Jewish Federation & Foundation Board Member Focus: Sandy Zimmerman

Your family has been active and generous in the Jewish community for generations. What drives their activism?

My family has been in Jacksonville for at least fi ve generations. I watched my parents and grandparents volunteer when I was a child. When I was old enough to contribute, it felt like the right thing to do. You were a past Foundation board member before and during the merger with Federation. Can you share that history?

My mom had been a founding board member of the Jewish Community Foundation, so I was very familiar with the organization. By the time I was involved in both, the need to bring these two agencies together was obvious. But this was not a simple task.

I believe it is up to each of us to preserve and grow the Jewish community for future generations.

My parents and grandparents did this for me, and I want to do the same for my children.

What was it like to be so young as a past president of our organization?

I was always familiar with the work of the Federation, but never fully appreciated its vast reach until I joined Executive Director Alan Margolies on a mission to Romania and Israel in 2007. After that trip, I was all in! Yes, I was a young president, but with the strong governance structure Alan has developed over his decades as CEO, no one person has to shoulder all the responsibility. We had a great executive board during my presidency, and I am proud of the accomplishments we achieved.

Both organizations had their own history and leadership. It was important to honor the independent past, but to still move forward.

To ensure we did it right, Jeff Edwards, Larry Appel, Alan, and I took a road trip to visit three similar sized communities that had succeeded in merging the two organizations.

You are the chair of the Foundation's investment committee. What does that involve? Our Foundation Director, Kellie Smith, does a great job managing the existing relationships and working on growth. We have a world class investment manager in SEI. Our investment committee consists of a great cross mix of former Community Foundation members and Federation leadership. Because the actual investment decisions are made by SEI, our committee is able to focus on the needs of our donors and helping to grow legacy giving. Last I checked, our total assets under management were in excess of $35 million, having nearly doubled since the merger.

Why is Jewish Federation & Foundation still relevant and vital to our future?

They are the only organization I know of that touches so many diff erent areas of Jewish life. Whether its our schools, senior services, Israel advocacy, or emergency assistance, they make an impact. Ever since I have been involved, we have been blessed to have great relationships with all our Jewish agencies in Jacksonville. That closeness is in no small part because of the work of Alan and our Federation. Even during the COVID crisis, Alan spearheaded a daily Zoom call for all Jewish agency leadership in the city. It takes a strong and successful Federation to bring all the pieces together.

What drives you to give your time, talent and treasure as a board member of Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida?

What drives me to give has changed over the years. Today it is my

children. Brooke is 20 and Leah is 17, and it’s important to me they both know how much it means to have a strong Jewish identity. Hopefully they will consider moving back to Jacksonville after college, and I believe it’s our responsibility to ensure they come back to a strong and vibrant Jewish community, just as our parents left for us.

What other nonprofi t organizations are you a board member?

I serve as the president of River Garden Foundation and a board member of Camp Ramah Darom. River Garden is an amazing asset for our community and has been important to my family. Three of my grandparents spent time there at the end of their lives, and my dad currently lives at the Coves. Camp Ramah is amazing! The impact Jewish sleepaway camp has on our youth is immeasurable. In fact, I think it might be the single biggest infl uence on our children today.

Can you tell me a little bit about your background?

I was born and raised here in Jacksonville. I graduated in 1996 from the University of Florida with a degree in Finance. I am currently a senior vice president at Morgan Stanley, where my mom, my brother and I work together as fi nancial advisors. My daughter Brooke is a junior at Washington University in St. Louis and Leah just entered her senior year of high school at Bolles.

Anything else you'd like to say?

I have never been more excited for our organization’s future. With our new CEO, Mariam Feist, and Jennifer Plotkin as president, we are ready to tackle the needs of all Jews, locally and around the world.

I would be remiss if I did not thank and honor Alan for everything he has done to get us to this point. His friendship, leadership, and fun-loving way has helped me grow as a Jewish volunteer, and as a person.