JCC of Mid-Westchester Names Next CEO

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The search for a new CEO of JCC of Mid-Westchester (JCCMW) has ended shortly before the departure of Karen Kolodny as the organization's popular outgoing CEO.

The self-described vibrant, multigenerational Jewish community center announced the appointment of Elise Dowell as its next CEO.

Dowell was chosen, in part, because of her more than two decades of experience in executive management and Jewish philanthropy. She most recently served as Vice Chancellor for Communications and External Affairs at The Jewish Theological Seminary.

Dowell will oversee every one of JCCMW operations, including its nursery school, aquatics and gymnastics, philanthropic activities and Jewish cultural enrichment.

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"Elise is a passionate and driven leader with the right experience at the right time to become our next CEO," Board President Ellen Reinheimer said in a statement announcing the appointment. "Post-COVID is an inflection point where JCCs across the country are reevaluating how best to provide services to our families who are changing demographically and evolving in what they expect from a Jewish Community Center. Elise’s extensive skillsets across multiple public-facing roles including donor development, membership cultivation, digital strategies and external relations are particularly relevant to our vision of growth through an increasing depth of offerings rooted in Jewish values."

Reinheimer said that Dowell emerged from an extensive six-month search conducted by the executive search firm Heidrick and Struggles.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to which I feel a deep personal connection and responsibility, both as a Westchester resident and a person whose own experience was formatively shaped by a vibrant JCC," Dowell said. "JCC of Mid-Westchester already has a sterling reputation in the community and beyond, and has been positively impacting lives for decades."

Dowell will take over at the beginning of the year when Kolodny official passes the reins.

JCCMW recently raised $600,000 to launch the Karen Kolodny Center for Jewish Culture, Heritage and Diversity, a fund dedicated to bringing together through educational and culturally immersive experiences people of all backgrounds and faiths to experience and better understand Judaism. The Center will be administered through JCCMW.

SEE ALSO: Karen Kolodny Center Established In Honor Of Departing Chief

Dowell joined The Jewish Theological Seminary in 2002. In addition to roles of increasing responsibility, she has built a reputation as an astute fundraiser. She currently lives in Larchmont with her husband and three children.