Exciting Additions to The Bronfman Fellowship Board and Team

Posted on February 8, 2024

Meet new Board members Stephanie Berger, Andy Katzman, and Elliot Mamet; and Director of Development Laura Liebman.

February 2024

As of December 2023, The Bronfman Fellowship is pleased and proud to welcome three new members onto our Board of Directors: Stephanie Berger (Bronfman ’17), Andy Katzman (Bronfman ’93), and Elliot Mamet (Bronfman ’10). Together, they bring a broad range of experiences, unique voices, and diverse perspectives to the Fellowship, which is currently implementing its three-year strategic plan. As alumni of the program from the years 1993 through 2017, they represent the dynamic, intergenerational nature of the Fellowship.

These three leaders join the current members of the Board: President Dana Raucher (Bronfman ’89); Secretary Jonathan Wachter (Bronfman ’96); Treasurer Noam Lockshin (Bronfman ’01); Daphna Ezrachi (Amitei Bronfman ’05); Kira Sheinerman (Bronfman parent ’17); and Hilary Caplan Somorjai (Bronfman parent ’19). (Read more about the Fellowship’s leadership here.)

“To me, the Bronfman Fellowship is about bringing together disparate viewpoints and creating pluralistic community inclusive of diverse Jewish identities,” said Stephanie Berger, an environmental educator and urban farmer. “It’s an honor to bring my perspective as a young, queer alumni to the Board.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Board to give back to this incredible community,” remarked Andy Katzman, Chief Philanthropy Officer of Willoughby Capital and the Executive Director of The Jane and Daniel Och Family Foundation. “The Fellowship had a profound impact on my life and I look forward to using my expertise to ensure that the Fellowship continues to thrive.”

Elliot Mamet, a political scientist at Princeton, said, “The Bronfman Fellowship’s commitment to Jewish pluralism and meaningful conversation across difference is inspiring and urgently needed in our world. I am thrilled to join the Board of Directors to support the organization in its important work.”

The Bronfman Fellowship is also pleased to welcome Laura Liebman (Bronfman ’88) as the new Director of Development. In this role, Laura will help to deepen bonds with alumni and their families, cultivate relationships with like-minded institutions, and further develop a practice and culture of philanthropic engagement to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Fellowship. Laura served as a consultant to the Fellowship before assuming this role, contributing to projects such as the Fellowship’s first-ever Gala. Prior to joining Bronfman, Laura spent 15 years as a development professional, including as the Director of Development at the Bard Prison Initiative.

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Stephanie Berger (Bronfman ’17) is an environmental educator and urban farmer in Brooklyn, New York. They currently work at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden coordinating a plant education program for low income Brooklyn students and their teachers. Previously, Stephanie worked in plant education at the NYC DOE and was part of the leadership of Zumwalt Acres, a Jewish farm and communal land project. Stephanie grew up in the Boston area as an active member of their reform synagogue. Stephanie is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where they studied mechanical engineering, environmental studies, and gender studies. They are a co-facilitator of the Bronfman alumni LGBTQ+ group.

Andy Katzman (Bronfman ’93) is the Chief Philanthropy Officer of Willoughby Capital and the Executive Director of The Jane and Daniel Och Family Foundation. Prior to joining the foundation, Andy was a partner at The Bridgespan Group. At Bridgespan, Andy focused on building new platforms to direct philanthropic capital as well as the role technology can play in social sector organizations. Prior to Bridgespan , Andy worked in the technology sector as a business development and sales executive at Twitter, Facebook and Yahoo; at McKinsey & Company; and as a Press Secretary for NY Senator Charles E. Schumer. Andy has an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a BA from Yale University, and currently lives in New York City with his wife and two sons.

Elliot Mamet (Bronfman ’10) is a political scientist currently serving as a Postdoctoral Research Associate and Lecturer at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. His research has focused on advancing ideals of democracy and democratic equality, and his writing has appeared in venues including Political Theory, American Political Thought, State Politics & Policy Quarterly, and The Washington Post. Previously, Elliot served on the legislative staff of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow. He holds a Ph.D. from Duke University and a B.A. from Colorado College.

 

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Laura Liebman, Director of Development (Bronfman ’88), has been deeply involved with the Fellowship over the course of her professional and personal journey. Trained as a lawyer, for more than fifteen years Laura has worked with non-profits, higher education institutions, and health care systems to achieve transformative growth and fulfill their missions. For nearly a decade as the Director of Development and Institutional Advancement for the Bard Prison Initiative and then in a number of consulting roles since, Laura led community engagement; annual fund, major gifts and stewardship; corporate and foundation relations; and strategic planning and capacity building. By working closely with executive leadership and boards to determine priorities and strategy, Laura has cultivated meaningful, long-term collaborations with individual, foundation, and corporate donors. Laura has a BA (Summa Cum Laude) and MA degree from Brandeis University and earned her JD at the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College. She is a Board member of the Jewish Federation of Dutchess County and a member of the Anti-Semitism Workgroup for the Dutchess County Human Rights Commission. Laura lives in Rhinebeck, NY with her family.