Anita Friedman appointed to Koret Board of Directors
Award-winning community leader Dr. Anita Friedman has been appointed to the Koret Board of Directors, Koret Foundation President Tad Taube announced today.
Dr. Friedman has served for nearly 30 years as executive director of Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties, one of the largest family service institutions in the United States, with 13 Bay Area offices in five counties serving more than 58,000 children, adults and seniors each year. She is a frequent lecturer and writer on issues of Jewish communal service, mental health and innovative business models for the provision of human services.
In addition to serving on the Koret Foundation Advisory Board, and on the board of the American Friends of Koret Israel Economic Development Funds, Dr. Friedman serves on various local, state, national and international boards and commissions. Among them are the Human Services Commission for the City and County of San Francisco and the International Board of Trustees for the World Council of Jewish Communal Service. She has consulted with the State of Israel’s Ministry of Social Affairs on best practices in serving children and families, and her breakthrough work to acclimate Soviet Jews to American life has won her accolades from dignitaries the world over.
“We are pleased to invite Dr. Friedman to join us in our strategic philanthropic mission,” said Koret President Tad Taube. “In particular, her knowledge of Bay Area communities will bring an important perspective to the work of the foundation.”
A licensed clinical social worker specializing in mental health services for families and couples, Dr. Friedman has received high praise and numerous awards, including the State of California Family Service Council Leadership Award, the International Louis Kraft Award for Jewish communal service; the Myrtle Wreath Award, Hadassah’s highest honor; the Jewish Community Federation's Professional of the Year Award; and the Koret Prize for leadership in community service. She is a graduate of the prestigious Wexner Heritage Foundation fellowship.
“I am complimented and honored to serve the Koret Foundation,” Dr. Friedman said. “Koret’s strategic approach to improving K-12 education and strengthening the Israeli economy are just two examples of the kind of difference that thoughtful, strategic philanthropy can make.”
Dr. Friedman completed undergraduate studies at the University of California at Berkeley, and her doctoral degree in organizational psychology at the University of San Francisco. The daughter of Holocaust survivors, she and her husband live in San Francisco and have three sons.
About Koret
An entrepreneurial spirit guides Koret in addressing societal challenges and strengthening Bay Area life. Investing in strategic, local solutions, we help to inspire a multiplier effect – encouraging collaborative funding and developing model initiatives.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, Koret adds to the region’s vitality by promoting educational opportunity, contributing to a diverse cultural landscape, and bolstering organizations that are innovative in their approaches to meeting community needs.
With our roots in the Jewish community, we embrace the community of Israel, especially through Koret Israel Economic Development Funds (KIEDF); we believe that economic stability and free market expansion offer the best hope for a prosperous future.
At Koret, we understand our responsibility to make an impact – to honor the legacy of our founders, and to find long-lasting solutions that improve people’s lives.
Contact:
Susan Wolfe, Director of Public Affairs & Communications
(415) 882-7740
swolfe@koretfoundation.org