Board Member Bios
Meet our Board of Directors
Scott Berrie founded Impulse Creative Productions in 2008. Impulse is an independent feature and documentary film production company specializing in films that tackle thought provoking subjects and partner with high profile talent on emotionally charged movies and is currently working on “Israel I Love You.” Scott is Vice President of the Russell Berrie Foundation (RBF) which makes social investments in innovative ideas designed to promote Jewish. Scott is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations; a trustee with the Shalom Hartman Institute and PAX. He earned an MBA from NYU’s Stern Executive MBA Program; a Masters in International Affairs and a Certificate in Middle Eastern Studies from Columbia University, where he was also a SIPA International Affairs Fellow. Scott served as a Combat Engineer in the Israel Defense Forces from 1989-1990 and has lived in Tribeca since 1995 with his wife, Patricia Willens, and their three children.
Campbell Brown is the anchor of CNN’s “Campbell Brown”. Prior to joining CNN, she was with NBC News for eleven years. While there Campbell served as co-anchor of NBC’s TODAY Weekend Edition and served as NBC News White House correspondent during George W. Bush’s first term. Joining the network in 1998, she was first assigned to cover President Clinton’s impeachment trial. After that, she was assigned to the Pentagon, reporting on the war in Kosovo. During her time in the Washington bureau she also traveled extensively with President Clinton. From 1996 to 1998, she was a correspondent for the NBC News Channel. Campbell grew up in Louisiana, and graduated from Regis College in Denver, Colorado with a B.A. in Political Science. After graduation, she spent a year teaching English in the former Czechoslovakia. She and her husband Dan Senor live in Tribeca with their two children.
Beth Brownstein is Managing Director for Screampoint International, LTD. Prior to joining Screampoint, she was a Principal of Sienna Capital, a New York based real estate investment and development company. Beth served as Director of the Strategic Ventures Group at Cushman & Wakefield, identifying and developing new business opportunities for the Company, with a focus on real estate technology initiatives. Beth holds a B.A. in History from the University of Virginia, a J.D. from The George Washington University National Law Center and a Masters in Real Estate Development from Columbia University. Ms. Brownstein has lived in Tribeca with her husband and three children since 1999.
Victoria Feder, JCP Founder and Chair of the Board, is a former consultant with The Boston Consulting Group and was co-founder of an internet software company, ExpertCommerce. She holds MBA from Harvard Business School and BA from Yale University. An active member of New York’s Jewish community, Ms. Feder co-founded JCP in 2002. She is a 10-year resident of Tribeca where she lives with her husband and four children.
Lori Fineman, President, is the Executive Director of Transport Group, a not-for-profit, Off-Broadway theater company. Prior to her role with Transport Group, Lori was the Global Director of Knowledge Management for the Capital Markets Company, an Antwerp-based financial services consulting firm and was the Director of Knowledge Management, Pharmaceutical Practice for Andersen Consulting. Ms. Fineman has also worked professionally as an actor, choreographer and yoga instructor and served as the co-Executive Director of the National Women’s Theater Festival in Philadelphia. Ms. Fineman graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in English and Theater Arts and a B.S.E. from the Wharton School. Lori lives in Tribeca with her husband, Steve and their two sons.
Mali Sananikone Gaw is currently an independent business strategy and development consultant working with early-stage business ventures and organizations. She was the founder and Creative Director of Lilah, a women’s fashion business. Prior to starting her own business, Mali worked at Time Warner Inc. in their Corporate Strategy Group. Mali started her professional career at Merrill Lynch & Co. in New York, where she worked in their investment banking and private equity groups. She is on the Board of Advisors of the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center; is a founding member and steering committee member of the Young Patrons of Lincoln Center; and is chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Metropolis Ensemble. She is also a former co-chair of the junior board of the Children’s Storefront School in Harlem. Mali is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service from which she earned a B.S. in International Economics. Mali lives in Tribeca with her husband and daughter who is enrolled in the ECC.
Brian Gerson is a senior investment professional at Solar Capital, a publicly traded business development company. Prior to joining Solar, Brian was a managing director at CIBC World Markets, and was previously employed at The Argosy Group and Merrill Lynch & Co. Brian graduated from Tufts University and is married to Tracie Golding. Brian and Tracie live in Tribeca with their three children, Sara, Cate and Conrad.
Tracie F Golding is a Senior Vice President of Stribling & Associates, a high end real estate brokerage firm. She has worked in Real Estate for 16 years. Previously she worked in advertising after attending Syracuse University. Tracie is a Board member of The Grand Street Settlement House, a volunteer of J.U.M.P mentoring program and a former tutor for Two Together, a tutoring program through Jewish Family and Children’s Services. Tracie’s Great Grandmother founded Camp Dora Golding. She is married to Brian Gerson and the mother of Sara, Cate and Conrad.
Jed Hart is the Senior Managing Director of Centerbridge, a multi-strategy private investment firm. Prior to joining Centerbridge, Mr. Hart was a Managing Director and Chief Portfolio Manager for the distressed securities funds of Angelo, Gordon & Co., L.P. Before joining Angelo in 1995, Mr. Hart worked in the High Yield rating Group at Merrill Lynch & Co. from 1993-1995. and prior to that, Mr. Hart worked in investment banking specializing in financial institutions at Fox-Pitt, Kelton Inc. Mr. Hart received a B.S. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in May 1989. He lives in Tribeca with his wife and 2 children.
Francine Hermelin was formerly the co-founder of Associates in Science, a graphic design, marketing and branding company that worked predominantly with the entertainment industry and art world. Clients included MTV, Atlantic Records, the Guggenheim Museum, Newline Cinemas, Fine Line Features, the SciFi Channel, Good Machine. She is writing her third children’s Haggadah and producing kids and family programs for Jewish and politically progressive organizations. Along with her involvement in JCP, Hermelin represents her family on the Board of Overseers of the Davidson School at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is involved with REBOOT, a network of Jewish individuals in their 20’s and 30’s engaged in conversations about Jewish identity and culture. She lives in Tribeca with her husband Adam and three children.
Jamie Cohen Hort is first and foremost the mother of four young children, and a contemporary Art Consultant. After graduating from the University of Vermont, Jamie worked at The Hirshhorn Museum, The Jewish Museum and the IBM Gallery. She is also involved in a number of community organizations and non-profits. In addition to the JCP, she serves on the Board of Directors of Mwikali’s Gift, an organization working to improve the quality of life for the people of Usalama, Kenya by providing safe clean water, education for children and aid in health care and community building. Jamie is also involved with the Greening of Tribeca, which is working to plant trees throughout the Tribeca community, and the Rema Hort Mann Foundation, which awards grants to emerging artists and provides support to individuals suffering with cancer.
Peter Hort is an attorney in a private general practice. He graduated from the George Washington University, in Washington DC with a degree in international relations and earned a J.D. from the Fordham University School of Law. He is a member of the New York State Bar, and is a part time New York City Administrative Law Judge. In addition to being active in local and national politics, Peter has been involved in the emerging contemporary art scene for years. Since 1995, he has been on the Board of Directors of the Rema Hort Mann Foundation, a non-profit that awards grants to emerging artists and provides support to individuals suffering with cancer. He has been a resident of lower Manhattan since 1999 and lives with his wife, Jamie, and their four children in Tribeca.
Laurie Slosberg Kaminsky is an attorney in private practice in Tribeca. After growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, she graduated from Tufts University with a degree in International Relations and earned her J.D. from the Boston University School of Law. Laurie is a member of the State Bar of New York and that of California. She is a member of the 2009 Gala Host Committee for LIFT, an organization dedicated to providing information and support, as well as access to justice and neighborhood-based resources, for families and individuals involved in New York City Family Court. Prior to starting her own law practice, Laurie clerked for the Honorable Geraldine Mund of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California and worked as an associate in large law firms in Los Angeles and New York City. A resident of Tribeca since 2003, Laurie lives with her three true loves, her husband Howard and their children, Isabelle and Oliver.
Julie Koster received her Bachelor degree from Syracuse University and went on to receive a Masters in Social Work from the Hunter School of Social Work in NYC. She has worked at various social service agencies with a specialty in child, adolescent and family services. Currently, Julie teaches Health Education at Sacred Heart and she is a counselor at the upper school. She has been living in Tribeca for more than 6 years with her husband and three children.
Nirit Resnick has dedicated her work to the Non-Profit arena, as Director of The Resnick Foundation, as well as chairing numerous events and development projects for organizations such as The Angkor Hospital for Children in Cambodia, United Jewish Appeal and Holocaust Denial On Trial. Nirit was born in Israel to Russian immigrant parents. She moved to Toronto, Canada when she was 5 years old. At the age of 16, Nirit won the Toronto Volunteer of the Year Mayor’s Medal for her work with Holocaust Survivors at Baycrest Centre. Currently, Nirit is studying Non-Profit Management at The New School. Together with her son Ellis, she lives in Tribeca. Nirit is fluent in French, Hebrew and Russian.
Evan Roth is a founding partner of BBR Partners, and jointly manages the firm’s Client Service team. He focuses primarily on servicing existing client relationships and building new family relationships. Previously, Evan served as the Director of Private Accounts for Global Asset Management (GAM), where he developed and grew the firm’s U.S. high-net-worth business. Prior to GAM, Evan worked at Goldman Sachs & Co. in the Asset Management Division. He graduated with a concentration in Finance from the Wharton School, and holds an additional degree in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, Evan is a member of the gotham chapter of the Young Presidents Organization and is a past President of the century-old organization, The Kentuckians of New York. He is a member of the Friends of the University of Pennsylvania Rowing and is actively involved with the Mary Byron Foundation and Bancroft NeuroHealth.
Nathalie Rubens is a former Equity Research Analyst at Morgan Stanley. After receiving an M.A. in International Relations and Economics, she was the Grants Director at The Abraham Fund, a not-for-profit organization seeking to promote coexistence among Jewish and Arab Israeli citizens. Ms. Rubens lives in Tribeca with her husband and their four children.
Dan Senor is an author, investor, and television commentator on global affairs. He is currently a senior advisor to Elliott Management, a New York-based hedge fund. He is also adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Prior to re-joining the investment management business, Dan was one of the longest serving civilian officials in Iraq, where he served in 2003 and 2004 as a Senior Adviser and the Chief Spokesperson for the U.S.-led Coalition. For his service, he was awarded the highest civilian honor by the Pentagon. Dan also served as a Pentagon adviser to Central Command in Qatar.Dan completed his BA at the University of Western Ontario and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; he completed his MBA at Harvard Business School. Dan is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle. He writes frequently for the Wall Street Journal, and has also been published by the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek Magazine, and Time.
Erin Mitzner Silvers joins the Board of the JCP having worked in the corporate sector for eight years following her graduation from the University of Wisconsin in 1998 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. Erin worked for Ernst & Young (1998-1999) as an auditor before transitioning into the world of corporate communications as an Associate Director focusing on event planning for UBS (1999-2004). Following her time at UBS, Erin was hired by Hearst Corporation (2004-2006) as a Senior Manager in Events Marketing & Special Projects. Erin has lived in Tribeca since 2003 with her husband, Nicholas, and her children Maxwell and Sloan.
Susan Silverstein is a full-time mother following her retirement from Wall Street. She held key roles at Bank of America Securities for a ten-year period, and was formerly employed by Lehman Brothers and Salomon Brothers. She received her Bachelor of Science from New York University. Susan and her partner have been residents of Tribeca since 2002.
Jodi J. Schwartz is a Partner at Wachtell Lipton Rosen and Katz. She also serves on the Executive Committee of UJA Federation and American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, on the Board of Directors of JBFCS, Jewish Agency for Israel, Jewish Communal Fund, Hillel International. Ms. Schwartz is co-chair, NY region, Women’s Leadership Forum of the Democratic National Committee. She lives in Tribeca with her husband and two children.
Molly Snyder is the founder of Metropolitan Moms, a company that runs various educational classes at galleries, museums, and other cultural institutions throughout New York City for people of all ages (6wks-adulthood). The company has been featured on CNN, New York Magazine, Fox News, the New York Post, and CBS, among others. Molly started her career at Goldman Sachs in investment banking in New York and London and then went to work at the New York City Investment Fund providing funding and mentoring to companies affected by 9/11. Molly attended Columbia Business School and the University of Michigan. She is the mother of Sara and Sam and lives in Tribeca.
David Spierer received his doctorate of education in the area of applied physiology from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2004. Since 1990 Dr. Spierer has been involved with exercise science and physiology in the capacity as a personal trainer and clinician. Currently, Dr. Spierer holds an assistant professorship at Long Island University in the Division of Sports Sciences. He teaches courses in exercise science, laboratory measurement, pathophysiology and practical application. Dr. Spierer has published his work in scientific journals and has presented his work at national and international conferences. His current work includes, the reliability and validity of activity monitoring, Parkinson’s disease and exercise and the effect of the Wii interactive video game on human physiology. Dr. Spierer also co-authored his first book entitled “Get Firefighter Fit” and is concluding a study on the effects of circuit weight training in firefighters. Dr. Spierer currently lives in Battery Park City with his wife Marnee and their two children, Eliana and Nathaniel.
Cheryl Whaley received her MBA from Harvard University and her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and French from Wellesely College. She is a former Senior Vice President of Capital Markets and Growth Ventures at Genworth Financial, and has held key roles in General Electric, National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) and Bain & Company. Cheryl and her husband Eric are parents to Callie, Joseph, Cecilia and live in Lower Manhattan.
Alan Wilzig was born in Clifton, New Jersey on April 20,1965. He is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business. In May of 2004 Alan engineered the merger between TrustCompany Bank, which he was Chairman and CEO of, and North Fork Bank, one of the Nation’s most successful financial institutions. Today, Mr. Wilzig is applying 20 years of real estate finance expertise in developing real estate projects in Florida, New Jersey and New York. He is very active in civic and philanthropic activities. Currently he serves as Vice Chairman on the Board of Trustees of LibertyHealth and he is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Rainforest Alliance. He and his family reside in lower Manhattan.
Randi Sidikaro received her Bachelor of Arts in Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Hartford. She’s held multiple Event & Sports Marketing positions over a nine year period at iN DEMAND Networks. She went on to work as a Project Manager at AgencyNet, an award-winning interactive digital agency directing digital projects. Randi is now a full-time mother living in Tribeca with her husband and two children.