Jewish Federation Appoints First-Ever Female CEO
For the last six months, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia has been seeking a replacement for departed CEO Ira Schwartz, who left under (allegedly) acrimonious circumstances last May after another weak fundraising year. The winner of the sweepstakes is one Naomi Adler, a 47-year-old United Way executive with no previous connection to the Philadelphia area. Some background:
Originally from Rochester, N.Y., Adler graduated from Mount Holyoke College and SUNY Buffalo School of Law. She started out in private practice in Rochester but joined the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office as an assistant D.A. in 1992. Her reputation as a successful prosecutor in cases of violence against women and children led to her appointment as director of the SAFE (Stop Abuse in the Family Environment) prosecutorial program.
Eventually, she became head of the United Way of Rockland and Westchester Counties in New York state. Also, in the Jewish bona fides department: Her father is legendary composer Samuel Adler and she’s married to a reform rabbi. When the San Francisco Federation’s female head steps down this spring, she’ll be the only woman leading a major Federation in the country.
