RABBI YONATAN GORDIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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VINITA CHAND, INSIGHT FELLOWSHIP ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
BETH GLICK, PROGRAM DIRECTOR
ALIZA MAZOR, INSIGHT FELLOWSHIP CONSULTANT
ANN RASKIN, OPERATIONS
YAEL TISCHLER, FELLOW - NORTH AMERICA
ATHENA TURNER, OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
NO'A GORLIN, ROI GRANTS MANAGER
NURIT GLYN, OFFICE MANAGER- ISRAEL
JUSTIN KORDA, DIRECTOR OF ISRAEL PROGRAMS
BETO MAYA, ROI PROGRAM MANAGER
RABBI YONATAN GORDIS
Yoni is the founding Executive Director of the Center for Leadership Initiatives (CLI), an operating foundation supporting current and emerging leaders in the global Jewish community. He is responsible for the strategic vision and implementation of CLI's various programs through its offices in Vancouver, BC and Jerusalem. While overseeing program design, including world renowned crafted gatherings, trainings and networking modalities, Yoni works with CLI’s vast network of social entrepreneurs and other Jewish professionals to promote collaboration, innovation and a vibrant field of Jewish leadership.
Prior to the launch of CLI, Yoni was the principal of Yesod Resource Management, Israel’s first philanthropic consultation firm. Working with dozens of North American and Israeli foundations over the ten years of Yesod’s operations, Yoni became a leading social researcher and facilitator of strategic processes for communities around the world. He also engaged in Canada with a broad portfolio of environmental organizations.
Before consulting work, he was a founding member of the Elul Beit Midrash in Jerusalem, a published translator and a teacher in numerous educational institutions throughout Israel. Yoni was born in the United States, lived in Israel for nearly twenty years, and currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with his wife and two daughters. A graduate of Columbia University, Yoni received private rabbinic ordination in Israel, has spent time as a midwife’s assistant and as a teacher of Jewish text and creative writing.
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VINITA CHAND
Vinita joined the Centre for Leadership Initiatives in the position of Insight Fellowship Administrative Assistant. Vinita has an extensive background in administrative and financial management in the non-profit sector, including experience as an office manager, administrator, program and volunteer coordinator. Vinita began her career in the non-profit sector as a volunteer and staff member at Battered Women’s Support Services where she undertook specialized counseling training and provided phone and one-on-one counseling and facilitated support groups for abused women. Vinita’s interest in social justice and community development continued through positions she held at Positive Women’s Network and the Vancity Community Foundation. Vinita holds a BA in Psychology and Criminology.
Vinita was born in the Fiji Islands and immigrated to Vancouver at age 4 with her family in the 1970’s. She currently lives in Surrey with her husband and three children and enjoys long walks, reading and cooking for friends and family.
BETH GLICK
Beth is the Program Director at the Center for Leadership Initiatives. She is responsible for the management, design and implementation of CLI’s leadership and professional development programs.
Prior to her work with CLI, Beth was Associate Director at Dasra, an India-based organization committed to maximizing social investments and building non-profit sector leaders across South Asia. Through coaching, group facilitation and training, she has guided organizations through strategy creation and implementation, organizational restructuring, staff recruitment and retention, leadership development, and impact evaluation design and application. She previously worked with Partners for Democratic Change, where she managed civil society and conflict resolution programs in Eastern Europe and Latin America, and partnered with its global affiliate organizations to strengthen their operations. Beth has also held positions with Amnesty International, Sarvodaya (Sri Lanka’s largest nongovernmental organization), and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston. She holds a Master’s degree in Religious Conflict and Conflict Resolution from Harvard Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from the University of California, Berkeley.
Beth is a lifelong ballet dancer and has also dabbled in Bollywood, Indian classical, jazz and modern dance.
ALIZA MAZOR
Aliza is an independent organizational consultant specializing in non-profit start-ups and the social change sector. In addition to serving as a Senior Consultant for CLI, she is also Program Director for Bikkurim: An Incubator for New Jewish Ideas where she consults to new non-profits on strategic planning, fundraising, program development, governance and management. Aliza has developed curricula in non-profit management and has provided organizational development assistance to organizations and philanthropies throughout the Jewish and secular world. Aliza holds an MSW from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She spent 15 years living and working in Israel and was an Associate Director of the New Israel Fund and its capacity building center for social change non-profits, SHATIL.
Aliza is mother to Yihun (age 2). They reside in New York City.
ANN RASKIN
Ann is the head of Operations at the Center for Leadership Initiatives. She is responsible for overseeing all internal operational functions. Previous to joining the CLI team, Ann worked as a Social Planner with the City of Vancouver. This work involved managing community dialogue processes, running a major grants pool, focusing on youth involvement in the city, and representing the city at national and international conferences and forums. She has held positions with the International Institute for Child Rights and Development and with the Concerned for Working Children. Currently, Ann volunteers with the Minerva Foundation and previously sat as their Co-Chair for the Learning to Lead program. Ann graduated in 1999 from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor’s degree in International Development Studies, and in 2003, completed a Masters in Planning from the University of British Columbia, School of Community and Regional Planning. Ann was raised in Halifax where she was an active member of the Jewish community, serving as assistant director of a Jewish summer camp and as a Birthright Israel madricha. Ann enjoys most things that keep her physically active. She is also an avid downhill mountain biker, snowboarder, rock climber, and open water swimmer.
YAEL TISCHLER
Yael is the Fellow at the Center for Leadership Initiatives Vancouver office. She collaborates on CLI's diverse programmatic offerings, focusing primarily on younger generation leaders. She also contributes to CLI's online communications.
Prior to working at CLI, in 2008, Yael participated in AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps in New York City. She worked at Project Renewal’s Next Step Program as an employment and educational counselor for homeless and formerly homeless adults. In 2007, Yael graduated from List College, the Joint Program between Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). She received a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from Columbia and a Bachelor’s Degree in Bible from JTS. During her time at List, Yael was an active member of Nightline, Columbia’s peer-counseling hotline and performed the role of Mrs. MacAffee in JTS’s Hebrew production of Bye, Bye Birdie. She also ventured to Nicaragua and Thailand with American Jewish World Service, where she worked alongside other Jewish college students and local community members on grassroots sustainable development projects.
Yael sings in The Broadway Chorus and cycles everywhere.
ATHENA TURNER
Athena is the Office Administrator for the Center for Leadership Initiatives. In this position she is responsible for providing overall administrative support for the organization, as well as financial management and logistical arrangements for programs sponsored by CLI.
She joined the CLI team in December 2008 after graduating with her Bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Legal Studies from Simon Fraser University. Some of her previous work was with the Canadian Federal Government through Health Canada where she ran the administration for a program dealing with mental health concerns for Indian Residential School Survivors and connecting them with appropriate care. She completed a practicum with the Immigration and Refugee Board which involved case management and some administrative work. Athena volunteers with the Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver, for the Women’s Drop-in Centre which provides services to women who are homeless, coming from institutions, or struggling with addiction or mental illness.
Athena and her husband are both Vancouver natives who love travel but always come back home. She enjoys baking (is an admitted chocoholic), reading, walking, video games (particularly Wii) and spending time with friends and family.
NO'A GORLIN
No’a is the Grants Manager for ROI. In this capacity, she is responsible for all grant-making within the ROI Community and she actively supports grant recipients by helping them set and achieve their goals.
No’a began her career as a marketing professional in the Israeli high tech industry. She served as Director of Marketing at several high tech companies including: Accent Technologies, Ligature and WizCom Technologies.
Searching for a way to add meaning to her life while impacting the Jewish world, No’a transitioned into the non-profit sector. Over the past decade she has filled positions in the world of philanthropy, both on the fundraising side as well as on the grant making side.
No’a served as Associate Director of Kolot, an organization that sets out to increase Jewish identity among secular Israelis through Jewish text study. Subsequently, No’a joined the Chais Family Foundation, which was devoted to the advancement of educational excellence in Israel and the deepening of Jewish identity. As Program Officer, No’a managed the full grant cycle, handling new requests for funding and overseeing existing grants, relationships and partnerships. Before joining ROI, No’a worked on developing partnerships at the Rashi Foundation.
Born in the US and having made aliya with her family as a baby, No’a has spent her entire life in Israel. She currently resides in Jerusalem with her husband, son and three daughters. No’a holds a BA in Psychology as well as an MBA from the Hebrew University.
NURIT GLYN
Nurit Glyn is the Office Manager for the Center for Leadership Initiatives branch in Israel. In this capacity, she is responsible for the administrative and financial management of CLI office in Israel.
During her Israeli national service, Nurit operated a pedagogical library in Tel Aviv while studying Journalism. Upon completion of her service, Nurit spent three years at Manchester University studying for her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. In Manchester, Nurit worked in a local Jewish Community Center in the Aliyah Department.
After returning to Israel, Nurit worked as an Israeli Tour Operator and became an assistant to a Plastic Surgeon for hair transplants surgeries. Prior to joining the CLI team, Nurit worked as the Head of the Human Resources Department for a Maximum Global Development Company that is associated with IDT. She is currently pursuing additional studies in Human Resource Management at Bar Ilan University.
Nurit is married and mother of two children.
JUSTIN KORDA
Justin is the Director of Israel Programs at CLI. He is responsible for design, planning, and implementation of CLI programs in Israel and Europe. Prior to joining CLI, Justin was the Managing Director and one of the creators of the ROI program.
Justin was raised in Montreal and was an active volunteer in the local Jewish community. While earning a BA at McGill University, Justin spent most of his time on various grass-roots student initiatives such as the Wake-Up Tour and Dateline: Middle East. In 2000, Justin joined the staff of the first Taglit-birthright israel program in Canada and served as the first Post-Program Coordinator in North America. In the following years Justin held several positions managing the national implementation of Taglit-birthright israel at the Canada Israel Experience (UIAFC) based in Toronto.
Since moving to Israel in 2004, Justin completed an MBA from the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya and worked as a Marketing Analyst in the Financial Services industry. Justin currently lives in a Moshav on the outskirts of Jerusalem with Yael, Noam and Buzz (wife, son, dog).
BETO MAYA
Beto Maya is the Program Manager for ROI. In this position, he is responsible for summit selection, programming, regional gatherings, grant pooling and more.
Born in Mexico City, Beto was very active in the Zionist youth movement, “Dor Chadash.” After making Aliyah in 1993, Beto has developed Zionist Education and Leadership programming in many frameworks. Upon completion of his Bachelor of Education Degree from the Beit Berl College in Non-Formal Education and Israeli Studies, Beto worked in the Hagshama Department of the World Zionist Organization. Beto was then sent to Mexico City as a shaliach for the Jewish Agency for Israel and returned to Israel after three years. Before joining the ROI team, Beto was also the Education Coordinator of the Herzl Museum.
Beto currently resides in Modi’in with his dog, Kranky. He misses “real” Mexican food and has a true love for the San Diego Padres.
Michelle Weinberg, Israel, 2009
Elias Parker, North America, 2006-2008
Jennifer Keys, Israel, 2008
