Board Members
Photo: Executive Committee: Left to Right: Danelle Romain, Jason Zidell, Amy Blauer, Steven Klein, Marni Glick. Not pictured: Erik Richmond
Current Board Members
Steve Klein, President
Steven is an attorney with Davis Wright Tremaine LLP’s Media and Intellectual Property group, specializing in trademark protection and enforcement. Originally from New Jersey, Steven is a graduate of the University of Rochester and Rutgers School of Law-Newark. Steven and his wife, Gail Mandel, have called Portland their home since moving here from the east coast more than a decade ago. Their son is a long-time Portland Jewish Academy student and frequent user of the MJCC’s sports facilities.
Richard Barker
Richard Barker is a Wealth Management Advisor and Senior Portfolio Advisor with Merrill Lynch and holds the Certified Financial Planner and Personal Investment Advisor credentials. Prior to working at Merrill, Rich founded, managed and sold a pair of import/export businesses in the automotive industry, and managed gaming software developers for an inflight entertainment company. Rich earned a bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University and his MBA from University of California – Irvine. He is a member of the Portland Pearl Rotary Club and volunteers with Meals on Wheels, Bud Clark Commons and Oregon Food Bank. Rich currently serves on our Board Development Committee and is a sponsor and regular attendee at our PDX Business Breakfast series. He and his wife Kelly are active MJCC members and their son Jett will graduate from PJA in 2020.
Barry Benson
Barry Benson is originally from Massachusetts has been a Portland resident for the last 15 years. He received his BBA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and MBA from Indiana University, Bloomington. Barry is a Senior National Account Executive with Merck & Co., Inc. He is the immediate past president of Congregation Shaarie Torah. Barry and wife, Karla, are the proud parents of PJA student, Molly.
Amy Blauer, Secretary
Amy Blauer grew up in Seattle and has lived in Portland for over 20 years. She studied at University of Oregon and is a former middle school teacher. Amy currently tutors students of all ages in English and history. In the last 20 years, Amy has been an active volunteer for Jewish agencies and committees around Portland as well as for Portland Public Schools. She co-founded ReJewvenation, B’nai B’rith Camp’s women’s retreat and previously served on the BB Camp board of directors. Amy is married to Doug Blauer and they have two children, ages 10 and 13. They all love the MJCC!
Joyce Evans
Joyce has recently retired after forty years in the field of education. Her most recent position was in New York City where she served as Interim Head of School at Ethical Culture Fieldston School. Previously she had served for ten years as Head of The Town School in Manhattan, five years as Head of Redwood Day School in Oakland, CA, five years as both Lower and Upper School Head at San Francisco Day School. She also served as Interim Head at Town School for Boys in San Francisco. Joyce served on the National Association of Independent Schools Board of Trustees including three years as Vice-Chair. As well, she has served on the Board of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges that oversees the accreditation of both public and independent schools in California, Hawaii, the Pacific Islands and parts of Asia. She recently moved to Portland with her husband, John, who is a retired clinical psychologist and Presbyterian pastor. They have two sons, one who is in medicine in San Francisco and one who is a US Park Ranger living at Joshua Tree National Park. Joyce and John are the proud grandparents of four.
Jonathan Glass, Immediate Past Co-President
Jonathan currently serves as Co-President. He is Vice President and CFO of Council Tree Investors, a private equity firm focused on investments in the media and communications sectors. Jonathan currently serves on the Board and Investment Committee of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation. Jonathan graduated from McGill University and received his MBA in Finance from Columbia University. He is married to Sarah Kahn Glass, and they have three children, all of whom attend or graduated from Portland Jewish Academy and enjoy working out at the J.
Marni Glick, Treasurer
Marni was born in Brooklyn, raised in Philadelphia and came to Portland in 1982 with her husband, Hank Kaplan. Marni has a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Public Administration/Finance from New York University. Marni recently retired from the City of Portland after a 33-year career in the City Budget Office and the Bureau of Transportation. Before she retired, she managed the Transportation Options Division overseeing implementation of the city’s first Sunday Parkways and expansion of the Safe Routes to School program and then managed the city’s Parking Operations Division until her retirement. Marni has served on the boards of PJA, Circle of Life Child Care Center, and Havurah Shalom. Marni and Hank have two daughters, both of whom attended PJA and spent most of their remaining waking hours at the MJCC participating in dance, the Stingrays Swim Team, gymnastics, basketball, afterschool programs, and day camp. Marni also sits on the national board of the Habonim Dror Foundation.
Larry Gloth
Larry Gloth is an East Coast transplant who grew up in Massachusetts where he attended UMASS Amherst before joining the U.S. Marine Corps and moving West. He served as an Infantry officer stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA where he achieved the rank of Captain before leaving the military for a career in government service. He moved to Portland in 2003 and now considers himself a fully assimilated Oregonian, although he is still searching for good Italian food. His young family has grown up spending a great deal of time at MJCC: learning to swim, playing soccer in the bubble, playing basketball in the gymnasium, and attending various events. Larry served on the Safety and Security Task Force and currently serves on the Facilities Committee, as well as volunteering as a Stroke and Turn Official for the Stingrays Swim Team. In his off time, his passions are attending his children's extracurricular activities and fishing.
Gail Mandel
Gail Mandel is currently the Legacy Development and Marketing Manager at the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation where she works with individuals to assist them with their current philanthropy as well as with legacy and bequest giving. She also manages OJCF's marketing and communications program. She holds a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University and an M.A. in Art History and Museum Studies from City College/City University of New York. Gail’s past professional experience includes work with the Development Office of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and work in the publishing industry at Abrams, Randem, and as a freelancer. She also currently serves on the board of the Jewish Theatre Collaborative. Gail grew up outside of Chicago and moved to Portland almost 10 years ago from New York City with her husband, Steven Klein. They have a son who is a student at Portland Jewish Academy.
Carol Richmond
Carol is originally from Arkansas. She graduated from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences with a Doctorate in Pharmacy in 2000 and moved to Portland the following year. She worked with the Multnomah County Health Department, and she served as the organization’s Director of Pharmacy. Carol has volunteered for numerous organizations, including Central City Concern (working in the medication dispensing room) and JOIN (serving on the Golf Tournament Development Committee). At PJA, Carol has served as the Co-Chair of the PJA Auction and the Co-Chair of the Family Giving Circle, and, at the MJCC, Carol has volunteered as a substitute leader of Ai Chi. Carol and her husband, Jeff, have two daughters at PJA.
Erik Richmond, Vice President
Erik Richmond grew up in Arizona and came to Portland in 1986 to attend OHSU School of Dentistry and became an Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon. He divides his time between an office in Gresham and an office in Oregon City. Erik and his wife Annette, have two children, both of whom attended Portland Jewish Academy. Erik and Annette enjoyed their volunteer work at PJA, while their children were students there. Erik and Annette think their family’s educational experience at PJA was excellent, and want to make this available to other families. They both cherish the friends they have made because of their involvement in PJA. Erik and Annette also enjoy working out as members of the MJCC.
Danelle Romain, Vice President
Danelle Romain is an attorney in private practice specializing in government relations at The Romain Group (TRG). Danelle covers a broad range of issues for TRG’s diverse client base, including developing and implementing Oregon legislative and administrative agency strategies for clients. Danelle is a Portland native and is married to RD Symms. They have two children at PJA, Sam and George.
Jonathan Singer
Jonathan is a fourth generation Portlander and graduate of PJA's first eighth grade class who spent his formative years at the MJCC (from preschool through AZA). During the day, Jonathan is a real estate attorney at Miller Nash Graham & Dunn, where he represents businesses, property owners, and lenders on a range of transactions. Before joining Miller Nash, Jonathan practiced litigation and political law in the Washington, D.C. office of an international law firm, and before that he worked in politics, including interviewing dozens of high-profile political figures ranging from Barack Obama and John Kerry to Bob Dole and Walter Mondale. He is happy to have the opportunity to continue his family's commitment to the community, remaining active in civic and community affairs through service on multiple nonprofit boards.
Ahuva Zaslavsky
Ahuva is a printmaker and painter who was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. She graduated from the University of the Negev, Israel with a B.A in behavioral sciences, and she completed her studies in education and literature arts in Tel Aviv. In Israel, Ahuva worked as an educator, in both the public and private sectors. Upon moving to Portland in 2010, Ahuva enrolled in the Community Education program at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and she has worked as a full-time artist since then. Ahuva, her husband, Ohad, and their two daughters have been actively involved at the MJCC and PJA since arriving in Portland.
Jennifer Zeidman
Jennifer grew up in southern California and moved to Portland in 1997. She has worked at Nike for over 21 years supporting Human Resources systems, data and processes as a Senior Business Systems Analyst. Jennifer has previously served on the board of Portland Jewish Family and Child Services and is an active volunteer with Portland Homeless Family Solutions. She is married to Ken Zeidman, a Portland native, and they have one daughter, Ruthie, who has been at PJA since kindergarten graduated with the Class of ‘19.
Jason Zidell, President-Elect
Jason Zidell is a fourth generation Portlander who enjoyed MJCC's early learning program for preschool and kindergarten, day camp, B.B.Y.O., and many other activities at the MJCC while growing up. He attended Willamette University, and is the President of the Argonaut Group, a real estate development and management company. He is also the president of the JEZ foundation, and is proud to continue his family's long tradition of Philanthropy and engagement in the community.