Jewish Federation of St. Louis has announced the winners of several awards to be presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting on Thursday, Sept. 3. Winners of the Fred A. Goldstein Award for Professional Leadership and David N. and Roselin Grosberg Young Leadership Awards will be presented.

Joan Denison, executive director of Covenant Place is the winner of the Fred A. Goldstein Award for Professional Leadership, which recognizes an outstanding professional among those who work in a St. Louis Jewish organization. The award honors individuals who excel in their field, have a significant track record over time, have introduced important innovations, and are perceived as role models by other professionals and volunteers. 

Denison has been the executive director of Covenant Place for 4 ½ years and is responsible for the marketing and management of the three Covenant Place properties, housing 400+ older adults and for oversight of Community Housing Management Corp. She and the Covenant Place board are currently overseeing a $84 million project to provide 355 one-bedroom apartments and a senior resource and program center, providing space for collaborative senior service provider organizations, a medical center, café, and a host of amenities for the entire community. 

Prior, Denison worked as National Director of Annual Giving and Grassroots Fundraising for Hadassah WZOA.  She started her non-profit career in 2004 as executive director of St. Louis Chapter Hadassah and was honored by her peers with the JProStl Visionary award. 

Steve Malter and Andrea Newstead have been named winners of the David N. and Roselin Grosberg Young Leadership Award, which recognizes young adult volunteer leaders who demonstrate active leadership in the Jewish community. 

Malter is the associate dean and director for the undergraduate program at the Olin School of Business, Washington University. He has held many positions at Wash U., including assistant dean for student development & strategic initiatives and has worked in the areas of student advising, student development, international programs and campus events. He co-developed and leads the Israel Summer Business Academy (ISBA) that enables students from any university to learn and be immersed in Israeli entrepreneurship, innovation for six weeks during the summer where they are based in Tel Aviv.  

Malter is currently serving on the Jewish Community Relations Council board and has served actively on the boards of Hillel and United Hebrew. He was a recipient of the JCRC 2012 Emerging Leader award and served on Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ Millstone Institute advisory committee, along with being a 2012 Millstone Fellow. 

Newstead is the technology coordinator at Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School. She previously taught second grade at Saul Mirowitz Day School- Reform Jewish Academy and also taught at Solomon Schechter of Northbrook, in Chicago, Illinois. Newstead has been involved in the National Council of Jewish Women-St. Louis Section Back to School! Store project for nine years and has co-chaired this major event for four years.

Currently, she serves on the NCJW executive team as co-vice president for community service overseeing Kids Community Closet, in addition to the Back To School! Store. 

Newstead was recognized in 2011 with the NCJW Emerging Leader award and in 2015 received the NCJW Leadership Award. She has also worked with NCJW members to set-up apartments for survivors of domestic violence and their children residing at Lydia’s House. 

These individuals were selected from a diverse pool of nominees, all of whom were well deserving of recognition for their accomplishments. The awarding committee, made up of community and professional leadership, praise Denison, Malter and Newstead for their distinctive contributions to the community.