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May 23, 2003/Iyar 21 5763, Vol. 55, No. 39
Search for federation leader nears completion
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
Nearly eight months after the resignation of Art Paikowsky as executive vice president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, the search for a new leader nears completion.
The field of candidates was narrowed from four to two earlier this month, and the two finalists are in the process of visiting the Valley and conducting final interviews with the search committee, the executive committee of the board of federation and other members of the Jewish community.
The search committee will have its final meeting on June 5, at which point they will make their recommendation to the executive committee, according to Berry Sweet, chairwoman of the search committee. Sweet expects an offer to be extended to one of the candidates within the next few weeks.
Ron Meier, senior vice president of professional and volunteer development for United Jewish Communities (UJC), was hired as a consultant for the search for an executive vice president. Meier presented seven candidates to the search committee, who then chose five to interview by phone. In-person interviews were conducted with four of the candidates in April.
The candidates' names are not being released to maintain their privacy, according to Sweet. One candidate hails from a Jewish community similar in size to the Valley - where he serves as assistant executive vice president - but that boasts an annual campaign more than four times as large as the local federation's campaign. The other candidate is currently an executive director of a federation in a much smaller city, with an annual campaign approximately 1/3 the size of the local campaign.
Sweet noted that both candidates possess excellent resumes, background and references, and they also generated a positive reaction from the previous interviews.
"We're very pleased with the caliber of all our semi-finalists at the last round. It was a difficult decision to get to, to narrow it down to two, and I believe that the next decision will be equally difficult," said Sweet. "I feel comfortable that whatever direction we go ... our next executive vice president will be a real boost to the community."
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