Meet our 2011 award recipients
Robert Sinton Extraordinary Leader Award: Warren Hellman
The Sinton Extraordinary Leader Award is given in honor of volunteer leadership in the Jewish community, as exemplified by Robert Sinton, a businessman and community leader whose dedication to the Federation and many other Bay Area organizations spanned more than five decades. It embodies his concern for Jewish communal volunteer involvement and includes a financial stipend to a Jewish agency or organization chosen by the recipient.
Warren Hellman’s personal and philanthropic leadership has enriched the Bay Area in a myriad of ways, from the arts, to education, media, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, and far beyond. Though he was called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah just two years ago, Warren’s Jewish identity and sense of responsibility for the Jewish people has always been primary in his life. The Jewish Community Federation is fortunate to be a beneficiary of Warren’s leadership and generosity, and he has provided the most extraordinary leadership as Chair of the Endowment Committee for the past three years. His efforts to strengthen the infrastructure of the Federation to ensure its success and sustainability for the next 100 years have earned him the gratitude of the entire community.
Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Young Leadership Award: Jordan Sills
Honoring the first president of the Jewish Community Federation, the Annual Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award for Young Leadership, inaugurated in October of 1959, recognizes an outstanding young leader in the local Jewish community.
A native of the Bay Area, Jordan Sills has been involved in Jewish philanthropy for well over a decade. He has been president of San Francisco Hillel for the last two years, and also served on the National Hillel Board. As a member of JFNA’s National Young Leadership Cabinet, Jordan co-chaired national recruitment at the young adult Tribefest conference in Las Vegas this year. Among his many roles, Jordan served on the Board of the Young Adult Division (YAD) for seven years, including two as its President. He currently serves on JCF’s Board of Governors as well as on the Leadership Development Committee. When not volunteering or on his world travels with his new bride Abra, his comedic skills are appreciated by Jewish Home seniors during the weekly blackjack games where he deals and we hear he’s enhancing his bragging rights by perfecting his forehand slam at ping pong. Those arm muscles will come in handy –since this trophy is heavy.
Volunteers of the Year
Volunteer of the Year is given to volunteers committed to Jewish values, whose contributions of time, creativity, energy and resources sustain and enrich the Jewish community.
Laura Lauder
Laura Lauder is a general partner of Lauder Partners and a member of the Board of Spark Networks plc. She is a former member of the JCF Board , the JCF Executive, Endowment and Israel & Overseas Committees. Laura sits on the Board of the Jewish Funders Network, American Jewish World Service and the National Public Radio Foundation.
Jeff Zlot
Jeff Zlot is active in the Jewish Community and serves on the board of the SF Jewish Community Federation, the Business Leadership Council, The Interfaith Outreach Endowment, Mt. Zion Health Fund and Friends of Israel PAC. Outside of his philanthropic work Jeff is the co-founder of Presidio Financial Partners and lives in Marin with his wife and three boys.
Josh Smith
This past year Josh served as a Co-chair of the Impacts Grants Initiative (“IGI”), and a member of the Board of Trustees and the Capital Planning Committee. In previous years, Josh served as Vice-chair of the Educating and Engaging Committee, Chair of Super Sunday, and President of YAD. He also participated in the Wexner Heritage Program and is a past recipient of the Dinkelspiel award.
Judith Chapman Memorial Women’s Leadership Award: Dana Corvin
The Judith Chapman Memorial Women's Leadership Fund was created as a permanent endowment fund in memory of Judith Chapman, an esteemed volunteer leader, friend and member of our Jewish community.
A third generation San Franciscan, Dana has devoted herself to the Bay Area and Jewish communities for almost three decades. An educator and a two-time business owner, Dana has balanced each of her three careers with her full-time activism and volunteerism. Through her work on the Boards of the Contemporary Jewish Museum, J., the Jewish News Weekly, Mt. Zion Health Fund and Temple Emanu-el, Dana has ensured that a vibrant and thriving Jewish community exists within the Bay Area. A leader throughout the Bay Area, she has played key integral roles on the Boards of the Stulsaft Foundation, American Red Cross, SF State University Foundation and United Way. Dana has honored the Jewish Community Federation through service as an officer, a Director on the Board of Trustees and the Jewish Community Endowment Fund, a member of the Board of Governors, a mentor with Women in Leadership, and a leader on countless other Federation committees. At Federation, in the Jewish community and throughout the Bay Area, Dana is known as woman of wit, warmth and wisdom.
Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award: Aviv Monarch
The Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award is a national award presented to up to 65 teachers throughout the USA based on significant contributions to classroom teaching and carrying with it funds for professional development and a cash award.
Aviv Monarch is ending his fifteenth year of teaching at Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School in Palo Alto. He is a graduate of South Peninsula Hebrew Day School and the University of California at San Diego. In his copious spare time he cooks lavish four course meals, writes esoteric three act plays, takes care of his two cranky llamas and reads one Billy Collins poem before bedtime.
