AWARDEE BIOS
Joanne Grossberg has been a dedicated member of NCJW/CLE, bringing a lifelong commitment to service and community. She and her husband Reuben have been married for nearly 56 years and are the proud parents of two sons, two daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren.
Joanne’s professional life was rooted in senior living, where she served as director of admissions and marketing at Emerald Ridge in Solon and Montefiore Home at the T.R.H. Myers Apartments in Beachwood. For many years, she channeled her warmth and energy into creating welcoming environments and supporting residents and their families through major life transitions.
In retirement, she turned to NCJW/CLE as a natural next chapter. Through Done in a Day, she made blankets for children, volunteered at shelters, and took part in hands-on projects supporting families in need — the kind of direct, meaningful work that has always defined her approach to giving back.
In 2013, Joanne co-chaired the Pillow Project alongside Susan Ringel, partnering with the Cleveland Clinic to expand the initiative and bring it to a broader audience. What began as a local effort has since grown into a program reaching patients across the region, delivering comfort during some of life’s most difficult moments. She remains deeply moved by the impact of this work and the gratitude of those who receive the pillows.
Joanne deeply values the spirit of collaboration that defines NCJW/CLE, and is especially grateful to the staff and volunteers who pour themselves into every initiative.
Honored by her special recognition from NCJW/CLE — an acknowledgment she calls both unexpected and deeply meaningful — Joanne’s dedication to compassion and community shows no signs of slowing down.
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. When not volunteering she can be found in her garden tending Dahlias, playing mahjong or canasta, or working on her farm in Western New York.
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.
Linda Stavis joined NCJW/CLE out of a desire to make a meaningful impact close to home. Though previously involved with ORT and B’nai B’rith, she felt called to deepen her roots locally through direct, hands-on service.
A graduate of The Ohio State University with a degree in Elementary Education, Linda later earned her special education certification from Cleveland State University. She went on to spend 25 rewarding years in the classroom, where she found particular joy in helping children discover the power of reading.
Her involvement with NCJW/CLE has touched many corners of the organization — from Done in a Day and Designer Dress Days to years of dedication with Reading Buddies. She later found her true home in the Heart Pillow Project, which brings comfort to those undergoing breast cancer treatment. Becoming co-chair of the project stands as one of her proudest achievements, made all the more meaningful by the heartfelt gratitude of those who receive the pillows.
Beyond NCJW/CLE, Linda volunteered for nearly 15 years at The Gathering Place, supporting individuals and families facing cancer diagnoses. She treasures the connections made there and the role she played in helping people move from fear toward hope.
Linda and her husband Herman have been married for 60 years and are the proud parents of two sons. They call Lyndhurst, Ohio home. Honored to be recognized, Linda remains as committed as ever to the Heart Pillow Project and to a lifetime of showing up for others — from the classroom to the community.
Alice Wyman has always found meaning in staying active, engaged, and connected to the people around her. A Shaker Heights resident, she built a varied and fulfilling career that took her from the junior high English classroom to the world of brokerage, and later to what she affectionately calls her “retirement job” in accounts payable at a Marriott hotel — a role she embraced with characteristic enthusiasm.
Alice holds degrees from the University of Illinois and Case Western Reserve University, where she pursued her passion for education before charting her own professional path.
She is the proud mother of two daughters and a son, and grandmother to nine grandchildren.
Alice’s history with NCJW/CLE stretches back to her early volunteer days at the organization’s former Lomond Boulevard office. After some time away, a nudge from longtime friend Linda Barnett brought her back into the fold. She now volunteers at Thriftique, where she works in the housewares department pricing kitchen items — something she says she genuinely loves.
Returning to NCJW/CLE has brought with it a renewed sense of purpose. Alice values the chance to contribute, to show up for others, and to be part of a community of women she describes as warm and welcoming. For her, even the small moments of making a difference matter deeply.