Misha's Experience

2010 - 2015

President and CEO, Jewish Agency International Development, New York, New York

Lead cultural change and structural transformation of The Jewish Agency for Israel for the purpose of confronting the new challenges facing the Jewish People and their connections with each other, to their heritage and the Jewish State.
Responsible for overall management of The Jewish Agency for Israel worldwide along with Chairman of the Board of Governors, Chairman of the Executive and Director General. Oversee The Agency’s External Affairs including securing philanthropic financial resources of approximately $200 million annually in worldwide markets (English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish, French, German -- speaking countries and populations); development and stewardship of institutional partnerships and government relations; strategic planning; Board development; community services and program implementation, including fee-for-service and philanthropic programs.
Designed and oversaw the establishment of new Financial Resource Development department and Marketing/Communications systems for this National Institution serving as the link between the State of Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.

2001 – 2010

Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, Rockville, Md.

Responsible for all aspects of leadership and management of the largest Jewish non-for-profit organization in the Greater Washington area of 1,500 square miles.
Spearheaded strategic planning process, resulting in development of new vision, mission and operational structure of the organization. The organization has over 30 agencies and 18,000 households as its members; providing community planning, financial resource development and leadership building programs to the area’s 300,000 Jews.
Oversaw a 70% increase in annual campaign fundraising in the nine years since assuming the professional leadership position for the organization; led two Israel emergency campaigns with the highest ratio of funds raised to annual campaign among Large City Federations as well as a two-year initiative to mitigate the economic recession impact on the local community.

1997 – 2001

Chief Operating Officer, UJA-Federation of New York,New York, New York.

Broad responsibility for day-to-day functioning of the agency – including fundraising, planning, grant distribution, finance and administration:
Working jointly with Co-COO John Ruskay redesigned organizational structure to reflect both (a) New York’s changing philanthropic environment and (b) the organization’s evolving mission. Planned and oversaw the restructuring in just six months – at no additional cost to the agency and with no disruption of fundraising and allocation activities.
Conducted a targeted fundraising campaign and restructured the organization’s debt to secure $1 million/year for 17 years for immigrant resettlement and integration programs.
Designed, negotiated and oversaw the implementation of bailouts for four beneficiary agencies – averting likely receiverships and enabling continued and improved provision of communal and social services to vulnerable populations.
Conceived of, designed and raised funds for a $40 million initiative to rebuild Jewish communal life in the countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU).

UJA-Federation of New York is the world’s largest local philanthropy with annual resource development totaling nearly $300 million. With 80,000 donors and 550 employees, the agency makes over 950 grants annually to 325 agencies in over fifty countries around the world.

1994-1997

Executive Director, The Educational Alliance, Inc., New York, New York.

Responsible for strategic planning, resource development, and all aspects of leadership and management of this century-old settlement house. Completely restructured the agency’s operations, rejuvenated its board, rebuilt its physical and administrative infrastructure, doubled its budget (from $13 million to $26 million in three years) – and renewed its reputation as one of New York’s leading not-for profits. The Educational Alliance serves over 20,000 individuals at 26 sites in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Putnam.

1991 – 1994

Associate Executive Vice President, The New York Association for New Americans, Inc., New York, New York.

Responsible for oversight and administration of the agency’s integrated system of (a) case management, (b) financial and housing assistance, (c) vocational and psychological counseling, (d) English instruction and (e) other social and legal services for newly arrived immigrants. Led and managed the expansion of operations – increasing the number of individuals served annually from 1,000 to 30,000.

1986 – 1996

Private Practice in Clinical Psychology. New York State Licensed Psychologist.

Psychotherapy and Psychological Testing in New York City, including bilingual evaluations for the New York City Board of Education and the New York area hospitals and courts.

1990-1991

Executive Consultant for Immigrant Programs, Federation Employment Guidance Services (FEGS), New York, New York.

Researched, designed and initiated innovative vocational programs for the immigrant population being served by FEGS. Was responsible for needs assessment, fund raising and maintaining relationships with other public and private social service entities.

1988 – 1991

Director, Refugee Mental Health Services Division of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services (JBFCS), New York, New York.

Was responsible for the development, planning, fund raising and administration of the compendium of psychological services for refugees in the New York City area. This included a crisis intervention clinic on site at a refugee resettlement agency, a mobile crisis unit in Brooklyn, and a number of out-patient clinics and community center-based treatment centers. Designed and obtained funding for a training program to develop bilingual mental health professionals.

1982-1987

Psychotherapist and Psychometrician, Madeline Borg Community Services of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services,New York, New York.

Individual, group and family treatment of children, adolescents and adults in community-based clinics. Mental health consultation to nursery schools and public high schools. Coordination of research with refugee families in the New York City area.

1984-1985

Peer Supervisor – Clinic Associate, New York University Doctoral Psychology Clinics, New York, New York.

Supervision of student-therapists in the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology.

1983-1985

Fieldwork Supervisor, New York University, New York, New York

Supervision of fieldwork placements for M.A. and B.A. Honor’s students in Psychology.

1981-1983

Teaching Assistant, New York University, New York, New York.

Taught courses in Abnormal Psychology to undergraduate students.

1980-1981

Social Worker, La Guardia Medical Group of the Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York, Jamaica, New York.

Provided social service for out-patients at medical clinics in Queens and Naussau counties.