Kim Hirsh, who has served as executive director of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater MetroWest NJ (JCF) for close to six years, will be stepping down on June 30, 2025, and returning to her prior role as Director of the JCF Center for Strategic Philanthropy. On Monday, February 10, 2025, the JCF Board of Trustees unanimously approved naming Michal Werner, currently the Associate Executive Director, as JCF Executive Director, beginning July 1, 2025.
The JCF is the planned giving and endowment arm of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ.
Since becoming Executive Director in June 2019, Kim has led the day-to-day operations of the JCF and steered Federation’s historic Centennial Campaign, which recently closed at $256 million, exceeding an ambitious $250 million goal and marking the largest campaign in Greater MetroWest NJ history. During her tenure, the assets of JCF have grown by $200 million to more than $650 million.
Kim worked closely with Federation, JCF colleagues and lay leaders to build a holistic approach to fundraising that combines legacy and endowment development with the UJA Annual Campaign and targeted giving, thereby recognizing donors’ total investment in our Federation and broader Jewish community.
“We are deeply grateful for all that Kim has done to lead the JCF and especially to lead our entire community in a successful Centennial Campaign, which will help to secure Greater MetroWest for the next 100 years and beyond,” said Maxine Murnick, President of the JCF. “We are delighted that Kim will be staying with JCF to focus on her true passion: working with our generous JCF fundholder families on philanthropy in the Jewish community.”
Since joining the JCF in September 2019, Michal has worked side by side with Kim on the Foundation’s operations as well as the Centennial Campaign. Michal has expanded and elevated JCF marketing and communications and worked closely with the JCF board and committees. Michal has been critical in building the next generation of philanthropists through steering a segment of the Centennial Campaign, “100 for 100,” with the goal of raising centennial gifts from 100 donors aged 50 and under. The effort has engaged more than 125 donors under the age of 50 in legacy and endowment giving.
Continuing the importance of engaging the next generation of philanthropists, Michal worked collaboratively with Federation colleagues to develop an exclusive philanthropy program called Nativ which is currently in its first iteration.
“This is a transition that has been planned for several years. Kim noted that one of her first tasks on becoming JCF Executive Director in 2019 was identifying and then mentoring her successor,” said Steven Levy, Interim CEO of the Jewish Federation and immediate past president of the JCF. “She found the right partner in Michal. Now with the Centennial Campaign completed, it is the right time for this transition.”
Prior to joining JCF, Michal held positions at the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University and Medicine, Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, and Penn State Hillel. Michal holds an M.A. in Strategic Non-Profit and Corporate Communications from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Communications from The Pennsylvania State University. Michal is a certified Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP ®), and a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). Michal lives in Randolph, NJ, with her husband, Ben, and three sons, Gabriel, Zachary, and Ethan.
“As I step into this new role, I do so with deep gratitude for the path paved by Kim and many Executive Directors before her,” Michal said. “I look forward to building on that foundation with the same deep commitment to growth, innovation and collaboration and creating new opportunities for JCF and our Federation partners.”