Jewish Community Federation Awards Sue Diamond the Judith Chapman Memorial Women’s Leadership Award of 2014
San Francisco, CA – This month, the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties (the Federation) announced that Sue Diamond will be awarded the annual Judith Chapman Memorial Women’s Leadership Award. Each year, the Federation honors a female role model in the community with this prestigious award, which recognizes outstanding Jewish volunteer leaders who go above-and-beyond in dedicating their time, energy and resources. These women are mentors, modeling and motivating others to express their Jewish values by supporting the overall well-being of their Jewish community. Sue will be physically presented with the award on April 24, at the Federation’s Power of One event.
“Sue is incredibly thoughtful and thorough in each of her volunteer endeavors,” said Dana Corvin, 2011 Chapman Award winner. “Her ability to view the Jewish community as a whole brings an incredible and needed voice to our table. We are thrilled that Sue is this year’s Judith Chapman Memorial Women’s Leadership Award recipient!”
Sue Diamond:
Sue Diamond demonstrates that time, commitment, and thoughtfulness can create a huge impact for a singular community. Never doing a project ‘halfway,’ she is able to mobilize and encourage others to also be involved in the community. Sue has greatly touched the lives of those in the Jewish and wider community here in the Bay Area. She served on the Federation’s Board of Trustees in various leadership roles, including VP of Outreach & Engagement, Vice Chair of the Capital Planning Committee, Executive Committee member, and Super Sunday co-chair. She is an alumna of both the Wexner Heritage and Federation Women in Leadership programs. Sue also served on the JCCSF board for 11 years, including three years as its president; and, nationally, she has served on the board of the continental JCC Association. Additionally, Sue is a past trustee of San Francisco University High School and a current trustee of Marin Academy, where she is the chair-elect.
Professionally, Sue was a real estate partner at the Brobeck and then Morgan Lewis law firms. In 2011, after 28 years of big firm law practice and a decade of nonprofit board service, Sue combined her legal skills with her passion for helping the community and formed her own law firm advising nonprofits on real estate issues, representing such clients as the Jewish Home, Family House, and Camp Ramah. In addition, Sue has taught Land Use Law at Stanford Law School since 2006, and previously taught at U.C. Berkeley and U.S.C.
Sue received a B.S. from Stanford, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and a Masters of City Planning from M.I.T. She was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, and has lived in San Francisco since 1984. She and her husband, Marty Schenker, a litigation partner at the Cooley law firm, have three children.
More on Judith Chapman:
Judith Sirbu Chapman (1938-1997) was an esteemed volunteer leader, friend, change agent and member of our Jewish community. Her leadership skills bloomed through dedication, focused effort, on-the-job training, and vision. Overcoming painful shyness, she became an advisor to community professionals and a mentor to all the women who were fortunate enough to know her. Judith’s expertise benefited the Federation, Mt. Zion Hospital Auxiliary, the statewide Nurses Association, the Democratic Party central committee, JCRC, the J Weekly, National Women’s Division Board, and the national organization of Federations, among many others.
In Judith’s day, few women were professionals, and no women ran corporations. She persevered through intelligence coupled with an intuitive understanding of people and a concern for the future of the overall community (Jewish and secular). Using her natural talents, she charted a career path by lending her time to multiple organizations.
Judith used to say that she was a “professional volunteer,” treating every position as if she had a paycheck and a promotion at stake. Her personal investment was immeasurable and provided a profound impact on her community. Her permanent fund with the Federation’s endowment makes grants towards Jewish projects at home and abroad, empowers women to achieve, and provides future leadership training programs.
The Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund connects people of all ages, backgrounds, and perspectives to the power of the Jewish community to improve the world. We partner with donors, organizations, and foundations to address pressing issues facing our community, and develop innovative strategies that result in deep and lasting impact locally, in Israel, and around the world. Learn more at www.jewishfed.org.
