Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford Names New President and CEO

West Hartford native David Waren Will Succeed Howard Sovronsky as president and CEO of the organization.

Submitted

Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, which is based in West Hartford, has named David Waren as its new president and CEO. Waren is currently vice president of regional operations and advancement for ADL (Anti-Defamation League). He succeeds Howard Sovronsky, who is retiring from the position.

Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford connects and mobilizes individuals and institutions to address Jewish community needs, plan for the future and advocate for the Jewish people. It also provides crucial financial support to local and international Jewish organizations through its Annual Campaign.

“Our community is so fortunate to have David as our Federation’s next president and CEO,” said Cary Lakenbach, chair of Federation’s board of directors. “He has a deep understanding of the Jewish community both locally and globally and a commitment to our mission of protecting and enhancing Jewish life here and around the world. Our entire board looks forward to welcoming him.”

A West Hartford native, Waren has worked with ADL for the past 24 years, including positions as director of ADL’s Education Division and as a regional director in St. Louis and Connecticut. Prior to joining ADL, Waren worked as an attorney with Tarlow, Levy & Droney, PC in Farmington and Chorches & Novack, PC in Wethersfield.

“David brings more than 20 years of experience in the Jewish communal world, dealing with some of the toughest issues that face the Jewish people,” said Carolyn Gitlin, first vice chair of the Federation board and co-chair of the search committee.

“Throughout this process, in getting to know David, we got a deep sense of how he will engage our community. He has an excellent presence and is genuinely warm and articulate. We believe we have found the right person with the vision to lead us,” added search committee co-chair and board member Jessica Fish.

Waren holds a B.A. cum laude in politics from Brandeis University and a J.D. with honors from University of Connecticut School of Law. He has also studied at Hebrew University’s Rothberg International School and at Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, both in Jerusalem. He will join the Federation on June 17 and will assume his duties as president and CEO on July 1.

“I couldn’t be more excited to assume this position,” said Waren. “Having grown up here, I know what a great community this is and how important Federation is. Meeting vital social service needs, expanding innovative education initiatives and fostering collaboration and engagement within the Jewish community and more broadly within the Greater Hartford region has never been more necessary. With the support and guidance of outstanding leaders and a very talented staff, I’m confident that the Federation and our local institutions and programs will continue to grow and thrive.”

“The board is grateful to Carolyn, Jessica, and everyone on the search committee for their diligence and care in identifying the best candidate for this important moment in Federation’s evolution,” noted Lakenbach. “Under Howard Sovronsky’s leadership, over the past several years our Federation has sharpened its focus on Jewish community impact and redoubled its commitment to meeting both urgent and long-term needs. We’re confident that David will build on this work as our organization and our community continue to evolve.”

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