MARCY SCHWARTZ | PRESIDENT
Marcy Schwartz has been a dedicated member of NCJW/CLE, bringing leadership, passion, and purpose to her roles across the organization. She has served as Vice President of Membership and co-chaired major initiatives including the 2019 Opening Meeting, the Women’s Health Speaker Series, and Designer Dress Days. Marcy has also contributed to Partners in Literacy, Done-in-a-Day, and led a pandemic mask-making project for local agencies.
Deeply committed to advocacy, Marcy has served on key committees such as Reproductive Health and Rights, Promote the Vote, Focus on Foster Care, and TLC. Professionally, Marcy is a retired pediatric cardiologist, having trained at Vanderbilt and Boston Children’s Hospital and practiced at both Boston Children’s and Cleveland Clinic.
She and her husband, Dr. Daniel I. Simon, have three sons—Ben, Max, and Aaron. Marcy received the Arline B. Pritcher Award in 2019. She shares, “I am so grateful to NCJW for giving me opportunities to learn and grow with passionate women making a real impact.”
LISA CYNAMON MAYERS | PRESIDENT-ELECT
Lisa Cynamon Mayers has been a lifetime member of NCJW. Her mom, an active member and former president of the Syracuse section, introduced Lisa to the NCJW world at an early age. Lisa grew up participating in NCJW events, sneaking food from NCJW meetings her mom held at their house, and “schmoozing with the nice ladies.” When moving to Cleveland in 2002, Lisa knew that NCJW/CLE would be the ideal starting point for meeting and engaging with people in the community. She currently serves as the VP of Membership and acts as a liaison to the JCC Book Festival. For the past 20 years, Lisa has served as a senior admissions consultant for Road to College, a Boston-based, boutique college admissions consulting firm. Outside of NCJW, Lisa is a co-chair of the JCC Cleveland Jewish Book Festival and Cuyahoga County Public Library Foundation board member. A voracious reader Lisa attempts to read 100 books each year, maintaining an Instagram account of the books she reads. She’d love you to follow her at @novel.tea.in.cle. Lisa is married to Josh Mayers. The two live in Beachwood with their daughters Ellie and Nina (who are also NCJW life members). Lisa shares why NCJW is important to her: “Connection. NCJW has always given me a sense of connection to other women volunteers, a segment of the Jewish community, and the greater community. At every stage of my life, NCJW has given me a place to be involved and connected. I’ve made wonderful friends through NCJW and found incredible mentors.”
WENDIE FORMAN | PRESIDENT-ELECT
Wendie Forman, President-elect, has been a member of NCJW/CLE since 1996. As a member, she has served on the NCJW/CLE Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Awards and Leadership Development Committees. She currently chairs the Personnel Committee. She co-chaired Threads of Love and Comfort, was Vice President of Fund Development and Co-Vice President of Social Justice and Advocacy. Over the past 30 years, Wendie has worked in the non-profit and independent school worlds where she has applied her strong analytical and organizational skills with a proven project management orientation. Her areas of focus have included: facilitation, leadership, non-profit board, fund development, web content management, and human resources. Wendie lives in Pepper Pike with her husband Tom and their dog Tucker. They have two adult daughters.
ANN MARKOFF | VP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Ann Markoff has been a member of NCJW/CLE since 2020. During her time with NCJW/CLE, she has co-chaired Operation Warm Up, organized two program and education events (including the popular Inspiring Women speaker event), and served as a board member. Ann is an alumna of Mayfield High School. She earned a BS in Education at Kent State University and holds endorsements in Hard of Hearing and Transition to Work. Ann began her career as a teacher for the hard of hearing in Dayton, Ohio, before working at the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center and Lakewood High School. For 34 years, she served as a Job Training Coordinator for Mayfield City Schools, where she provided job readiness training and job placement for high school students with special needs, collaborating with local business partners. After retiring, Ann sought meaningful community involvement, which led her to NCJW/CLE. She quickly jumped in and was honored with NCJW/CLE’s Emerging Leader Award in 2022. Ann is married to Mike Markoff and they have two sons, Aaron and Evan. Aside from volunteering, Ann enjoys traveling and reading. When asked why she values giving back, Ann explains “Volunteering is at the very core of being a human. No one has made it through life without someone else’s help.”
RENA WERTHEIM | VP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Rena Wertheim has been a member of NCJW/CLE for five years. She co-chaired Operation Warm Up with Ann Markoff for two years and was also a co-chair of the Lois Zaas Memorial Lecture, among other things. Rena is also an active volunteer with Share What You Wear and DigKnitty, NCJW/CLE’s knitting group. Rena grew up in the southern suburbs of Chicago and graduated from Thornridge High School. She earned a BS in Elementary Education with Special Education certification from Northern Illinois University and later received an MS from Kent State University, focusing on transition services for students with special needs. She also completed her Supervision & Administration certification at Cleveland State University.
Rena has served as the Principal of North Coast Academy for at-risk high school youth and as a supervisor of teachers of the visually impaired and hearing impaired. Her last position before retirement was as the Program Director of Friendship Circle of Cleveland. At the suggestion of Ann Markoff, Rena joined NCJW/CLE in 2020, during the pandemic. She quickly found a niche at the organization, and received the Emerging Leader Award in 2022.
Rena has been happily married to Stephen Wertheim for 41 years. Their son Max lives in Columbus with his partner Jenny, and their daughter Judith lives in Cincinnati with her husband Aaron. They are grateful their children are only a car ride away! In addition to volunteering, Rena enjoys reading, traveling, knitting, and cooking. While in Israel volunteering last week, Steve and Rena took an Israeli cooking class after making 250 sandwiches for soldiers in Gaza. When asked why she enjoys being a member of NCJW/CLE, Rena said, “I love being a member of NCJW/CLE because there are many meaningful hands-on projects where I can use my time and talents for the benefit of women, children, and families in the Cleveland community.”
HEATHER SCHLANG | VP FINANCE AND TREASURY
Heather Schlang has been a member of NCJW/CLE for 11 years. Combining her work ethic, developed as an Ohio farm girl, and a degree in Business Administration from Baldwin-Wallace College, Heather has worked to develop and re-engineer NCJW/CLE projects to meet community needs. At NCJW/CLE, Heather has led the reenvisioning of Share What You Wear, which she chairs. For her work with Share What You Wear, Heather was honored with both the Federation of Cleveland Women in Philanthropy Irene Zehman Volunteer award and the Cleveland Jewish News Difference Maker Award. She is a past recipient of the Arline B. Pritcher Award. Heather resides in Moreland Hills with her husband, Brad. She has three adult sons, Andy, Sam, and Brian. When she isn’t volunteering, Heather enjoys playing tennis and hiking. Heather shared why she loves NCJW/CLE: “I love NCJW/CLE because the organization provides opportunities to learn, to lead, and to serve and support others.”
ALLISON LEVINE | VP FUND DEVELOPMENT
Allison Levine became actively involved with NCJW/CLE after retiring in 2019, seeking meaningful ways to give back and connect with others. She quickly found a home in the organization, co-chairing events like the Annual Fund and the Winter Meeting featuring Chef Brandon Chrostowski. Allison will step into her new role as Vice President of Fund Development.
A Cleveland Heights native and graduate of The Ohio State University, Allison spent much of her professional career at the Jewish Community Federation, where she rose through the ranks to become department head for Campaign Operations.
She lives in Twinsburg and is the proud mother of Mara and Adam, and grandmother to Leia and Mallory. Allison also volunteers for the Jewish Federation and supports InMotion, a cause close to her heart, by organizing a team to raise funds for Parkinson’s programs.
Reflecting on her NCJW/CLE experience, she shares, “The women of NCJW work with the same passion that I do. I feel very lucky to be part of this excellent group.”
STEPHANIE QUARANTA | VP MEMBERSHIP
As an active member at NCJW/CLE, Stephanie was previously recording secretary and co-chair of the Reproductive Rights and Health committee. Stephanie was a corporate attorney for 15 years, working at Latham & Watkins in New York City followed by Jones Day and Sonkin & Koberna in Cleveland. In addition to her work at NCJW/CLE, Stephanie volunteers with her children’s schools and sports teams. Stephanie is a graduate of Marietta College and earned a law degree at American University, Washington College of Law. She lives with her husband and two kids, Jonathan and Abigail. In Stephanie’s words, “One of the things I like best about NCJW/CLE is how organized and committed each woman is to the work that they do. If a member commits to do something, then it will get done.”
BERNA BADER | VP PROGRAM AND EDUCATION
Berna Bader joined NCJW/CLE in 2020. She has served as co-chair of the 2023 Opening Meeting, Volunteer Recognition and the Women’s Seder. Berna is actively involved in the ongoing Coffee Connections, Legislative, and the Membership and Program and Education committees. Berna is a Brooklyn, New York native and grew up on Long Island, NY. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Queens College, City University of New York. She started working in the nonprofit world working as a manager in daycare and later at theYM-YWHA of North Jersey, where she became Assistant Executive Director. Later, she served as Executive Director for several Assisted Living communities. Berna moved to Cleveland in 2019 after her daughter’s family moved here; she knew she wanted to be with her family. Knowing no one in Cleveland, she was looking for a way to make connections and become involved in her new community. Enter NCJW! If you talk to Berna for even two minutes, you know just how much she loves her family: her daughter Stacey, son-in-law Mike and granddaughter Olivia. Berna shares what she likes best about NCJW/CLE: “I so appreciate how welcomed I have always felt in any activity I have participated in. The passion members have for carrying out the mission of NCJW/CLE is simply admirable and remarkable”
BARBARA GOLDBERG | VP RETAIL OPERATIONS
Barbara Goldberg has been a member of NCJW/CLE since 1984. Taught from a young age the importance of volunteering, Barbara, a Shaker Heights native, found her sweet spot volunteering at NCJW/CLE. Barbara has served as an officer of Council MS., vice chair and chair of Cleveland Shalom for 7 years, VP Program and Education and as a past NCJW/CLE board member. While her kids were young, Barbara worked as a dental hygienist – but she was called back to NCJW/CLE when her daughter, Zoe Baris, came up with the idea for Share What You Wear, a program originally started to provide kids and teen clothing to the under-served. NCJW/CLE took on – and helped to expand – the project. Today, Barbara serves as the current chair of fine jewelry for DDD, and is excited to take on the co-chair position of DDD, where she has worked on and off for years. Along with Zoe, Barbara has a son, Zachary Baris. She is happily retired, married to Dr. Julio Popovsky, and enjoys traveling. When asked why she loves NCJW/CLE, Barbara says: “I love the fact that NCJW represents women, children and families and thoroughly enjoy the comraderie with the DDD crew!”
ELAINE GELLER | VP SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ADVOCACY
Elaine Geller began her professional career at the Federal Reserve Banks of Cleveland and San Francisco. With a rich history in finance, she brings experience and dedication to her roles at NCJW/CLE. For more than 15 years, Elaine has been a vital part of the organization, currently serving as the co-VP of Social Justice and Advocacy. She joined NCJW/CLE upon retirement, eager to spend her time productively and contribute meaningfully to the community. During her tenure, Elaine held numerous leadership positions, including President, Recording Secretary, and VP of Finance, along with participating in various volunteering opportunities. Her commitment to social justice and advocacy is evident through her active involvement and leadership. Elaine is a proud alumna of John Carroll University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in History. She furthered her education with a Master’s degree from the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin. A Cleveland native, Elaine balances her professional and volunteer life with a rich family life, being the mother of two sons and two daughters, and the grandmother of three grandsons and one granddaughter. Her contributions to the community have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Hannah G. Solomon Award, the Alice and Eugene Weiss Award, and the Advocacy in Action Award. In her leisure time, Elaine enjoys reading, knitting, and playing golf. Her passion for lifelong learning and community involvement continues to inspire those around her.
JODI JACKSON | VP SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ADVOCACY
Jodi Jackson started her professional career as a high school social science educator, and for the past 25 years has worked in corporate training and professional development for Progressive Insurance. She joined NCJW/CLE in 2018 because she wanted to collaborate with others who are champions of more progressive approaches to improving and strengthening our community—especially with more marginalized communities. She currently co-chairs the Protecting and Promoting the Vote Committee and helps with the State Advocacy and Legislation committee—connecting with state lawmakers to let them know our position on key issues. Jodi is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master of Education Degree from George Mason University. The Cleveland native lives in Solon with her husband, Tom Jackson. They are parents to two children, Sari and Alex.
RONNA KAPLAN | RECORDING SECRETARY
Ronna Kaplan joined NCJW/CLE after retiring from a long and distinguished career in music therapy, seeking meaningful ways to give back that aligned with her passions and experience. Drawn by the mission and wide range of volunteer opportunities, Ronna quickly became an engaged member, co-chairing the Reading Buddies program for three years, co-chairing Focus on Foster Care, and serving on the LiveSpecial Committee.
A Cleveland Heights native, Ronna holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy and Music Education from Michigan State University, a Master of Arts in Special Education from Kent State University, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Case Western Reserve University. Her professional journey included more than 30 years at The Music Settlement, where she served as Chair of the Center for Music Therapy. She also held faculty roles at Cleveland State University and served as a national consultant and journal editor in the field.
Ronna lives in Little Italy with her husband, David Biegel. She is the proud mother of Zachary, Erin, and Geoffrey, and grandmother to Alana, JJ, Annabel, Sage, and Brianna.
In addition to her work with NCJW/CLE, Ronna plays piccolo and flute with the Suburban Symphony Orchestra, serves as co-president of Women of Mishkan Or, sits on the board of Milestones Autism Resources, and is active in Greater Cleveland Congregations and the Jewish Federation.
Reflecting on her NCJW/CLE experience, Ronna shares, “What I like best about NCJW/CLE is the diversity of opportunities to make a difference—and to learn! It has broadened my circles and strengthened many relationships I value.”
BARBARA FRIEDMAN YAKSIC | PARLIAMENTARIAN
Barbara Friedman Yaksic joined NCJW/CLE after retiring from a successful legal career, motivated by a desire to give back to the community. In searching for meaningful volunteer opportunities, she found NCJW/CLE to be the perfect fit—offering both purpose and connection. Since joining, Barbara has become deeply involved, serving on the Board and participating in a wide range of initiatives including Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC), the Zaas Lecture, Acts of Kindness, Little Free Libraries, Promote the Vote, Protect the Vote, and several committees such as Bylaws and Policies, Legislative, and multiple task forces.
A lifelong Clevelander and graduate of Beachwood High School, Barbara earned her undergraduate degree from Indiana University and her law degree from The Ohio State University College of Law. She practiced law for nearly four decades, first at Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff and later at McGlinchey Stafford, where she worked until her retirement in 2017.
Barbara lives in Concord, Ohio, with her husband, Michael. She is the proud mother of David (married to Christy), with granddaughters Madelyn and Sydney, and Sarah (married to Patrick), with grandson Dean.
In addition to her NCJW/CLE work, Barbara is a board member of the Ohio State Bar Foundation and serves on several of its committees.
Reflecting on her time with NCJW/CLE, Barbara shares, “I’ve loved making new friends while making a difference in the community.”
ELLEN RABB | PARLIAMENTARIAN
Ellen Rabb has been a dedicated member of NCJW/CLE since 2007. Her initial connection with the organization began with Designer Dress Days. Since then, Ellen has taken on various leadership roles, including co-chairing the DDD Fur Department, serving as co-vice president of communications, and acting as parliamentarian.
Ellen is an alumna of Shaker Heights High School. She pursued higher education at Cornell University, graduating from the School of Hotel Administration. After working for a few years in the restaurant and food industry, she switched gears, and received a law degree from Cleveland Marshall Law School. Ellen’s professional background includes work as a Guardian in juvenile and domestic courts.
Ellen and her husband Richard are the proud parents of twins Rebecca and Jonah. In her free time, she enjoys picking berries and making jams, crafting chocolate, and gardening.
Ellen, a former recipient of NCJW/CLE’s Emerging Leader Award, appreciates the focus, professionalism, and diverse talents of NCJW/CLE members. “Everyone fits together to achieve so much for women and families in Greater Cleveland,” she says.
SUSAN REIS | STATE POLICY ADVOCATE
Susan Reis found her way to NCJW/CLE through a passion for advocacy and a desire to make meaningful change. After attending an NCJW-sponsored program with Everytown for Gun Safety, she was inspired to take action and went on to chair the Committee to Stop Gun Violence. Today, Susan serves as NCJW/CLE’s State Policy Advocate for Ohio and sits on the NCJW/CLE Board. Her work is deeply rooted in social justice and advocacy, including contributions to the Lois Zaas Memorial Advocacy Committee, Designer Dress Days, and NCJW’s Greater Cleveland Congregations Core Team.
A Shaker Heights native, Susan graduated from Shaker Heights High School and earned her degree from The Ohio State University. She spent 17 years as an occupational therapist with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, working with orthopedically and health-impaired preschoolers. She later worked as a parent educator, supporting families with children from birth to age three.
Susan lives in Shaker Heights with her husband, Barry. They are the proud parents of Lee (married to Julia Schnell), Carolyn (engaged to Graham Cline), Heidi, and Marc.
In addition to her NCJW/CLE work, Susan is a Tri-Chair of Greater Cleveland Congregations—the first non-clergy person to hold that role. She also serves on the board of Rekindle, where she chairs the Program and Alumni Engagement Committee, is Officer-at-Large of the Shaker Democratic Club, and represents NCJW/CLE on the Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.
Reflecting on her NCJW/CLE journey, Susan shares, “I like the smart, capable volunteers I meet and work with. NCJW advocates on social justice issues that are important to me.” One of her proudest moments was receiving NCJW/CLE’s Enduring Advocate for Social Change Award, a recognition she describes as humbling and unforgettable.
LAURA VEXLER | STATE POLICY ADVOCATE
Laura Vexler has been an active member of NCJW/CLE for many years, inspired to get involved by fellow member Heather Schlang. One of her first hands-on experience was with Share What You Wear, and she was immediately drawn to the project’s energy and tangible impact. As she says, “I love SWYW because in just a few hours, you can positively impact the world.”
Originally from New York, Laura moved to Cleveland seeking a better quality of life. She now resides in Moreland Hills. Laura is a graduate of Great Neck North High School, Wellesley College, and NYU Law School, where she earned both her JD and LLM in Taxation. She worked as an attorney at Shearman & Sterling in New York City before relocating to Northeast Ohio.
Laura and her husband, Dr. David Vexler, an OB/GYN, have three children, all of whom have jobs and still call home.
Beyond NCJW/CLE, Laura actively volunteers with the Jewish Federation, serving on the CRC and Endowment Committees and having chaired the “Working Group on Abortion Access” program. She is also involved with AIPAC, AJC, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Cleveland Wellesley Club.
Laura brings passion and commitment to every project she touches, and NCJW/CLE is proud to have her as part of its mission-driven community.
JANICE HIRSHON | APPOINTED
