Board of Directors
Fed Cohen '11, President
Fed Cohen is a 2011 graduate from the University, with a B.S. with Distinction in Applied Statistics and Economics. While at UVa, Fed was a member of the Jewish Social Justice Council and led the Jewish Leadership Council for two years. The Brody Jewish Center was an integral part of his experience at UVa from a religious, leadership, and social perspective.
Mr. Cohen lives in DC and works at Applied Predictive Technologies, where he helps lead the firm’s growth across its Latin America & Caribbean and Financial Services practices. Mr. Cohen leads relationships with major financial services and consumer-facing companies in eight countries in the Americas.
Mr. Cohen lives in DC and works at Applied Predictive Technologies, where he helps lead the firm’s growth across its Latin America & Caribbean and Financial Services practices. Mr. Cohen leads relationships with major financial services and consumer-facing companies in eight countries in the Americas.
Scott Rosen '10, Vice President
Scott is a 2010 McIntire School of Commerce graduate with a double major in Economics. As a student, Scott was actively involved with the Jewish, McIntire and Greek communities. He was on the Board of Directors of Brody Jewish Center while a student, and rejoined as an alum in August 2013.
Scott enjoys helping innovate healthcare as VP of Strategy and Business Development at eviCore. Previously, he worked in the investment banking and private equity industries.
Scott enjoys helping innovate healthcare as VP of Strategy and Business Development at eviCore. Previously, he worked in the investment banking and private equity industries.
Lorraine Fischer Kremer P'13 & '16, Secretary
Lorraine joined the Board of Directors of Brody Jewish Center-Hillel at UVA in 2011 and now serves as Secretary. Lorraine became interested in joining the board after watching her son, Michael (UVA 2013) attend Hillel events and enjoy Taglit Birthright. Her daughter Marnie (UVA 2016) has been extensively involved in Hillel since her first year, serving on the student Jewish Leadership Council as First Year Connection Co Chair, and Jewish Religious Life Council Chair. Both of her kids did an Alternative Spring Trip to the Ukraine together.
Professionally, Lorraine is a practicing physical therapist and manages a Rehabilitation Department in an Assisted Living Facility in Northern Virginia. She holds a bachelor’s degree from McGill University, Montreal Canada in Physiotherapy and has worked in the field for over 30 years.
Lorraine has been involved in the Jewish community of Northern Virginia since she moved there over 15 years ago. She has been a committee member and chaired the Northern Virginia Jewish Film Festival run through the Northern Virginia Jewish Community Center. She is presently on the Development Committee at Gesher Jewish Day School and co chaired the 2009 and 2015 Dinner Gala fundraisers.
Professionally, Lorraine is a practicing physical therapist and manages a Rehabilitation Department in an Assisted Living Facility in Northern Virginia. She holds a bachelor’s degree from McGill University, Montreal Canada in Physiotherapy and has worked in the field for over 30 years.
Lorraine has been involved in the Jewish community of Northern Virginia since she moved there over 15 years ago. She has been a committee member and chaired the Northern Virginia Jewish Film Festival run through the Northern Virginia Jewish Community Center. She is presently on the Development Committee at Gesher Jewish Day School and co chaired the 2009 and 2015 Dinner Gala fundraisers.
Sherrill Berk P'11 & '15, Immediate Past President
Sherrill is a senior business development professional and nonprofit leader with 20 years of experience helping organizations grow. Her background in strategic planning, management, consultative sales and nonprofit fundraising and management spans several verticals, including Professional Services Learning and Education, Alternative Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Medicine and Medical Education; Management Education and Development; Educational Test Preparation; Financial Services; and Food Banking. She was a financial consultant with Merrill Lynch, managed the development of new management education products for American Management Association (AMA), has written and conducted leadership skills programs, and was regional director for a publicly-held educational counseling, study skills and test prep company where she managed 13 offices in 5 states.
Sherrill has a passion for improving the human condition through education, financial literacy, and health, wellness and nutrition, and has held leadership positions on the governing boards of a dozen mission driven organizations. Most recently, she worked in the non-profit sector as a fund development professional for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and the University of Virginia Health Foundation. She is the Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors for Brody Jewish Center, Hillel at the University of Virginia. Sherrill holds a BA from Boston College and an MBA from Northeastern University.
Sherrill and her husband, Jeff, live in Charlottesville and have 2 daughters who proudly graduated from UVA (one as a Double-Hoo), and who thoroughly enjoyed participating in programs and activities at Brody Jewish Center without nagging from their mom.
Sherrill has a passion for improving the human condition through education, financial literacy, and health, wellness and nutrition, and has held leadership positions on the governing boards of a dozen mission driven organizations. Most recently, she worked in the non-profit sector as a fund development professional for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and the University of Virginia Health Foundation. She is the Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors for Brody Jewish Center, Hillel at the University of Virginia. Sherrill holds a BA from Boston College and an MBA from Northeastern University.
Sherrill and her husband, Jeff, live in Charlottesville and have 2 daughters who proudly graduated from UVA (one as a Double-Hoo), and who thoroughly enjoyed participating in programs and activities at Brody Jewish Center without nagging from their mom.
Stuart Berman '87 (MD)
Stuart Berman was born at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore in 1959 and grew up in Norfolk. He attended the University of Pennsylvania for undergraduate school and majored in natural science. He was not active at the Hillel at Penn during his college years. He attended the University of Virginia School of Medicine, graduating in 1987. He had a very good experience at UVa and was very active at UVa Hillel.
Stuart did a one year research fellowship at Penn between his second and third years of medical school and was active at Penn Hillel that year. He did his internship at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, where he met his wife Ileana. He did his residency in radiation oncology at the Harvard Joint Center for Radiation Therapy. He was on the faculty at Cornell University Medical College for two years after completing residency and has been on the full-time faculty at Harvard Medical School since 1994. He is a radiation oncologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, specializing in thoracic oncology. He completed an MBA at Yale in 2009.
Stuart’s dad, a retired pediatrician, is an alumnus of UVa CLAS and the School of Medicine. His mother, father, and brother Bruce (UVa BA 1985) and family live in Norfolk. His brother Doug (UVa BA 1988) and family live in Weston, Florida. His sister Paula (no UVa degrees) and family live in Rockville, MD. His son Jacob graduated from UVa with a degree in physics in 2014.
Stuart is very enthusiastic about being on the board at UVa Hillel. An important Hillel mission, in his view, is outreach to students, even those who need a little encouragement. He wants UVa to be a place where all Jewish students feel it is an environment that is supportive of their Jewish needs and aspirations. Enhancing UVA’s attractiveness to relatively observant prospective students is an important goal.
Stuart did a one year research fellowship at Penn between his second and third years of medical school and was active at Penn Hillel that year. He did his internship at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, where he met his wife Ileana. He did his residency in radiation oncology at the Harvard Joint Center for Radiation Therapy. He was on the faculty at Cornell University Medical College for two years after completing residency and has been on the full-time faculty at Harvard Medical School since 1994. He is a radiation oncologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, specializing in thoracic oncology. He completed an MBA at Yale in 2009.
Stuart’s dad, a retired pediatrician, is an alumnus of UVa CLAS and the School of Medicine. His mother, father, and brother Bruce (UVa BA 1985) and family live in Norfolk. His brother Doug (UVa BA 1988) and family live in Weston, Florida. His sister Paula (no UVa degrees) and family live in Rockville, MD. His son Jacob graduated from UVa with a degree in physics in 2014.
Stuart is very enthusiastic about being on the board at UVa Hillel. An important Hillel mission, in his view, is outreach to students, even those who need a little encouragement. He wants UVa to be a place where all Jewish students feel it is an environment that is supportive of their Jewish needs and aspirations. Enhancing UVA’s attractiveness to relatively observant prospective students is an important goal.
Dan Brody '73
Dan was born and raised in Indiana, PA but has lived in Cville for 28 years. He is a UVa graduate (A&S ’73) and has an MBA from NYU. He has been happily married for 36 years to his wife, Nan. They have two sons, Buck, age 34, and Doug, age 33, and a daughter-in-law, Meaghan, age 33. All three are UVa graduates, and Buck is a Darden graduate as well. Buck and Meaghan live in Portland, OR where he is CFO of DAT Technologies, a portfolio company of Roper Technologies. Doug lives in NYC where he is a Director at Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts. Meaghan is a consultant at NSF helping medical device companies get through the FDS approval process. Dan's wife is an attorney and works for her family business.
Dan is the founder of Health Data Services, a company that develops software and provides services to physicians for practice management and electronic medical records. Dan is also involved with residential development in Albemarle County. He serves on the corporate board of Prolifiq Software and non-profit boards of EMCERT, and UVa Hillel. His interests revolve around current events, travel, and golf.
Dan is the founder of Health Data Services, a company that develops software and provides services to physicians for practice management and electronic medical records. Dan is also involved with residential development in Albemarle County. He serves on the corporate board of Prolifiq Software and non-profit boards of EMCERT, and UVa Hillel. His interests revolve around current events, travel, and golf.
Gwen Goodkin
Gwen Goodkin, a native of Philadelphia, has lived in Charlottesville with her family for thirteen years. Her professional background is in financial and database consulting. She worked for two small consulting businesses in St. Louis before moving to Boston in 1997 and starting her own firm. Her clients represented a wide range of family businesses and non-profits.
In Charlottesville, Gwen has volunteered in various positions for a number of different organizations. She coordinated the local TAP Project for UNICEF from 2007-2011 and has been a volunteer for the Emergency Food Bank for many years. Since 2013, she has served as the secretary of the St. Anne’s-Belfield Parents’ Association.
Gwen is deeply committed to Jewish education and a vibrant, heart-felt Jewish life. She helped found the Jewish Education Cooperative, and has been an active member of P’Nai Yisrael Chavurah for many years.
Gwen is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and received her MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.
In Charlottesville, Gwen has volunteered in various positions for a number of different organizations. She coordinated the local TAP Project for UNICEF from 2007-2011 and has been a volunteer for the Emergency Food Bank for many years. Since 2013, she has served as the secretary of the St. Anne’s-Belfield Parents’ Association.
Gwen is deeply committed to Jewish education and a vibrant, heart-felt Jewish life. She helped found the Jewish Education Cooperative, and has been an active member of P’Nai Yisrael Chavurah for many years.
Gwen is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and received her MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.
David Haas '98
David Leblang
David Leblang is professor of politics at the University of Virginia and is a faculty associate at the Miller Center where he is the Ambassador Henry Taylor Professor of Politics. He is also a professor of public policy at the University’s Batten School for Leadership and Public Policy, where he is director of the Global Policy Center. A specialist in political economy, Leblang has served as a consultant to the International Monetary Fund, The Directorate of Finance and Economics of the European Commission, and the Department of Defense.
He is co-author of Democratic Politics and Financial Markets: Pricing Politics (2006) and more than thirty journal articles in publications including The American Political Science Review, The American Journal of Politics, International Organization, Economics and Politics, and the Journal of International Money and Finance. He has received research support from the National Science Foundation.
Leblang has written on the politics of economic growth, the determinants of exchange rate policy, the causes of currency crises and the link between elections and economic expectations. At present he is working on two large projects. The first examines how sending countries “harness” the human and material resources of their diasporas while the second focuses on the politics and policies that constrain the mobility of labor across states and nations.
He is co-author of Democratic Politics and Financial Markets: Pricing Politics (2006) and more than thirty journal articles in publications including The American Political Science Review, The American Journal of Politics, International Organization, Economics and Politics, and the Journal of International Money and Finance. He has received research support from the National Science Foundation.
Leblang has written on the politics of economic growth, the determinants of exchange rate policy, the causes of currency crises and the link between elections and economic expectations. At present he is working on two large projects. The first examines how sending countries “harness” the human and material resources of their diasporas while the second focuses on the politics and policies that constrain the mobility of labor across states and nations.
Steve Leon '82 (BA), '85 (MA)
Steve Leon (CLAS ‘82 and GSAS ‘85) majored and mastered in History at UVa. He has served on various boards in the Hampton Roads community including Jewish Family Services, United Hebrew School (past president), Children’s Hospital of King’s Daughters Advisory Board, Portsmouth Bar Association (past president), Beth El Board, and United Jewish Federation campaigns. Currently, he is a partner in the law firm of Cooper, Spong and Davis in Portsmouth.
Steve is married to Caren Pributsky. They have two children, Mason—a 2014 UVa grad—and Matthew, a member of UVa’s Class of 2017.
His interests include spending time with family, walking, biking and paddle-boarding.
He is honored and excited to be on the Hillel Board because he sees the positive difference that is being made to fill a void on the UVa Grounds to offer a more fulfilling Jewish life for its students.
Steve is married to Caren Pributsky. They have two children, Mason—a 2014 UVa grad—and Matthew, a member of UVa’s Class of 2017.
His interests include spending time with family, walking, biking and paddle-boarding.
He is honored and excited to be on the Hillel Board because he sees the positive difference that is being made to fill a void on the UVa Grounds to offer a more fulfilling Jewish life for its students.
Debbie Poliner '80
Debbie is an architect in Washington, DC specializing in residential additions and renovations. She received her degree from the UVa School of Architecture in 1980.
As a first year student in 1976, Debbie sought out Hillel as a place that would allow her to maintain her Jewish identity socially, culturally and religiously. She is the daughter of Holocaust survivors and was raised in a home very much connected with Israel and Jewish tradition. Even though her family had most often lived in communities where Jews were a very small minority, she felt that she needed the comfort of a Jewish community at UVa. Her sister (Linda Steiner Kotz NURS'77) was still at UVa, and she told Debbie that Hillel had a reputation as a place for losers. The institution and the building had been in horrible disrepair for years.
But fortunately for Debbie, a young, dynamic interim director (soon to be rabbi) arrived and reversed the negative spell at Hillel. A new vibrancy began to emerge. Jewish students suddenly wanted to attend Shabbat services, holiday services, and Hillel sponsored social events. Other Jewish groups began to spin off from the energy at Hillel. Debbie participated in cooking Shabbat dinners for what started out as around a dozen students and quickly grew to room capacity (around 75). They had more requests for dinners than they had space, and the students had to pay for the dinner!
As a resident advisor during her second year, she was proud to invite Jewish first year students to experience the newly thriving Hillel. And, while introducing them to Hillel, she met her husband, Michael (CLAS'77 & LAW'80), at Hillel’s first week of classes Bagel Brunch. (Michael, by the way, was a UVa law student at that time and had completed his four undergraduate years at UVa without ever setting foot in the Hillel.)
Michael and Debbie have maintained a strong connection to their Jewish heritage. They spent several years living in Israel, and their sons, Ariel (SARC'09) and Adam (SARC'12), graduated from the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, MD. Ariel was lucky to meet his girlfriend at UVa Hillel, where they both were active participants.
Debbie knows firsthand how a successful Hillel can have a positive impact on a student's life. She never imagined that it would take 30 years for the improvements to the building to catch up to improvements of the programming and atmosphere, and she never imagined how it might happen. She is proud to say that for the past 31 years, she and Michael have continued to support Hillel. Debbie is thrilled to be able to work to sustain the incredible investment so many people have made in the Brody Jewish Center.
As a first year student in 1976, Debbie sought out Hillel as a place that would allow her to maintain her Jewish identity socially, culturally and religiously. She is the daughter of Holocaust survivors and was raised in a home very much connected with Israel and Jewish tradition. Even though her family had most often lived in communities where Jews were a very small minority, she felt that she needed the comfort of a Jewish community at UVa. Her sister (Linda Steiner Kotz NURS'77) was still at UVa, and she told Debbie that Hillel had a reputation as a place for losers. The institution and the building had been in horrible disrepair for years.
But fortunately for Debbie, a young, dynamic interim director (soon to be rabbi) arrived and reversed the negative spell at Hillel. A new vibrancy began to emerge. Jewish students suddenly wanted to attend Shabbat services, holiday services, and Hillel sponsored social events. Other Jewish groups began to spin off from the energy at Hillel. Debbie participated in cooking Shabbat dinners for what started out as around a dozen students and quickly grew to room capacity (around 75). They had more requests for dinners than they had space, and the students had to pay for the dinner!
As a resident advisor during her second year, she was proud to invite Jewish first year students to experience the newly thriving Hillel. And, while introducing them to Hillel, she met her husband, Michael (CLAS'77 & LAW'80), at Hillel’s first week of classes Bagel Brunch. (Michael, by the way, was a UVa law student at that time and had completed his four undergraduate years at UVa without ever setting foot in the Hillel.)
Michael and Debbie have maintained a strong connection to their Jewish heritage. They spent several years living in Israel, and their sons, Ariel (SARC'09) and Adam (SARC'12), graduated from the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, MD. Ariel was lucky to meet his girlfriend at UVa Hillel, where they both were active participants.
Debbie knows firsthand how a successful Hillel can have a positive impact on a student's life. She never imagined that it would take 30 years for the improvements to the building to catch up to improvements of the programming and atmosphere, and she never imagined how it might happen. She is proud to say that for the past 31 years, she and Michael have continued to support Hillel. Debbie is thrilled to be able to work to sustain the incredible investment so many people have made in the Brody Jewish Center.
Peter Sheras
Peter Sheras is a Professor in the Curry Programs in Clinical and School Psychology at the University of Virginia Curry School of Education and Chair of the Curry School Department of Human Services. A former Associate Director of the Virginia Youth Violence Project, he also maintains an Independent Practice with Charlottesville Psychological Associates. His work with adolescents, couples and families includes service as a co-coordinator of the Charlottesville/Albemarle School Crisis Network. He also works as a media psychologist on both sides of the camera. He was a consultant to the American Psychological Association's joint effort with MTV to produce the Warning Signs Television program which aired in April, 1999. He recently served on the American Psychological Association Task Force on Zero Tolerance in Schools.
Peter is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, a diplomat of the American Board of Professional Psychology and a member of the National Academies of Practice. He counsels and lectures in the area of youth violence, parenting, family function and adolescent behavior. He is the author of books and articles on adolescent behavior, youth violence, couples and clinical psychology, He is co-author of the Stress Index for Parents of Adolescents. His most recent books are: Your Child: Bully or Victim? and I Can’t Believe You Went Through My Stuff published by Simon and Schuster and Couple Power Therapy, published by APA Press. He is co-author with Dr. Dewey Cornell of Guidelines for Threat Assessment in Schools.
Peter and his wife, Phyllis are co-founders of a national non-profit supporting couples peer coaching in 13 cities in the U.S. He is a past president of Congregation Beth Israel and a past trustee of the temple as well. Peter’s father-in-law and Dan Brody’s father-in-law were best friends growing up in Chicago.
He is very committed to UVA and the experience of Jewish students here at UVa. He enjoys teaching and mentoring and having open discussions with students regarding their lives, aspirations and experiences.
Peter is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, a diplomat of the American Board of Professional Psychology and a member of the National Academies of Practice. He counsels and lectures in the area of youth violence, parenting, family function and adolescent behavior. He is the author of books and articles on adolescent behavior, youth violence, couples and clinical psychology, He is co-author of the Stress Index for Parents of Adolescents. His most recent books are: Your Child: Bully or Victim? and I Can’t Believe You Went Through My Stuff published by Simon and Schuster and Couple Power Therapy, published by APA Press. He is co-author with Dr. Dewey Cornell of Guidelines for Threat Assessment in Schools.
Peter and his wife, Phyllis are co-founders of a national non-profit supporting couples peer coaching in 13 cities in the U.S. He is a past president of Congregation Beth Israel and a past trustee of the temple as well. Peter’s father-in-law and Dan Brody’s father-in-law were best friends growing up in Chicago.
He is very committed to UVA and the experience of Jewish students here at UVa. He enjoys teaching and mentoring and having open discussions with students regarding their lives, aspirations and experiences.
Mark Sisisky '72
Mark is a Managing Director of Caprin Asset Management with primary responsibilities of client service and new business development. Prior to joining Caprin, Mark served for 14 years as President and CEO of Lee Distributing Co., Inc., an Anheuser-Busch wholesaler, servicing Southside Virginia. Mark sold Lee Distributing in April, 2001. In addition to his duties with Caprin, Mark serves as President and Chief Investment Officer of New Dominion L.L.C., an active investment partnership.
Mark has been active in community affairs both in Petersburg and Richmond and currently serves as President of the Richmond Jewish Foundation, Trustee of the United Way of Greater Richmond Endowment Fund and is a member of the North American Board of Directors for the Jewish Agency for Israel. He was recently elected an officer of the American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) as Secretary. He is a member of the Presidents’ Advisory Cabinet and Executive Committee of JDC, and is serving his fourth year as Chairman of the FSU Committee of the Joint. Mark has been a past President of the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, National Vice Chairman of United Jewish Appeal and was the 2000 recipient of the Distinguished Community Service Award presented by the Jewish Federation of Richmond.
Governor Mark Warner, in August 2002, appointed Mark to the steering committee of the Economic Development Strategic Planning Task Force -- One Virginia / One Future. In January 2008, Mark was elected to serve on The Board of Governors for The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia. Mr. Sisisky is also a Commissioner of the Virginia Israel Partnership, appointed by Governor Kaine in 2007.
Mark is a 1972 graduate of the University of Virginia.
Mark has been active in community affairs both in Petersburg and Richmond and currently serves as President of the Richmond Jewish Foundation, Trustee of the United Way of Greater Richmond Endowment Fund and is a member of the North American Board of Directors for the Jewish Agency for Israel. He was recently elected an officer of the American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) as Secretary. He is a member of the Presidents’ Advisory Cabinet and Executive Committee of JDC, and is serving his fourth year as Chairman of the FSU Committee of the Joint. Mark has been a past President of the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, National Vice Chairman of United Jewish Appeal and was the 2000 recipient of the Distinguished Community Service Award presented by the Jewish Federation of Richmond.
Governor Mark Warner, in August 2002, appointed Mark to the steering committee of the Economic Development Strategic Planning Task Force -- One Virginia / One Future. In January 2008, Mark was elected to serve on The Board of Governors for The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia. Mr. Sisisky is also a Commissioner of the Virginia Israel Partnership, appointed by Governor Kaine in 2007.
Mark is a 1972 graduate of the University of Virginia.