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Lise Applebaum
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Lise is the chair of Milken’s Board of Trustees and has served on the Board since 2015. Lise’s professional background includes the role of CPA at Deloitte & Touche for eight years, retiring in 1994 in order to raise her children. Aside from her current leadership role at Milken Community Schools, Lise’s volunteer background is extensive including serving on the Board of Directors of Beit T’shuvah from 2013 to the present, the Vista Del Mar Child & Family Services Board of Directors for seven years and as Sinai Akiba Academy Board Chair from 2005-2008. Lise and her husband Rob, are alumni parents of three graduates including Noah ’12, Kelila ’16 and Jared ’18. In her free time, she’s a dog lover and cooking enthusiast. Her passion lies in helping to shape the institution that’ll shape our future Jewish leaders.
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Simon Barlava
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Simon emigrated from Iran to the United States in 1982 at the age of 17. After completing his final year of high school in Los Angeles, he started his higher education studies at UCLA, and graduated in 1987 with a degree in Biomedical Engineering, after which he attended UCLA Medical School. To help his father establish footing in the business world after having emigrated to the US, Simon pivoted career plans and started Design Collection, a company which he has grown over the last 34 years.
During his career in the textile industry, he has overseen the business' international expansion, its acquisition of other entities, and most proudly, the growth of the Design Collection team, with most team members having been with the company for over twenty years.
Outside of his career, Simon has balanced his love of community work and family. He's served multiple non-profit organizations over the years, starting at UCLA, where he was on the executive board of the ISG (Iranian Student Group), and continued his efforts by participating as a board member in the Apparel section of the City of Hope. He later began working with Inner City Art, an organization formed to help inner city schools receive sufficient funding to ensure K-6 students are able to enjoy various forms of art despite cuts to public school education budgets. Together with his wife Revytal, Simon is the proud parent of three children, Alex, Dylan, and Sabrina, all of whom are either former or current Milken students.
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Susan Bloch (Kay)
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Susan Bloch (Kay) is currently an independent geriatric care manager in Los Angeles. Susan grew up in the New York metropolitan area. Susan’s commitment to Jewish education, the Jewish community, and Israel were developed from an early age, influenced by her father who was a Jewish religious school principal and educator. After earning a B.S. in Occupational Therapy, Susan subsequently received a master’s degree in Education, with a concentration in Health Education and Educational Media and Technology from Boston University. Susan’s career included roles in both pediatric Occupational Therapy and hospital-based health education, professional education, and community outreach. After relocating to Los Angeles from New York in 2003, Susan took time off from her career to focus on raising her children and became involved in numerous volunteer leadership roles at Stephen Wise Temple, SSWT elementary school, and the Milken Community School. Susan’s past roles include serving as the committee chair of numerous committees at WISE ES and serving on the Executive Board of the Milken Parent’s Association. She also served as a member of Milken’s Head of School Advisory Committee for five years, and as Co-Chair of the Milken Annual Giving Committee for two years. Susan has served on numerous committees at WISE Temple including partnership chair and mentor with the Fulfillment Fund, a college access organization for first generation students in LA. Susan and her husband, Stephen Kay, are proud parents of three Milken graduates – Aaron (’07), Jesse (’10), and Julian (’15). Aaron met his wife, Lyndsay Nevins (’07), at Milken. In her spare time, Susan enjoys the arts, reading, travel, hiking, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
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Shahin Dardashty
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Shahin Dardashty has been the CEO of United Pacific Designs, a toy and children’s product developer, manufacturer, and distributor since 1990. Los Angeles based UPD, is the preferred national wholesaler for Mattel, Jakks Pacific, Just Play, Zuru, and many other national and international toy manufacturers, distributing over 4,000 products annually to over 5,000 retailers. Shahin’s family moved to the United States when he was 12 years old. He attended Beverly Hills High School and went on to receive his bachelors in Economics from UCLA. While in college, he participated in founding the Iranian Students Group and served as its first student representative and second treasurer. After college, Shahin spent 15 years volunteering at Landmark Worldwide, an organization offering personal development programs. Shahin has been a proud and engaged parent, participant, and sponsor of 20 years at Wise School, Wise Temple, and Milken Community School. He enjoys travel, surfing and beach volleyball. Shahin is married to Doris and has 2 children, Elijah ’20, and Ethan ’24.
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Rabbi Ed Feinstein
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Rabbi Feinstein is Senior Rabbi of Valley Beth Shalom. He serves on the faculty of the Ziegler Rabbinical School of the American Jewish University, the Wexner Heritage Program, the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and lectures widely across the United States. In 1982, Rabbi Feinstein became the founding director of the Solomon Schechter Academy of Dallas, a center of educational excellence. In 1990, he assumed the position of executive director of Camp Ramah in California. He came to Valley Beth Shalom in 1993 at the invitation of the renowned Rabbi Harold Schulweis, and succeeded Rabbi Schulweis as the congregation’s Senior Rabbi in 2005. He graduated with honors from the University of California at Santa Cruz, the University of Judaism, Teachers College, Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he was ordained a rabbi in 1981. Most recently, he received his Doctorate in Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York. Rabbi Feinstein lives in the San Fernando Valley with his wife Rabbi Nina Bieber Feinstein and they have three grown children. Rabbi Feinstein unites the ancient Jewish love of ideas with the warmth of Jewish humor.
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Sherri Fogelman
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Sherri is an experienced educator, having taught at both Temple Israel of Hollywood and Hillel Hebrew Academy. She also worked at various Los Angeles schools including Brentwood Science Magnet, UCLA Lab School, Wildwood and Kenter Canyon Elementary School. Sherri graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and a Master’s in Education. She’s currently pursuing a College Counseling Certificate at UCLA. Sherri has raised her three children with her husband John. Two of her children graduated from Milken—Teddy ’15 and Hannah ’18. Sherri uses her extensive background in education to provide insight on the Milken Board of Trustees. Sherri’s also able to provide a unique perspective on education as she and John are raising a child with both medical and learning challenges and another with congenital partial blindness and dyslexia.
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Ken Gross
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Ken is the founder and president of California Survey Research Services, and prior to his 32-year career there, he worked at the U.S. Census Bureau as a Survey Statistician for five years. Ken has been a board member at Milken since 1993, and has served on the Board of Stephen Wise Temple as a past president and board member since 2002. Ken was also a Big Brother from 2012-2014 at Jewish Big Brothers and Sisters. He received his Bachelor of Science at University of California, Berkeley. Ken is an alumni parent to Rebecca ’03, Rachel ’04 and Benjamin ’06. He is a Hawaiian shirt aficionado, and has a been a 34-year veteran of a men’s group that started as a father and baby group at Stephen Wise Temple in 1985.
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Dana Guerin
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Dana has been a devoted Board of Trustees member since 2013, and has served as the Committee Chair of Advancement and as a parent volunteer in the Milken Parent Association (MPA). After college, she worked in the entertainment business for such diverse companies as Fox Television, The Gersh Agency, and at Overseas Filmgroup/First Look Pictures in International Sales. Dana also managed the soup kitchen at Frontline Foundation and later became a passionate advocate for Autism research, education and awareness. Dana has been actively engaged on the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project, Board of Trustees at the Skirball Cultural Center, and as a member of the Women’s Political Council. She’s also certified through Mini Yogis to teach yoga to children. Dana has been a dedicated board trustee and has served in many volunteer roles at Stephen Wise Temple including serving as a member of the Advisory Board, SOVA committee, Yom Ha’Moreh, and the Book Fair Committee. She also has worked as an active volunteer for both the Early Childhood Center and elementary school libraries. Dana has three daughters, including two current seniors: Alexis ’20, Samantha ’20 and Katelyn and is a lover of politics, animals, kids and horror movies.
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Lauryn Harris
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Lauryn practiced corporate law at Latham & Watkins, and worked as an attorney at Warner Bros. and at The Walt Disney Company. She is committed to supporting Jewish Day School through her volunteer work at Brawerman Elementary School of Wilshire Boulevard Temple (WBT) and Milken Community School. At Brawerman, Lauryn served as President of the Parent Association. She later served as chair of the school’s Annual Giving Campaign, as well as chair of its Strategic Planning Initiative and its WASC accreditation renewal. Lauryn served for eight years on Brawerman’s Advisory Board, and she’s been an inaugural chairperson of the school’s successful endowment campaign created under the Generations LA program, a joint venture between Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools, BJE: Builders of Jewish Education and the AVI CHAI Foundation. Lauryn is a member of the WBT Board of Education and School Governance Committee, which serves as a committee of the Temple's Board of Trustees overseeing the WBT Early Childhood Centers and Elementary Schools. At Milken, Lauryn has chaired the Annual Giving Campaign and serves currently on the Executive Committee of the Board and is Chair of the Development Committee. She earned her Bachelor of Science from Binghamton University (SUNY Binghamton) School of Management, and received her Juris Doctor (JD) from New York University School of Law. Lauryn and her husband Greg have three children: Elijah ’21, Madeline and Benjamin.
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Leon Janks
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Leon is a managing partner at Green Hasson Janks and is a board member at PriceSmart Inc. He has an extensive volunteer background in the Jewish community including serving on the Milken Board of Trustees since its founding, serving on the Board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles for 12 years, and the Board of Camp Ramah for eight years. In addition, Leon has served on the Board of the World Trade Center. Leon’s work at Milken spans the past 20 years, including as a board member, past chair of the board and he currently serves on the Executive Committee, is the chair of the Finance Committee and is a member of the Audit Committee. He holds both a Bachelor of Accounting graduate degree and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. He enjoys scuba diving, travel and theater. Leon is married to Sharon and they have three children, including two Milken Alumni: Jason, Stacey ’03 and Marc ’04.
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Rabbi Tova Leibovic-Douglas ’03
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Tova ’03 has dedicated her education, professional roles and volunteerism to the Jewish community. Most recently, Tova served as a spiritual counselor at Beit T’shuvah. Prior to that role, she was a rabbinic intern at the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program at American Jewish University and as director and rabbinic intern at Beit Bracha at Sinai Temple. Tova’s volunteer roles include committee member on the Milken Head of School Nominating Committee, co-chair of the Camp Ramah Gala in 2019 and Mitzvah Meal and Karsh Center Chair at Wilshire Boulevard Early Childhood Center’s Glazer Campus. Tova holds a Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Gender and Women’s Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary, a Bachelors of Arts in Art History from Columbia University, a California Education Specialist Credential from California State University, Northridge and she’s ordained as a Rabbi with a Masters in Rabbinic Studies from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University. Tova is a proud Milken alumna and says that she loves spending summers at Camp Ramah (where she met her husband). Tova and her husband, Austin Douglas, are the proud parents of Eve Meora and Nora Zahava who teach them about living in the moment every day.
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Marcia Mankoff
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Marcia is a clinical social worker who has worked primarily in the field of foster care and adoption. A past participant in the Wexner Heritage Foundation program and JFNA’s National Young Leadership Cabinet, Marcia has held many lay-leadership roles within the Los Angeles Jewish Federation and currently serves as Co-Chair of Lion of Judah Endowment for the Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy.
Marcia is a Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, and the Chair of the Foundation’s General Community Grants Committee. She serves on the national Board for the Foundation for Jewish Camp, and is a past Board member of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles.
Marcia served on the Board of Directors of de Toledo High School for six years, and was Co-Chair of de Toledo’s Head of School search committee in 2017. Since becoming a Milken parent in 2018, Marcia has been an active part of the school community, serving on the Head of School search committee that helped bring Dr. Sarah Shulkind back to the school. Marcia was a regular volunteer at the Middle Mart for two years, and most recently served on Milken’s Strategic Vision Committee.
A graduate of American University with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Jewish Studies, Marcia received her Masters in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. Marcia and her husband Doug have three children; Sarah and Kate, in college, and Eli, Milken class of 2024.
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Lowell Milken
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Lowell’s experience as an international businessman informs his extensive work as a philanthropist. He’s the co-founder of Knowledge Universe Education, the chair of National Realty Trust and chair of London-based Heron International. Lowell is the chairman and co-founder of the Milken Family Foundation, including the Milken Archive of Jewish Music and the Milken Educator Awards. He’s also the chairman and founder of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) which impacts 250,000 educators and 2.5 million students in 1,000 districts. In the early 1990s, Lowell partnered with Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin and Metuka Benjamin to found the Milken Community School, dedicated in September 1998. Lowell’s commitment to high quality Jewish and secular education at Milken continues to this day. He says, “Nothing is more essential to the Jewish people than ensuring that our youth achieve their academic potential, lead lives that contribute to improving our communities, and grow to embrace the joys and responsibilities of their Jewish heritage. Our future depends on it.”
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Sean Rad
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Sean Rad '04 is Founder and former CEO of Tinder, a global platform that has brought the world closer together by creating more than 20 billion new connections with 2 billion swipes daily in 196 countries and 52 languages. Sean is also a founding Board member of goodtoday.org, an online recurring giving program that allows people to join by committing to give 25 cents to a different charity of their choice each day. After graduating from Milken in 2004, Sean attended the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. Sean has been an active Milken alumnus, serving our students in many ways, including running entrepreneurship workshops for students to learn how to “fast pitch” to venture capitalists. Sean is inspired to serve on the Milken Board as it gives him an outlet for his passion for education. In his free time, Sean loves to write and sing music.
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Nurit Robin
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Nurit Robin, an attorney, is actively involved in Jewish education and Israel advocacy in Los Angeles. She currently serves on the BJE (Builders of Jewish Education) Board of Directors and has served on the Jewish Federation’s Ensuring the Jewish Future Committee, the Valley Beth Shalom (VBS) Synagogue Board of Directors, VBS Day School Board of Trustees and as Chair of the VBS Day School Endowment. Nurit is a graduate of Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Journalism and received her Juris Doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law, where she was a member of Law Review. She is a graduate of the Wexner Heritage Foundation Program. Nurit is an active member of the Milken Community School Board of Trustees since 2013 and serves on the Executive Committee. She and her husband Richard are devoted to strengthening Jewish education in Los Angeles. Nurit and Richard have three daughters: Eliana '19, Yonit '19 and Maya '20. In her free time, Nurit enjoys art, travel and being with family and friends.
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Ken Ruby
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Ken Ruby was responsible for building over 3,500 apartment units while with R&B Development Company, a company he helped found. After leaving R&B Development Co. in 1968, he founded Ken Ruby Construction Co., a real estate development company, contractor and management company that has been very active in Southern California real estate since that time. He is currently developing and building industrial projects. His companies currently own or manages over 1,755,000 square feet of office, commercial and industrial buildings in Southern California. He was a member of the Los Angeles County Real Estate Management Commission from 1977 to 2002. Active in his synagogue for many years, he is a past president of Stephen S. Wise Temple, and for many years, chairman of its Building Committee. In addition, he is a member of the Hebrew Union College Board of Governors, emeritus, and is a Board member and Chairman of the Construction Committee of the Skirball Cultural Center, in West Los Angeles. He is on the Board of Visitors of the UCLA Medical Center and on the Board of the Jonsson Cancer Center also of UCLA and a member of the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. He was recently elected to the National Board of the American Jewish Committee. Ken is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School with a Real Estate major.
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Richard Sandler
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Richard Sandler is the Executive Vice President of the Milken Family Foundation and Partner in the law firm Maron & Sandler. Richard's volunteer background includes the Immediate Past Chair of the Jewish Federations of North America, a member of the UCLA Law School Dean Advisory Board and a member of the Boards of the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Milken Institute. Richard has served on the Milken Board of Trustees for over 10 years and is the Immediate Past Chair of the MIlken Board of Trustees. Richard is deeply committed to a Jewish future based on the values of the Torah. In his spare time, Richard enjoys exercising and playing golf.
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Anton Schiff
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Anton Schiff has been employed by Agron, inc. since 1993 and currently serves as the company’s Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer. Los Angeles based Agron is a licensee of adidas America for the hat, bag, sock, underwear and small accessory categories. Prior to joining Agron, Anton was the Chief Financial Officer of Paul Singer Floor Coverings. Anton also served as Controller of Tishman Construction Corporation of California. He earned his C.P.A. license while practicing at Laventhol and Horwath. Anton was the co-founder of the Jewish Venture Philanthropy Fund of Los Angeles and also helped launch the major gift campaign at Brawerman Elementary School. Anton has served on the Milken Board of Trustees since 2016 and on the Executive Committee since 2018. Anton has a Bachelor of Commerce degree with statistics and accounting majors as well as a post graduate Honors Degree in finance from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Anton and his wife Lauren have two children, Sam '18 and Jessica '21.
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David Shapiro
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David Shapiro is the Chief Operating Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Propel Media, a performance-driven digital media company. David also serves on the Board of Directors of DeepIntent, a programmatic healthcare marketing and technology business. Earlier in his career, David was an executive at a children’s entertainment company and a provider of technology-enabled ethics and corporate governance solutions to Corporate America. David began his career as an attorney and worked at Wilson Sonsini, the world’s largest technology law firm, and as a New York City prosecutor. David served for many years on the Board of Sinai Akiba Academy, as well as on its Budget, Fundraising, Head of School Search, and Education committees. David currently serves on the Finance Committee and is the Chair of the Investment Committee on the Milken Board of Trustees. David and his wife, Sylvie, are parents of two daughters, including Alexis '20. David received his B.A. from Brandeis University, an M.A in Public Policy from the Eagleton Institute of Politics, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. In his free time, David enjoys spending time with his family and hiking with his dog.
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Saul Smith
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Saul and his wife Susan, always knew that they wanted their children, Erin, Sacha, Thea and Max, to attend Jewish day schools. Having brought this vision to fruition, Saul is additionally committed to ensuring that Jewish children in Los Angeles have access to a Jewish education.
In 1975, Saul attended Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, studying marketing and industrial psychology. In 1979, he went to Israel to join Kibbutz Kfar HaNassi, where he spent the next two years. Since then, Saul has travelled extensively, ran and started businesses, and enjoyed being a family man.
Currently, he operates a 200 person warehousing and logistics company - MESHLogistics Inc - engaged in the receipt, storage and distribution of consumer goods.
Saul and his family have been members at Sinai Temple for over 40 years.
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Daniel Tenenbaum
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Daniel Tenenbaum is the Founding Principal of Pacific Crest Real Estate, which he founded 24 years ago, and is the Commissioner for the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles. Prior to that, he was Brand Manager at Walt Disney Home Entertainment. Daniel's volunteer roles span his professional and personal interests including serving as the Board Chair for the California Apartment Association Los Angeles Advisory Board for 12 years, as the Past Chair of the Jewish Venture Philanthropy Fund and as the Treasurer of the Breed Street Shul Project. Daniel received his Bachelor's degree in Commerce from McGill University and his MBA from Harvard. In his free time, Daniel is an avid foodie and a collector of antique menus. Daniel has two daughters at Milken, Gabriella '22 and Sophie '24.
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Janine Winkler Lowy
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Janine began her career as a Solicitor at Freehill, Hollingdale, and Page. Her volunteer involvement and commitment to the Jewish community is far-reaching including serving on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Collections Committee since 2017 and as a Jewish Chaplain at Cedars-Sinai since 2015. Janine also served on the Board of Trustees for Camp Ramah, the Builders of Jewish Education (BJE) and the Center for Jewish Education at the American Jewish University. She also served on the Education Cabinet at Pressman Academy of Temple Beth Am. She holds as a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales and a Masters of Liberal Studies from the University of Southern California. Janine is a Milken alumni parent to Simonette '05, Jacqueline '07 and Caroline '15 and has served on Milken's Board since 2015. Her eldest daughter, SImonette, met her husband Leo in grade 7 at Milken and they have two future Wildcats.
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Lori Wolf
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A Los Angeles native, Lori Wolf is a real estate professional with over 30 years of experience. She is a former Regional Vice President of Arden Realty/GE Capital, where she was responsible for overseeing commercial real estate operations in West Los Angeles. She has served on several nonprofit boards, including the National Foundation of Jewish Culture, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, and the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA. Lori is currently on the Board of Advisors for UCLA Division of Geriatrics, Women’s Golf Association President: Brentwood Country Club, Finance and Annual Giving Committee member: Milken. She values Milken’s commitment to their students, nurturing a vibrant and enduring Jewish identity, culture and community. Lori, her wife Carol, and son Bruno ‘25 enjoy playing golf, and spending time in Laguna with their two rescue dogs.
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Renee Wolf
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Renee is a lawyer with extensive experience in intellectual property licensing and legal department management. Renee recently retired from Warner Bros. International Television Distribution Inc., where she served as Senior Vice President & General Counsel. Prior to her role at Warner Bros., Renee was a litigation attorney at Kaye Scholer LLP, where she represented clients in the areas of employment, entertainment and environmental law.
Renee earned a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and an LL.M. from the University of London, London School of Economics and Political Science.
Renee currently serves as Co-Chair of Milken’s Admission Committee. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of Temple Israel of Hollywood. Renee has two sons, Eli ’25 and Sam ’25, and she is deeply committed to Milken’s mission and values.
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Rabbi David Woznica
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Rabbi David Woznica has served on the Milken Board of Trustees since 2016 and is a Rabbi at Stephen Wise Temple, where he has served since 2004. Rabbi Woznica was also the Founding Director of the 92nd Street Y Bronfman Center for Jewish Life from 1990-2001 where he built and oversaw what is regarded as the most prestigious Jewish lecture and education program in the United States. Rabbi Woznica volunteers by visiting the elderly, and is deeply rooted in the Los Angeles Jewish Community through is work at Stephen Wise Temple. Rabbi Woznica holds Bachelor degrees from both the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Judaism, as well as Master degree and Rabbinical Ordination from Hebrew Union College. Rabbi Woznica is a proud alumni parent of Joshua '13 and Daniel '17. He loves to study and teach Torah, but also knows more than most rabbis about car engines as his father owned and operated a car service station/auto repair shop.
