What an amazing evening tonight for my colleagues and me. We were lucky enough to be selected as award recipients by the Jewish Communal Professionals of Southern California and tonight was the award ceremony. It is truly an honor when those who work with your are genuinely celebrating and cheering you on for the job well done. The room was full of family, friend, kind strangers who took a moment out of their lives to come together to honor a colleague who succeeds and gets recognized for work well done.
As I step into the role as Co-President of the JCPSC, I see the road ahead and am proud to help strengthen our networks, build some new programs and take time to learn with each other.
Below is my speech from tonight's award ceremony. It will give you a small glimpse into my gratitude for my professional life.
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Thank you so much for this award. And congratulations to everyone receiving an award this evening, I am honored to be in your company.
Thank you to Robyn for nominating me and to JCPSC for recognizing me with the Excellence in Fundraising Award. I am deeply honored to receive this recognition for simply loving what I do everyday.
How many of you see the glass half full?
How many of you see the glass half empty? You don' t answer that.
Well, I have been told that I see the glass bubbling over. When you say, "Good," I say, Great," when you say, "I like it," I say, "I love it," and when I say, "Think Big and Dream Big," I mean it. It is what I do…it is who I am.
In my opinion, people give money to people they care about and to organizations that are solving the problems they want solved. So I spend most of my time asking people to care about our community. Some days it is hard, but every day it is still the best job in the world because I too care so deeply for our community. I want what donors want. I want to solve problems, I want to learn and I want to share these incredible experiences with them. Our community is rich with people who are doing good right now. It is an exciting time, it is serious business and I am grateful for all the wonderful opportunities that I have had and will continue to have.
My job allows me to meet heads of state, travel around the world, and witness moments that transform the lives of donors and those we serve. Fundraising means so much more than asking for money. I am a partner to so many dedicated lay leaders who donate their time and money. Thank you to Sharon Janks for being one of those extraordinary partners and with whom I have worked closely for the past 6 years. Thank you to Jay Sanderson and Nancy Sacks who listen to all of my ideas and sometimes even say, "Yes." And I am only here today thanks to my incredible colleagues who laugh with me, cry with me, teach me, and get me through some tough days. So many of you are here tonight and I am truly grateful.
I would not be able to do my job well without the support of my husband Perry, and my kids Madeleine and Elliot. My family listens to the stories of the day, we share many Jewish experiences together and they forgive my occasional long hours away from them.
When I was growing up, I did not know that this would be my chosen profession. But I watched my dad, may he rest in peace, go to work every day loving his job. And I also watched my mother who is here tonight take care of us with the same dedication. In fact, I used to refer to her as the CFO of our house. I didn't follow in their footsteps exactly, but as I continue to pave my own way, I take with me their enthusiasm and commitment.
Thank you again to the JCPSC for this moment. This is fantastic and I am thrilled to share it with you all tonight. And as I take on the leadership role of Co-President with Saul, be prepared for every one of your glasses to also bubble over. Thank you.
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