Dear JVC Leaders and Friends,
For close to 18 years, I have had the privilege of working with Jewish Volunteer Connection and it has been an honor to serve as its Executive Director for the last 13 years. In that time, I have worked with extraordinary colleagues and community leaders to build an organization that acts every day to fulfill our mission of engaging volunteers to meet vital community needs and live with purpose through meaningful service. We have challenged ourselves to understand how best to meet the needs of today’s Jewish community for meaningful engagement and how to partner in authentic and humble ways with area nonprofit organizations to provide service that puts human dignity and connection first.
For the last year and a half, The Associated, JVC, and other agencies and programs in the system have engaged in a thoughtful process to plan for a vibrant Jewish future. As part of that plan, JVC has become part of an innovative new organization currently called EngageCo, which will focus on creating meaningful and accessible Jewish journeys for our community. With the launch of EngageCo and JVC’s transition into it, the time has come for me to take a new path. Therefore, I will be leaving JVC on June 30, 2022.
My years at JVC have been a time of great personal and professional growth for me as I led the organization through periods of significant expansion, values clarification, infrastructure building, and mission growth. It has been a privilege to put my values into action working in this community and I am proud that JVC is a trusted resource locally as well as a model and a leader in the international field of Jewish volunteer engagement.
As I work with the JVC staff and leadership to ensure a smooth and efficient transition, I appreciate the support that the community has shown me through my career and especially now as I prepare to take my next steps. I will miss the JVC team and look forward to continuing to follow the success of EngageCo into the future.
As JVC and I go our separate ways, I have confidence that we will all continue to go from strength to strength. After July 1, you can reach me at ashleypressman@gmail.com, 443-226-1236.
B’Shalom,
Ashley Pressman
