Carol Kern, Chair of the Governance Board of Jewish Family & Children’s Service has announced the appointment of three new board members: Jessica Pacheco, Rabbi John Linder and Larry Lytle.
Jessica Pacheco serves as vice president state & local affairs for Arizona Public Service and has been actively involved in economic and community development initiatives including the ASU Center for Political Thought and Leadership, the Great Hearts Academiesand the Arizona Chamber of Commerce Foundation. She is a past director of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Maricopa Community College Foundation Board, as well as past chair of the Border Trade Alliance Board. A mother of three, Pacheco has a great passion for children’s issues.
“Great work is being done at JFCS,” says Pacheco. “I would like to play a part in helping JFCS expand its reach and enhance its engagement with the communities it serves.”
With over a decade of experience in charitable and civic work in the interfaith communities, Rabbi John Linder of Temple Solel is no stranger to collaboration and alliance-building both nationally and locally. He served on the board of the Jewish Council of Jews and Christians and is active in the Industrial Areas Foundation, Arizona Career Pathways, Valley Interfaith Project of Arizona, Jewish National Fund, Phoenix Board of Rabbis, AIPAC, Anti-Defamation League, Human Rights Campaign and the Association of the United States Army.
“As a communicator, collaborator and connector, I have the ability and passion to bring individuals and institutions together,” says Rabbi Linder. “I love that JFCS cares for the most vulnerable people in our community – those struggling with poverty, mental illness, addictions – those who are often forgotten and cast aside.”
Larry Lytle, senior financial advisor and vice president at Merrill Lynch, is the third new appointee to the JFCS Governance Board. Lytle serves on the board of the Arizona 5 Arts Circle and the StarShine Foundation. His board leadership has extended to numerous other charitable organizations including Florence Crittenton, Future for Kids, Hope Worldwide, Phoenix Valley Church of Christ, and Dream Castle Foundation.
“I have had a long history of serving at-risk youth, especially in the areas of Health and Human Services,” Lytle states. “My range of experiences in the medical, technology, healthcare, and financial areas will allow me to bring a unique perspective and solution-focused approach to the JFCS board.”
JFCS President & CEO Dr. Michael Zent says, “I am very pleased to have Ms. Pacheco, Rabbi Linder, and Mr. Lytle join the JFCS board, as they bring a combination of diverse experiences and new corporate talent.”
The three new members join an 11-member board that consists of: Sandy Mendez Benson, business executive; Vicki Cabot, business executive and community volunteer; Jay Fruchtman, partner, medical billing & consulting executive; Jerome Gutkin, retired attorney and real estate executive; Michael E. Johnson, business executive, former Phoenix City Councilman; Carol Kern, JFCS Chair, CFK Interior Design, Hospice of the Valley, and Brandeis University National Women’s Committee; Jeffrey Packer, D.O., physician/nephrologist AKDHC, LLC.; Michael Seiden, retired president & CEO Western International University; Edna Ora Sitelman, Ed.D, Business Executive and Community Volunteer; Paul Stander, M.D., M.B.A., JFCS Vice Chair, associate director, Palliative Care Veteran’s Administration Healthcare System and medical director of Hospice of the Valley; and Noel Williams, JFCS Secretary, vice president, underwriting and field services, CopperPoint Mutual Insurance Co.
Jewish Family & Children’s Service is a nonsectarian, nonprofit agency that offers a range of innovative, responsive behavioral health and social services for children, adults and families who are facing serious mental, behavioral, and medical challenges. One of the largest providers of behavioral health and social services in Maricopa County, JFCS serves more than 37,000 of the neediest people in our community regardless of race, disability, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, or income. We strive to restore hope, increase self-sufficiency and safety, and reduce family violence in our community. “Healing Lives, Whatever it Takes.” www.jfcsaz.org
