Team Categories: Professional Staff

Joel has been active in Jewish communal affairs for many years. Following a full career as a Foreign Service Officer, with assignments in Korea, Romania, Tanzania, Malta and Berlin (where he headed the American Embassy Office), he was Founding Chairman for Germany of The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, New York Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League and President and CEO of the Center for Jewish History. Joel serves on the board of Youth Bridge New York, a JCRC high school leadership program through the lens of diversity, and is actively engaged in Park Slope Jewish Center. Joel is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College and Columbia University and studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Joel and Carol, their adult children, and grandchildren all live within walking distance of each other in Brooklyn.

Jeffrey Alton brings a broad financial background to JCP, including experience in non-profit finance, commercial banking and investments. He has worked both as a service provider and customer in many areas, sharpening his skills in budgeting, project analysis and retirement plans. His work experience includes positions of increasing responsibility at financial institutions including international banks and private investment firms. Jeffrey is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the New York Society of Securities Analysts. He received a BBA from the University of Notre Dame. Jeffrey lives in New York City with his wife and three daughters.

Edward Kelly is a Facilities Manager whose extensive experience has included years at the 42nd Street branch of NY Public Library, the three building Google campus and the Sherry Netherland hotel. Most recently, he served for a year as Correspondence Manager at National Debt Relief performing duties as varied as code writing and creating client introductory documents. He holds an undergraduate degree in Film Production from Hunter College.

Ray Antonison is a video creator and visual artist from New York whose background includes writing, social media management, and media creation. They hold a Bachelor of the Arts in Playwriting & Screenwriting and Journalism from SUNY Purchase, and after graduation, began teaching in Brooklyn. As a videographer and editor, Ray has worked on brand launches, filmed models for magazines, and edited videos for Instagram and Youtube channels. Their animation experience includes bicoastal and international work with nonprofits and creators, and they make animations centering LGBTQIA+ and disability representation. Ray enjoys collaging, writing poetry, and visiting the park with their wife.

Lara has spent her career advocating for human rights and combating systemic violence. She holds a Master degree from University College London in Social Global Development. Her main focuses have been human trafficking prevention, working to end gender-based violence at Sahiyo and supporting survivors and working with LGBTQ+ youth experiencing housing instability and aging out of foster care. She has experience in small grassroots nonprofits and Department of Justice-funded projects alike, and is guided by a trauma-informed and culturally responsive lens.

She is deeply connected to Jewish culture and treasures singing niguns, how much candles are centered in our tradition, and values such as Tikkun Olam, questioning and communal support. She is so excited to be involved with such a warm community at JCP and is eager to be part of creating meaning and connection through each unique moment of the calendar.

Outside of work, she loves making collages and other art, biking all over, cooking for loved ones and learning about the history and present of the world!

Harry Grupper (he/him/his) was born and raised in New York City and received his bachelor’s in Sociology and Criminology from the SUNY University at Buffalo. Harry has a history of nonprofit fundraising, previously working on the development team for ONETrack International, Witness to Mass Incarceration, and Reuniting of African Descendants. He has a passion for helping to bolster supportive communities, and his deep interest in supporting community based  non-profit organizations made JCP a natural fit. In his free time, Harry is an eclectic musician performing original music at venues like the Little Island (which is his favorite spot in the city along with Prospect Park) and recording with his long time friend and producer Dyson Dunkle. Being the son of a Broadway actor and twin brother of a talented musician allowed Harry to cultivate an affinity for creative storytelling from a young age. He takes this skill and passion with him everywhere, in both his music and his work.

Carly Siegler was born and raised outside of Philadelphia. She is a 2013 graduate of Ursinus college, with a B.A. in Media and Communications Studies & Theater, and a Minor in French. Carly’s professional background is in the non-profit sector, and she has had the pleasure of serving various arts organizations in both Philadelphia and her adopted home of New York City, where she is currently pursuing a degree in public interest law.

Kalina Venugopal (she/her) grew up in California and received her B.A in Theater Arts from Santa Clara University in 2017. Kalina is an actor who has recently been in projects such as Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (HBO), Bull (CBS) and other projects. Kalina loves being a part of the JCP team, and in her spare time trains for marathons, eats tons of pasta, and is a proud volunteer for the non profit arts organization Film Fatales—which advocates for marginalized directors of all genders for television/film.