The Board of Directors of the JCC of Mid-Westchester announced that Karen Kolodny has recently joined the agency as executive director.
Kolodny brings to the JCC substantial experience in the non-profit sector, having worked at the 92nd Street Y since 2001, both as the Director of the Milstein/Rosenthal Center for Media & Technology (since 2001) and as the Director of Legal Affairs since 2005. Prior to joining the 92nd Street Y, she was instrumental in launching sothebys.com, Sotheby's online auction operation.
Kolodny’s legal career began in Canada, where she was a clerk to a Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and then the youngest member of the Canadian negotiating team for the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Negotiations (1990). Kolodny is an occasional lecturer and advisor on the topic of how non-profits can engage in for-profit ventures.
As executive director, Kolodny will oversee the continued revitalization of the JCC, with a renewed emphasis on fundraising, expanding programming and invigorating community partnerships.
“This is an exciting opportunity,” says Kolodny. “I am looking forward to working with the dedicated lay and professional leadership to continue to build the JCC into an integral part of the community. A community center should be just that—a central force in a community, a convener of people and ideas. We will continue to provide the outstanding programs and services for which we are known, as well as develop new offerings to meet the ever-changing needs of the lower Westchester community.”
“The JCC had a successful revitalization campaign last year, thanks to the generous support of the community,” said JCC Board President Ophira Cukierman. “The Board is delighted that Karen has joined the agency and is confident that with her talented leadership, the JCC will rise to new heights and will continue to strengthen its role in the community as a premier provider of outstanding programs and services to serve both the Jewish and general lower Westchester communities. Her knowledge, experience and passion will help further the growth and outreach of the JCC."
A resident of New York City, Kolodny has Certificates in Arts Administration and Business Technology, both from New York University. She has a Bachelor's in Civil Law and a Bachelor's of Common Law from McGill University and a Master of Law (L.L.M.) from Cambridge University. She is married with two teenage daughters.
The Jewish Community Center of Mid-Westchester is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the community by providing cultural, social, educational and recreational/fitness programs, human services and Jewish identity-building opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds. For more information about the JCC of Mid-Westchester, please visit at www.jccmw.org.
