AJC Atlanta Names Dov Wilker Executive Director
American Jewish Committee’s Atlanta chapter welcomed its new executive director, Dov Wilker, in mid-November. It was actually a welcome back. Wilker was the group’s assistant director from March 2007 to October 2009.
Wilker left AJC and Atlanta to make aliyah to Israel with his wife. “It was not our intention to come back to Atlanta. Our intention was to live in Israel,” Wilker said. Then, he added, “I heard about the [AJC] opening. Julie and I both feel this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
AJC lay leaders are happy Wilker made the decision to return.
Sheri Labovitz, an attorney and past AJC Atlanta chapter president, served as interim director for six months following the departure of former director Judy Marx.
“He’s a known quantity,” Labovitz said of Wilker. “We’ve been the beneficiary of his intelligence, diligence, energy and out-of-the-box thinking” [in his previous role as associate director]. “He brings an infectious enthusiasm that comes with his youth.” Wilker is 29, but his age belies his experience.
A native of New Jersey, Wilker grew up in a household with a strong Jewish identity. He attended Jewish day school and was active in Young Judaea, a Zionist youth group with an emphasis on peer leadership. After graduating from the University of Miami, he was a Young Judaea Year Course in Israel field supervisor and group leader. From June 2005 to March 2007 he was regional director of academic and community affairs for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the office of the Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast in Atlanta.
Prior to his becoming AJC associate director, Wilker represented the national organization as a representative to Sri Lanka in a U.S. Department of State professional exchange program.
“Jewish communal work is very important to help strengthen the Jewish community,” said Wilker. “It’s always been a part of my identity. It was a natural progression” to become a Jewish communal professional.
When Wilker left Atlanta, it was to earn an MBA from Tel Aviv University and gain private business experience to bring to Jewish communal work in Israel. After receiving his degree, he worked for a year at Kampyle Ltd., a Tel Aviv company that offers software that collects, analyzes, measures and manages online user feedback on services, products, and customer experiences.
As a Jewish communal leader, “It’s important to relate to lay leaders and what they’re doing in their business,” Wilker said. “Most people see non-profit’s effectiveness but not its efficiency. A non-profit has to run as efficiently or more efficiently than a regular business.”
That’s something that stood out in the interview process for a new director. “To see what an MBA does for you and the corporate models he will bring to the table” made an impression on the search committee, Labovitz said.
Because part of AJC’s mission is supporting Israel's quest for peace and security, Labovitz added, “The opportunity to have someone with decision-making power who has lived in Israel” will help the group identify the best programs related to the Jewish state. “It’s another lens through which we can view the work we do here.”
Lenny Silverstein is AJC Atlanta’s current president. He said the chapter conducted a national search for a new director spearheaded by the national AJC organization. Past Atlanta AJC president Arnie Sidman chaired the local search committee of eight members. Silverstein said a substantial number of candidates applied for the job; that was group was narrowed to 10.
“Dov was an incredible candidate,” Silverstein said. “He has an understanding of Atlanta AJC and Israel, and he got hands-on knowledge by living in Israel. It was a great confluence of events.”
Like Labovitz, Silverstein notes Wilker’s “tremendous amount of energy” and his “business-oriented ideas to carry into the not-for-profit world.”
Wilker has put a lot onto his AJC plate. He said his goals are to continue AJC Atlanta’s programs that involve the international community, religious and ethnic groups and the young professionals ACCESS division, and to help facilitate the growth of the AJC-sponsored Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. “I want to expand AJC Atlanta’s reach into the north metro area and continue engaging the Atlanta Jewish community on a national and international level,” Wilker added.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to be back with the organization that makes a tremendous impact on the Atlanta community,” he said.
AJC's mission is to safeguard the welfare and security of Jewish people worldwide by defending and promoting pluralism as the best defense against anti-Semitism and other forms of ignorance bigotry and hatred. Key areas of focus are: combating anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, promoting pluralism and shared democratic values, supporting Israel's quest for peace and security, advocating for energy independence and strengthening Jewish life. For additional information, visit www.ajcatlanta.org or call (404) 233-5501.
By Fran Memberg Exclusively for www.AtlantaJewishNews.com
