Performance Counts, June 2013
The JMM Board Renews Itself
Last Sunday’s Annual Meeting of the Jewish Museum of Maryland marked the beginning of a new annual cycle for the Board. Outgoing trustees were thanked and a new slate of officers elected.
It seems like such a natural course of events, that it is easy to forget just how exceptional the work of a non-profit Board like ours is. The 27 current Board members (as well as 10 former Board presidents) volunteer their time, energy and financial resources to advance the cause of the Museum, without expectation of personal reward or advancement. They do this because they care deeply about Baltimore’s Jewish past, but also because they are committed to strengthening our future.
The new leadership of the Board includes Dr. Ira Papel, President. At the annual meeting Dr. Papel spoke to the core mission of the museum, “The Jewish Museum of Maryland is a unique institution serving the greater Maryland community. Not only is it a depository of archival information, but a resource to place our past and present cultures in a context to understand the role of the Jewish community in Maryland over hundreds of years. It is always fascinating to look back and see how different generations coped with the challenges of their times. We are fortunate that so much information has been saved, and therefore made available to us through facilities like the JMM.”
Dr. Papel is joined in the slate of officers by Vice Presidents Jeff Dreifuss, Robert Keehn and Duke Zimmerman and by the new treasurer, JL Reischer and Secretary Sarah Manekin. After two years of exceptional service as leader of the Board, Larry Caplan will continue to be part of the Executive Committee in the role of Immediate Past President. Officers are elected each year, but the President is typically renewed for a second year and other officers may serve up to six consecutive years.
New members of the class of 2016 were Jennie Gates Beckman, Manager of Civic Engagement and Repair the World Programming at the Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Agencies; Jay Goldscher, CEO of HBP/Whitmore, a leader in the printing and graphics industry; and Ira Malis, who just recently retired as Director of Institutional Sales at Stifel Nicolaus and Co. Members were elected to three-year terms. Arnold Fruman of National Lumber Co. also accepted a one-year Presidential appointment to extend his service.
In addition to the Annual Meeting and quarterly Board meetings, there are six Executive Committee meetings scheduled for the year ahead. Much of the work of the Board is actually managed through the eight committees that recommend policies, seek resources and network the Museum with the community. Major committees include Development, Programs, Finance, Collections, Facilities, Marketing and Audit. There is a plan to split the Board Development Committee in the year ahead into a dedicated Nominating Committee and a Committee on Board Engagement. In FY 2013 we had task forces working on Accreditation, Membership and the Futures Committee and we are likely to create new groups to meet the challenges of the year ahead.
For a small museum, Board commitment is key. This year’s Board leadership campaign exceeded $91,000 – double the funds raised just three years ago. Equally important, the Board has taken strides towards 100% participation in the campaign. Board members are increasing their visibility as ambassadors for the Museum and bringing in new friends to multiply our strength.
2013 built a great foundation for the new year to come…the inaugural meeting of the new Board and officers is this July 15th.
