Scott Katz
Scott Katz officially started as center director of the Simon Family JCC on Wednesday, Jan. 2.
Jewish Community Centers have been part of Katz’s life since his teenage days in Baltimore. “I became involved with the JCC through BBYO. I then began working at the JCC in college and never looked back,” he says. Katz was the assistant aquatics director, assistant camp director and teen services director in Baltimore. His first move was to Wilmington, Del. where he served as the recreational services director, then to Charleston, S. C. as the assistant executive director and most recently Richmond, where he was the chief operating officer.
“I have worked my whole career to help build community through quality programs and services,” says Katz.
In his new position at the Simon Family JCC, Katz says he is “excited to work with the lay leadership, staff and community partners of the Simon Family JCC to develop programs that are innovative and of the highest quality. These programs will help to showcase the Center to the entire community.”
Katz says the entire community—all aspects of it, is his passion. “Helping my community has always been an important part of my life. I have volunteered with Red Cross teaching CPR and First Aid classes. I was also a volunteer firefighter and paramedic and I once delivered a baby in the back of a medic unit.”
Terri Sarfan, president of the Simon Family JCC, says, “I believe that all of us on the search committee saw somebody in Scott who was very experienced in and knowledgeable of the many facets of a successful Jewish Community Center. I believe that he has the skills and vision to develop innovative and accomplished programming that will prove pleasing and rewarding to our community.”
Harry Graber, executive vice president of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC says, “It is my hope and expectation that Scott will join David Abraham, Philip Rovner, Betty Ann Levin and Rabbi Wecker as an excellent executive Jewish communal leader in our community who is dedicated to making the Simon Family JCC the source of envy of my peers in other communities.”