RubinBrown recently promoted certified public accountant Jeffrey Sparks to partner in its Assurance Services Group. He will be working with public and privately held organizations and specializing in the manufacturing and distribution industries. Sparks was recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as part of its 2010 “30 Under 30” class and in 2008 received RubinBrown’s Community Service Award as an emerging leader. 

Charlotte Shultz, daughter of Florence and Bill Shultz, graduated this spring Summa Cum Laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor’s of health science degree in communication science and disorders. Shultz will be attending Rush University in Chicago in the fall to pursue a master’s degree in speech-language pathology. Her family belongs to Congregation B’nai Amoona.

Marcia Mermelstein has shifted positions at Jewish Family & Children”s Service to become coordinator of the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry.  Her most recent position was information & referral specialist for ElderLink St. Louis. Mermelstein also worked at Central Agency for Jewish Education, the Jewish Community Center, B’nai Amoona and United Hebrew.  A member of Congregation B’nai Amoona, she is chair of JProStl new staff and owner of Pie in the Sky bakery.

Joining the Jewish Federation as senior development associate is Josh Olmsted. He will be responsible for the community campaign. Olmsted previously served as development director at St. Louis Hillel at Washington University and assistant director of annual giving for Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

Entering the July 14 Ms. Senior Missouri Pageant is Debra Shenker Amira. One of 10 contestants, Amira will be judged on her evening gown/stage presence, philosophy of life, interview with the judges and talent. Amira will perform a 2½-minute comedy routine about dating as a senior. A brain cancer survivor, Amira retired three years ago after an 18-year career as a systems access analyst at Monsanto.

Kimmi Levinson has become the director/development associate of J Associates at the JCC. She previously was its development associate. Levinson is co-chair of the JPro Stl Young Pros Network. 

Shannon Rohlman has been named director of academics at Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School. She will oversee curriculum development and documentation, and ensure continuity and consistency with academic standards for grades K-8.

Margo Newman has been named development associate at Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School. She spent 10 years as development professional for Jewish Federation of St. Louis. She will oversee the school’s annual appeal and the Mirowitz Alumni Association.

Jeffrey Mittman is the new executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri. Mittman was most recently the executive director of the ACLU affiliate in Alaska. The ACLU-EM is a non-partisan, not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of civil liberties in eastern Missouri.

Rabbi Larry Glestein is the new full- time director of Jewish Patient Care and Oncology Chaplain at Barnes Jewish Hospital.  Glestein was granted board certification in professional chaplaincy from the Association of Jewish Chaplains in 2010 after a decade as a nursing home Rabbi and Chaplain. Glestein is a member of Agudath Israel of St. Louis.

Central Reform Congregation member Gerry Greiman has been elected a vice chair of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA).  Based in New York, the JCPA is the public affairs arm of the organized Jewish community at the national level. One of his functions as vice chair is co-chairing JCPA’s Jewish Security and Bill of Rights Task Force.  A partner at the Midwest regional law firm Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP, Greiman is the immediate past president of the St. Louis Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), a member organization of JCPA.

Edward M. Rosen, Ph.D., P.E., is the 2013 recipient of the CACHE Award given by the Chemical Engineering Division of the American Society of Engineering Education for significant contributions in the development of computer aids for chemical engineering education. A Monsanto Co. chemical engineering retiree, he is a member of Central Reform Congregation and Congregation B’nai Amoona.

University of Missouri – St. Louis sophomore Sivya Smason was on hand in Denver to receive recognition for her team’s winning design of the American Democracy Project (ADP) student-designed logo competition (shown at right). Commemorating ADP’s 10th anniversary, more than 30 logo designs were received from over a dozen ADP campuses. Smason is the daughter of Rabbi Ze’ev and Chani Smason of Nusach Hari B’nai Zion. The ADP is a multi-campus initiative focused on higher education’s role in preparing the next generation of informed, engaged citizens for our democracy.

David Schenberg received the Meeting Professionals International President’s Award for his work as vice president of membership for the local chapter. MPI is described as the premier global association community for meeting and event professionals. Co-founder of BusyEvent.com, a local company launching software that anyone can use to create a mobile event app, Schenberg is also a member of Congregation B’nai Amoona.

Husband and wife Bob Fox and Maxine Clark were two of the five honorees at the National Conference for Community and Justice of Metropolitan St. Louis (NCCJSTL). Originally called the National Conference for Christians and Jews, NCCJSTL has a long history of promoting understanding and respect among all races, religions and cultures in the St. Louis region. Clark is stepping down as CEO from Build-A-Bear, having founded the company in 1997. Fox is the founder of NewSpace, Inc., which opened in 1984.

Consumer Electronics magazine recently ranked Creve Coeur Camera as 98 on the top 100 consumer electronics retailers list, with nearly $16 million in 2012 sales. Owned by Stephen Weiss, Creve Coeur Camera also ranked in the top 10 of all camera store retailers in the United States.

Native St. Louisan, Parkway Central graduate and co-founder of The MOMS, Melissa Musen Gerstein will co-host a live, call-in six-show series on SiriusXM. The radio show, which was launched on June 27, will focus on parenting, balancing family and career and keeping your family healthy, all from a mother’s perspective. Gerstein and her co-host will also speak with celebrity guests and discuss the latest parenting-related headlines of the day. The MOMS is a multi-platform lifestyle brand and event company.

Elana Hertel, director of events at Meadowbrook Country Club in Ballwin, recently received the Bob Bargen Award for her commitment and dedication to furthering the ideals of the International Special Events Society (ISES), St. Louis Chapter. She has held different positions in ISES over the last three years and is now president-elect for 2013-2014. Hertel is a member of Congregation Shaare Emeth.