the Ramaz School. He was also a board member of the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), DOROT, and The Jewish Agency for Israel – all UJA-Federation partner agencies.

In 2013, Eric received the Torch of Learning Award from American Friends of the Hebrew University. He was a participant in the Wexner Heritage Program. A native of Brooklyn, Eric lives in Manhattan with his wife, Tamar, and they have four children.

President
Linda Mirels

Chair of the Board
Marc Rowan

Treasurer
Suzanne F. Peck

General Campaign Co-Chairs
Jane Dresner Sadaka
David Wasserman

General Planning Chair
Jodi J. Schwartz

Chair
Caring Department
Nicole Agus

Chair
Network Department

Bruce Wexler

Chair
Jewish Life Department
Geula Solomon

Chair
Planned Giving & Endowment
David L. Moore

Chair
UJA Women
Kim Hartman

Regional Chair
Long Island
Pamela Barnett

Regional Chair
Westchester
Laurie E. Girsky

Members at-Large
Jeffrey H. Aronson
Lloyd Blankfein
Joshua Nash
Eric Schwartz
Merryl H. Tisch
Jane Wilf

Immediate Past President
Chair
Allocations Steering Committee
Amy A.B. Bressman*

Special Advisor to the President
Co-Chair, UJA Young Leaders
Spencer Herbst

*Non-voting member

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