Jewish Family Services’ Board of Directors sets the overall mission and goals for the organization. We welcome all inquiries into board membership. Please email Executive Director Michael Barnett at michael@jfswnc.org for more information.
Officers
David Leader
President
Dr. David Leader practiced as a General Adult Psychiatrist, providing psychotherapy and medication evaluation and management services at Dreyer Medical Clinic (now part of Advocate Aurora Health Services), Aurora, IL, from January 1986 to March 2015. During that time, he additionally served in administrative positions there of Department Chairman, Associate Medical Director, and Medical Director of Psychiatry and Neurology. He had a secondary appointment at Advocate Health Care, Oak Brook, IL as Medical Director of Psychiatry from 2014-2015. He served on the medical and administrative staff of Presence Mercy Medical Center (now Amita Health) and the consulting staff of Rush-Copley Medical Center (Consulting Staff): from 1986-2010.
Rae Booth
Vice President
Rae Booth began her career in corporate America in the human resources field. 20+ years spent working for a Chemical Manufacturing company, Financial Services Company, and a Pharmaceutical Company where she played an active role as the Organizational Development Specialist. Her responsibilities led her to be sought as a change agent who sees people, processes, structures, training, tools used to get the job accomplished and re-engineer the organizational structure to be more proficient and profitable. In 2006, Rae stepped into the entrepreneurial world in the healthcare industry and launched a new brand in a new market in the Appalachian Mountains of NC. Rae is known for creating something out of a blank canvas. She developed a Senior Shelter System in DE, which removed folks from violating situations and into a safe place. Through collaboration and persistence, anything is possible. Outside of work, she loves to spend time with her grandson and family. The nature around the Asheville area brings vitality to her spirit through kayaking, hiking and picnics on the Blue Ridge parkway.
Belinda Brandon
Past President
Belinda Brandon has a Ph.D. in economics from M.I.T. She worked at Bell Labs research, AT&T, and, before she retired, Lucent Technologies; at Lucent she held director positions in procurement, quality management, and finance, among other assignments. She lived in Asheville part-time for five years and full time for 13 years. She was a board member and president of the Asheville Lyric Opera, treasurer and a board member of Under One Sky (an agency that facilitated the adoption of older children), board member and president of her condominium association, and, before moving to Asheville, President of the Corporation of Central Presbyterian Church of Summit, NJ. At JFS, she has been a board member since 2013, treasurer for two years, and president for three and a half years.
Stacy Feldman
Treasurer
Sarah Friedman
Secretary
Sarah is a healthcare researcher with a diverse background that includes working in community settings, academic institutions, and non-profit healthcare institutions. Her focal areas of health knowledge include reproductive and sexual health, health screening and vaccination behavior, palliative oncology, and care related to substance use. Sarah’s background includes graduate coursework with an internship in Tijuana, where she learned and grew in her application of cultural and social-ecological healthcare perspectives. Sarah has a passion for health justice, and is dedicated to collaboration across disciplines to drive advancements in public health and patient well-being.
Directors
Roni Freedman
Roni Freedman received her BA in Sociology from NYU and her MA in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Hofstra University. She also practiced speech pathology for over 35 years in private practice, home healthcare, and MD offices, working primarily with neurologically impaired adults. Her passions are working with the aging population, her family, and horses. Community service work has included serving on the Boards of the Donna Klein Jewish Academy and the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, for many years, with an emphasis on development and campaign. She moved to Asheville in 2020 and eagerly jumped into Jewish life and philanthropy.
Alison (Ali) Climo
Alison (Ali) Climo grew up in Massachusetts, graduated from Smith College, and earned a MSW and PhD in social work from the University of Michigan before moving to Asheville in 1999. She worked for many years at Warren Wilson College as faculty and director of undergraduate social work, and then as director of institutional effectiveness. Ali’s community work includes nearly two decades assisting aging services organizations in Buncombe County and surrounding communities to plan and prepare for the ever-growing older adult population. In 2017, Ali helped establish Age-Friendly Buncombe County (NC) and served as its coordinator until 2022. During that time, she also joined the team at Cares (the Center for Aging and Adult Research and Educational Services) at the UNC Chapel Hill School of Social Work, where she is now a community engagement specialist in aging. Ali joined the JFS board in 2023.
Michelle Tiger
Michelle Tiger earned her J.D. from Villanova University in 1985. She first defended Fortune 500 Companies in product liability claims, and since 2001, has dedicated her career to representing catastrophically injured victims of dangerous drugs and medical devices. In February of 2017 she joined Youman & Caputo LLC as of counsel and continues to assist seriously injured clients. In addition to a busy practice, for over 10 years she volunteered for Child Advocates in Philadelphia, representing children who had been neglected or abused. After arriving in Asheville, she learned of JFS and felt drawn to join in and support its mission of providing clinical and social support to adults of all faiths. In addition to her legal career, Tiger is a Certified Personal Trainer. She loves hiking and running outdoors in beautiful Asheville and spending time with family.
Susan Wolin
Susan Wolin lived in Brooklyn, NY, for the first 25 years of her life and graduated from Brooklyn College with a major in Speech and Theatre. Susan’s career was in media sales for both radio and television, and for her final 20 years she sold media and promotional programs for CBS Television. She spent one year in Miami, eight years in St. Louis, and 25 years in San Francisco before moving to her current home. She and her husband, Ralph, have lived in Asheville, specifically Biltmore Lake, for nearly five years. She has two grown sons and grandsons.
Steve Garland
For 25 years Steve Garland was a private attorney, with Charlotte and Winston-Salem law firms. He focused on commercial real estate, commercial financing and municipal law. In the municipal area, he represented the Forsyth County communities of Lewisville, Tobaccoville, and Walkertown. Steve graduated from Duke University and Wake Forest Law School. In 2010, he left legal practice to teach at Wake Forest School of Law. There, as a Professor of the Practice, he taught Legal Writing and Wills and Trusts, and then later Introduction to the Law in the school’s online Masters of Legal Studies program. He retired in 2018 and moved to Asheville with his wife Edna Green (whose mother was a native of Asheville). In civic affairs, he has served as a member of the Citizens’ Steering Committee for the Legacy comprehensive zoning plan for Forsyth County and is a past president of the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem. He has been a member of the JFS Board since May of 2025. Steve currently enjoys spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren enjoying all that Asheville offers.