Volunteer Leadership Profile—Ron Rozen
Jewish Community Foundation Board of Trustees Chair
Tikkun olam isn’t just a catch phrase for Ron Rozen. It has been the motivating force for his investment in our local Jewish community for the last 30 years. Involved with Jewish Federation since he enrolled in a leadership development program as a young professional, he has served on committees for Federation’s Annual Campaign; sat on the board as treasurer, secretary and vice-chair of Allocations; served as chair of the Finance committee, and for the past three years as chair of the Jewish Community Foundation Board of Trustees.
Aside from Jewish Federation, Ron has volunteered for numerous Jewish organizations including Hillel, Louis Brier, Talmud Torah and Richmond Jewish Day School.
Role as Board of Trustees Chair
As the Jewish Community Foundation Board of Trustees chair, Ron, along with Jewish Federation’s associate executive director of financial resource development Marcie Flom, represent the Jewish Community Foundation. A member of the Jewish Federation board, Ron liaises with Jewish Federation on behalf of the Foundation and meets with key fundholders to discuss endowed giving. Ron oversees the Foundation trustees as they, together with Marcie Flom, secure capital gifts and manage the overall policies and practices of the Foundation. Under his guidance, the trustees review investment and granting policies, as well as how to best meet community needs while honoring donors’ wishes.
“The Foundation trustees are a very skilled and diverse group,” says Ron. “The nominating committee proposes candidates who bring the complementary skills we need to the table—financial, fundraising, knowledge of the community, different geographical representation, age group and so on. We also break out into a number of smaller committees related to special issues or projects, and those committee chairs report to the entire trustee board.”
Growth an Outcome of Volunteering
Ron has invested many years of time and energy into helping the Jewish community, and it all comes back to tikkun olam. “I was born and raised in Israel. When I came to Canada, I knew I had to a) keep connected to Israel, and b) do something for the country I live in. I chose the Jewish community because that’s what I was closest to, being Jewish, and I wanted to give back.”
Ron also noticed an unexpected return on his gift of volunteering. “When I was young, I had the opportunity to spend time with older board members on committees. I watched how they acted, spoke and behaved, and I really grew. I was mentored by so many people, which is one of the best ways to learn—but that was not the goal. The goal was to help make things better, and my growth and development came as a by-product of that.”
Our community has been the beneficiary of both.