Community Day School announces 2024-2025 board of trustees

Hershorin Schiff Community Day School – a Jewish day school that serves children of all faiths in preschool through eighth grade – has announced its 2024-2025 Board of Trustees, which is charged with safeguarding and upholding the mission of the school and supporting the educational experience for its more than 300 students. The President of the Board is Rachel Saltzberg, the Vice President is Barbara Rodkin, Melissa Walsh is the Treasurer, and Colleen Blumenthal is the Secretary/President-Elect.

New to the board this year is Michael Ritter. Ongoing trustees are Lori Dorman, Esq., Benjamin Edelman, Nikhil Joshi, Esq., Dr. Wendy Katz, Robert Landman, Rabbi Michael Shefrin, and Rick Siegel. Richard Hershorin and the late Mitch Blumenthal (z”l) are Lifetime Members. Dan Ceaser is the Head of School.

Rachel Saltzberg is the proud parent of three Community Day School graduates – she has been involved with the school since arriving in Sarasota in 2004 with her husband and newborn daughter. She graduated from McGill University with a degree in Industrial Relations. She received her Graduate Gemology Certificate from the Gemological Institute of America and her Master of Business Administration from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College. She has served the school in many capacities, both professionally and as a volunteer.

New board member Ritter is a retired CPA and senior partner at Ernst & Young. He first came to the Sarasota-Manatee region in 2006 from northeast Ohio, where he served on the board and several committees for the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. He became a full-time resident here in 2014. After roles as board member, treasurer, and vice president, Ritter served as president and board chair of the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee from 2018-2019. He currently serves on the boards of The Perlman Music Program/Suncoast and Parkwood LLC. A Chicago native, he received his BA degree from the University of Illinois and his MBA from the University of Chicago. He has two children and four grandchildren.

"I’m thrilled to serve on the Board of Trustees of CDS. I’ve had the opportunity to work with this very special organization, including its leadership and staff, for many years and have always been impressed with its dedication to education, excellence, and the positive impact it has on both Jewish and non-Jewish students and their families. In these difficult times facing Jews here, in Israel, and throughout the world, CDS plays a unique and critical role in our community.”

The Board of Trustees at Community Day School is responsible for setting policy, long-range planning, and financial management. Board members share a passionate commitment and dedication to the school’s mission and support the school with their time, experience, vision, and resources. Current members of the Board of Trustees come from across the community and represent a diverse array of faiths and perspectives. Trustees have expertise and experience in education, law, business, marketing, and fundraising.

"In addition to the board’s annual goals related to fundraising and providing expertise to support my operational oversight of the school, its current priorities include succession planning – with a new president taking leadership next year – and developing our committees to ensure strong and capable board governance for years to come," said Head of School Dan Ceaser. "We are grateful to our continuing board members, welcome Michael to the fold, and look forward to an exciting and successful 2024-2025 school year."

For more about Community Day School, visit communityday.org or call 941-552-2770.

About Hershorin Schiff Community Day School
The mission of the Hershorin Schiff Community Day School, which serves students in early childhood through eighth grade, is to impact the world by creating a community where children of all faiths demonstrate integrity, academic excellence, and a desire to improve the world. Community Day offers a rigorous, project-based academic program in a diverse and vibrant learning environment rooted in the Jewish values of honesty, integrity, mutual trust and respect. For more information, visit the website at communityday.org or call 941-552-2770.