Contact: Sue DeBenedette
Director of Communications
Tucson Jewish Community Center
(520) 299-3000 x211
tucsonjcc.org
For Immediate Release:
Tucson JCC’s Susan Frank and Julie Zorn Selected to Participate in Continental Leadership Program
Tucson, Arizona – April 13, 2015 – The Tucson Jewish Community Center’s (Tucson JCC) Susan Frank and Julie Zorn have been chosen to participate in LEAP (Leadership Enrichment and Advancement Program), a Jewish Community Center Association continental leadership program meant to enhance their leadership skills and allow them to advance professionally within the field. They are two of only 22 selected nationally from nine JCCs participating in JCC Association’s Talent Management pilot program.
Susan Frank and Julie Zorn recently participated in the first LEAP Summit in March in Orlando, Florida, just prior to JCCs of North America Professional Conference. Jan Sparrow and Scott Asalone from A&S Global Management Consulting Firm, led the session on such topics as “The Leader as Learner,” “Defining Leadership,” and “Understanding Personal Leadership Styles.”
Todd Rockoff, president and CEO of the Tucson J states, “We are honored to be a part of the Talent Management Pilot and thrilled to have both Susan and Julie taking part in LEAP. We can already see the positive results since their return from the first seminar, as they learn the rest of the team learns alongside of them and in the end the community benefits.”
Participants were selected by JCC leadership, and identified for their high potential in advancing in the JCC field. They are a diverse group in both age and positions they hold at the JCCs, and include those who work in sports and fitness, youth programming, arts and culture, Jewish life, communications and development, to name a few. The LEAP program is designed to assist those taking part in the yearlong cohort through a series of webinars and educational opportunities as they further develop their leadership skills.
Tucson J’s Director of Health and Wellness, Susan Frank spoke about her experience at the summit, “The first LEAP Summit exceeded my expectations. It has already changed the way I work with my colleagues and staff. LEAP WILL change both how I work currently and will be key part of my development as a JCC Professional. I am truly honored and grateful to be part of the LEAP program and am excited for future professionals to have this truly profound life-changing opportunity.”
Julie Zorn, The J’s Jewish Culture Specialist added, “"Taking part in LEAP has been the single most valuable experience in my professional career. Throughout my life, I have always tried to improve my weaknesses to become the best "me" I can be, but LEAP has taught me that I've had it wrong all along. The program teaches that we are really at our best when we lead from our strengths, and this new mindset has set me forward towards obtaining my goals and achieving optimal success for the Tucson J and in even my personal life, as well."
JCC Association developed the Talent Management program to aid JCCs in recruiting, identifying and retaining the best employees who will lead the JCC to continued success. The program launched in September with nine JCCs participating in the pilot program, which include The Tucson J, Addison Penzack JCC in Los Gatos, Calif.; Alpert JCC in Long Beach, Calif.; Calgary JCC, in Alberta, Canada; Jacksonville JCA, in Florida; Indianapolis JCC in Indiana; JCC of Greater Washington, Rockville, Md.; Sid Jacobson JCC, East Hills, N.Y.; and Evelyn Rubinstein JCC in Houston.
“JCC Association is investing in Talent Management and the growth and development of JCC staff, which is very important for the ongoing health of our JCCs,” says Joy Brand-Richardson, JCC Association associate vice president and director of training, Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Excellence in Leadership and Management. “We understand that we can provide critical assistance to JCCs and staff by identifying leadership ability and providing ongoing support and education to capitalize on it.”
LEAP participants will continue through the year with distance learning projects.They will next participate in a webinar scheduled for April 14 on “The Leader as Positive Change Agent,” which will focus on ways they can move their JCC forward and motivate staff around them toward that mission. Webinars to enhance their leadership skills will continue throughout the year.
Lynn Davis, the Tucson J’s Director of Arts & Culture adds, “Opportunities such as LEAP are an invaluable way to connect with JCC colleagues from around the country and gain a better sense of the Tucson J’s place within the nationwide JCC movement. I know that Susan and Julie will benefit from this experience in ways that they can’t yet imagine, and that they will inspire all of us with the new things they learn.”
About the JCC Association
JCC Association is the leadership network for the Jewish Community Center Movement, which is comprised of almost 350 JCC, YM-YWHA, and camp sites in the U. S. and Canada. JCC Association offers a wide range of services and resources to strengthen the capacity of its affiliates to provide educational, cultural, social, Jewish identity-building and recreational programs to enhance the lives of North American Jews of all ages and backgrounds. Additionally, the movement fosters and strengthens connections between North American Jews and Israel as well as with world Jewry. JCC Association is also a U.S. government-accredited agency for serving the religious and social needs of Jewish military personnel, their families, and patients in VA hospitals through JWB Jewish Chaplains Council.
About the Tucson JCC
Tucson JCC (The Tucson J) employs nearly 200 people on its 100,000 square foot campus. For more than 60 years the The Tucson J has provided a warm and welcoming environment for various groups from the entire community. There are boundless opportunities to balance your physical, mental, and emotional self. The J has something for everyone including cultural arts programs, early childhood education enrichment programs, a wide variety of classes, a rotating art gallery that showcases the work of local artists and so much more. Visit tucsonjcc.org., facebook.com/tucsonjcc,
The Tucson J is located at 3800 E. River Rd. Tucson, AZ 85718.
Phone: 520-299-3000 I 520-529 0373,
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