Attention all board leaders of Jewish organizations in the St. Louis region. The Levy Fellows program is now accepting applications for its highly anticipated Cohort #3. The program, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ Millstone Leadership Initiatives, is set to kick off in September with four immersive Wednesday evening sessions.
Leslie Peters, author of “Finding Time to Lead,” and local consultant with over 25 years of experience in organizational development, strategic planning and leadership training, will lead the program.
What’s it all about?
The Levy Fellows program is a golden opportunity for board leaders to become inspired and motivated and advance in their leadership roles. The program aims to teach tangible skills to enhance their effectiveness to have an increased long-term impact.
Limited to just 18 participants who are referred by their organizations, the four sessions will be held on September 4, 11, 18, and 25 at the Federation building. Participants can expect to dive into key topics like leadership presence, board engagement and trust, meeting management and generative decision-making.
The legacy behind the Levy Fellows program
What makes the Levy Fellows program so special? It all traces back to the leadership legacy of Mont Levy, a long-standing member of the St. Louis Jewish community and past president of the Federation.
“Mont has had a significant impact as a board leader in the Jewish community and the community at-large for decades,” said Marci Mayer Eisen, director of the Millstone Leadership Initiatives. “As the founding chair for Millstone Leadership Initiatives (formerly Millstone Institute), he has been instrumental in shaping our efforts to support organizational leaders.”
While Levy didn’t personally establish the program, his unwavering dedication to leadership training inspired its creation.
“The strength of our volunteer community depended on strong leaders who received some formal training,” Levy said. “Each cohort creates a network of leaders with shared experiences, fostering trust and collaboration. This network strengthens our community leadership, enabling members to easily connect and share ideas during community activities.”
What alumni say about the experience
This will be the third cohort of the Levy Fellows program, and some alumni we spoke to say the experience was worth it.
“Each Levy Fellows session included great interaction, thought-provoking conversation, and a full breadth of experiences to help us shape our leadership skills,” said David Kaiser, a board of trustee member at United Hebrew Congregation and a 2022 Levy Fellow.
Laura Whalen, incoming president of Hillel at Washington University and a 2023 Levy Fellow, added, “I learned how to make our meetings valuable for board members, ensuring their time and input were valued. I also gained insights into facilitation and the importance of asking good questions to generate meaningful discussions.”
And Neil Jaffe, another Levy Fellow, said, “Even after serving on non-profit boards over the years, as a Levy Fellow, I learned valuable lessons about board service that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. There were practical things I began using right away, and many more that will help me in the future.”
How to apply
Ready to elevate your leadership game? Visit the Levy Fellows Program for more details. Interested board members should contact their organization’s CEO, board president, or rabbi, and reach out to Eisen at [email protected] or 314-442-3810 to apply.
