Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Jodie Silberman — President
Joshua Davis — 1st Vice President
Orr Shakked — 2nd Vice President
Ann Becker — Secretary
Pamela Harlem — Treasurer
Beth Katz — Immediate Past President
Board Members
Gary Alpert
Suzan Berns Kenneth Blum
David Cohen
Pat Goldman
Jennifer Harris-Marks Tracy Layney
Ellen Kahn
Ellen Levin
Gerri Miller Elya Schartzman
Jeff Stone
Ingrid Tolson - President, Women of Rodef Sholom Sisterhood
Board biographies in alphabetical order
Gary Alpert
Gary Alpert has been a member of Congregation Rodef Sholom since 2003. He is married to Suzanne Alpert, who has also served as a board member. Gary and Suzanne’s daughters Hannah (24) and Abigail (22) attended the CRS religious school, and each became Bat Mitzvah at Rodef Sholom. Although the kids are now grown and flown, Rodef Sholom remains the spiritual home of the entire Alpert family.
Professionally, Gary is a serial entrepreneur and hands-on company builder, with broad functional experience as an operating executive at rapidly growing, mission-driven healthcare technology companies. He advises high-growth companies on go-to-market, client management, and growth strategy. Most recently, Gary was Chief Growth and Client Officer at Brightline, the leading pediatric mental health telehealth provider for parents and kids/teens 0-18, where he managed Brightline’s enterprise business, serving over 5 million eligible employees across hundreds of employers nationally, as
well as public policy and new market growth. Prior to Brightline, Gary held executive leadership roles at Livongo, Castlight Health, and Caring.com, and was CEO and co-founder of WetFeet Inc., a popular career management website, publisher, and enterprise software company in the earliest days of the Internet.
Gary has lived in the Bay Area for over 40 years, with more than 20 years in Mill Valley. He grew up in Los Angeles and Phoenix and attended Stanford University for undergrad (Human Biology) and business school (MBA and Public Management). He met Suzanne at a Passover Seder in San Francisco, and Passover has been their favorite simcha ever since. One of their highlights with Rodef Sholom was traveling to Israel with fellow congregants and Rabbi Stacy in 2016. Gary and Suzanne enjoy hiking and all things outdoors in Marin, usually with their goldendoodle, along with good food, music, theater, and time with friends and family.
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Ann Peckenpaugh BeckerAnn Becker has been a member of Rodef Sholom since 1999. She is married to David Becker, Managing Trustee, Becker Charitable Trust, a charitable foundation whose
mission is ensuring the survival and protection of the Jewish people. They have two grown sons, who became B’nai Mitzvah and attended the Religious School at Rodef Sholom from preschool (B'yachad) through high school graduation (Midrasha).
Ann joined the Board in 2024. She is Chair of the Nominating Committee, a natural role for her after her 30-year career in recruiting for high-tech companies and their boards.
Previously, she served on Rodef Sholom’s Religious School Board, including three years as President, when their sons were students.
She served on the Board of the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation, where she served as Chair of the Board Nominating Committee, member of the Finance Committee, and member of the Executive Committee.
Ann is a former Midwesterner who has lived in California since 1982. She was born in the Chicago area and attended high school in Duluth, MN, where her father was Superintendent of Public Schools. She moved to Marin County in 1991, when as newlyweds she and her husband purchased a home in Kentfield, where it’s easy to hop onto a hiking trail. Ann has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor’s degree with High Distinction from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
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Suzan BernsSuzan is a public relations professional and a freelance writer who worked in the Jewish community for 25+ years. She was Associate Director of Public Relations and Marketing at the Jewish Community Federation for 18 years and followed it with a seven-year stint as Director of the Marin region of Jewish Community Relations Council. She served on the board of the Marin Interfaith Council where she was Secretary and President. She has a Master’s degree in Journalism from Pepperdine University and as a freelancer wrote “Faces,” a bi-weekly column about people in the J Weekly for 13 years.
A native of Akron, Ohio, Suzan was among the first bat mitzvahs at her conservative synagogue and an active USY-er. She moved to Marin County in 1985 and joined Congregation Rodef Sholom as the new JCC was being built and saw the CRS membership grow. She was a member of the CRS board for two terms, where she served as secretary and was a member of the Search Committee that hired Michael Kamler as Executive Director. She wrote and edited The Voice (the paper edition of the temple newsletter) for several years.
Now retired, Suzan is completing her 12th year as a reading tutor in the first grade at San Pedro Elementary school. She’s on the leadership team of Friends of Golden Gate Village, a group that works to improve life for residents at the Marin City public housing complex. At Rodef Sholom, she has been involved with the Immigration Rights Team and Community Fridge and works in the gift shop. She hikes (well, walks) and plays the ukulele (badly) for fun.
Suzan is honored to be asked to serve on the board again and eager to be a part of another exciting transition.
Kenneth BlumKen is a native Californian who has lived in Marin for the past 25 years, where he and his wife, Sara Schwartz—a professor of Social Work at the University of Southern California have raised their three sons: Benjamin (25), Elliot (22), and Charlie (14). Since October 7, 2023—which coincided with Charlie’s bar mitzvah—Rodef Sholom has been a meaningful refuge for Ken and Sara, offering peace, comfort, and a deep sense of belonging.
For more than 30 years, Ken has contributed to the growth of nonprofit organizations, supporting their development and serving in board leadership roles. He has advised both emerging and established institutions, always guided by the conviction that investing in people is the surest path to meaningful change. Ken is honored to take part in shaping Rodef’s future as a place of connection, tradition, and community.
As President of Kramer, Blum & Associates, a management consulting firm that works with philanthropic foundations, Ken works with multi-generational families across the U.S. and abroad to clarify their philanthropic goals, launch and manage foundations, and deepen their impact as engaged and thoughtful stewards of their giving. His work spans a diverse range of initiatives—from supporting Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, operating health and wellness programs in Puerto Rico, advancing medical research fellowships, and funding documentary films that bring visibility to some of today’s most urgent social justice issues.
Outside of work, Ken is an avid gardener and cook. He enjoys traveling, discovering new cities and cuisines, and spending time with his children and their partners, who live in New York and Los Angeles. Ken is deeply grateful for the community that Rodef Sholom has provided his family, and he is inspired by the values it represents. He looks forward to blending his personal and professional passions in service of a community that already means so much to him.
David CohenDavid has worked for over 30 years in various insurance underwriting and management roles, first at Fireman’s Fund and now at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty. Currently, he has product management responsibilities for commercial property insurance. David holds the Chartered Property-Casualty Underwriter designation and has spoken at numerous conferences about the unique risks and sustainability-related benefits associated with green buildings.
David grew up in suburban New York and holds a B.A. in Economics from Williams College. After college, he spent several years working at ski areas in Colorado prior to moving to the Bay Area, and skiing remains a passion to this day.
David grew up in an engaged Reform Jewish family with parents who held leadership roles at their synagogue and with national and global Jewish organizations. He appreciates their example and is grateful to have the opportunity to follow in their footsteps by giving back to organizations and communities which bring so much value to his life.
David and his wife Toni live in Terra Linda. Toni is an active member of the Women of Rodef Sholom, and David served on the Cantorial Search Committee and the organizing committee for the inaugural Rodef Sholom Summer Jam. David also recently served on the Brandeis Marin Board of Trustees. Their daughter Rosie graduated from Brandeis Marin, was co-President of CRuSTY her senior year in high school, and found tremendous meaning in participating in the REST program. David, Toni and Rosie appreciate the warm, inclusive and musical nature of the Rodef Sholom community and enjoy volunteering in various capacities at the synagogue.
Joshua DavisJosh was born in New York City, raised in Teaneck, N.J., and has lived as an adult in Israel, Japan, Manhattan, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. He came to the Bay Area in 1997, resided in San Francisco for over a decade, and now lives with his family—Jessica, Hannah, Abby and their dog, Charlie—in Mill Valley.
Josh is the managing partner of Berger Montague PC’s San Francisco office, where he leads the firm’s appellate practice, serves as a consultant and testifying expert on ethics, and litigates class actions on behalf of victims of antitrust violations. He is also a research professor at the UC Law San Francisco School of Law where he directs the Center for Law and Ethics. He publishes on various topics and is currently writing a book for Cambridge University Press titled, “Unnatural Law: AI, Consciousness, Ethics, and Legal Philosophy.” He also serves on the Board of Directors of Café Puente.
Josh and his family are delighted to have found a home at Rodef Sholom. The temple fits their values, providing them a sense of identity, a warm and thoughtful community, and a framework for discussing issues related to family, friendship, social justice, and living a meaningful life.
Pat GoldmanPat Goldman grew up in Vermillion, South Dakota. For years, she travelled the forty miles to and from Sioux City, Iowa every Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday morning to attend Synagogue. Her fondest memories are of attending different Jewish summer camps in Wisconsin as a camper and as a counsellor. The community she found at camp made her never want to leave.
Pat received her BA in Judaic Studies from Yale University, and her JD from UC Law San Francisco School of Law. Since 1992, she has represented only employees in employment law matters, initially with a firm in San Francisco, and then opening her own practice in San Rafael in 2011. She has been active and on the boards of various employment law and trial lawyer organizations, mentoring law students and new lawyers, and involving herself in various social justice activities.
Pat and her wife, D’vora Tirschwell, initially bonded over their love for Jewish summer camp. In 2006, they moved to Greenbrae with their two children, Sydney and Nathan. They enrolled their kids at Rodef Sholom’s Sunday School, and, subsequently, Brandeis Marin. Both children are now seasoned Camp Newman-ites who found their mischpacha at Rodef, Brandeis, and Newman. Recent empty-nesters, Pat and D’vora have found their mischpacha in the Marin Jewish community.
Jennifer Harris-MarksJennifer is a Marin County native, born and raised in Novato, graduating from San Marin High School in 1987. She earned a B.A. in Theatre from UC Davis in 1991, and then a professional degree in Screenwriting at UCLA in 1994. Jennifer continued to reside in Southern California until 1998, working on the lot at Universal Studios on various television productions. In 1999, she returned to the Bay Area to raise a family. She became a licensed Realtor in 2004, and has enjoyed an 18+ year career with Coldwell Banker Realty here in Marin.
Jennifer has been a part of the Rodef Sholom community for more than 40 years. She has special memories of hearing her father, Michael, sing in the High Holiday choir. Her eldest and youngest children had their b’nai mitzvot at Rodef Sholom, and in 2022, she and her husband completed the adult b’nai mitzvah program as well. Jennifer was very active in the Marin chapter of B’nai B’rith Girls (BBG) known as Hannah Senesh. She credits BBG with shaping her Jewish identity and passion for social justice. This is also where she met her husband, Joey, so is eternally grateful to BBYO for all it provided during her high school years. In recent years, she’s played a recurring role in the Rodef Sholom Purim Spiel as Vashti.
Jennifer has served on the Parent Association at each of the schools her three children have attended, including serving as President at both Mary Silveira Elementary School and Brandeis Marin Day School. Volunteering in her children’s schools has always been a high priority.
Jennifer currently sits on the board of the Parnow Friendship House as a real estate consultant. She is honored to be considered to serve the Rodef Sholom community during this exciting time in our congregation’s history.
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Pamela Harlem
Pamela was born and raised in the Philadelphia area in a large Catholic family. The middle of 12 children, she met her future husband, Andy, in high school. She fell in love with Judaism at her first-ever seder, celebrated with his family. She studied and converted in her early twenties, and soon after, became a Bat Mitzvah.
Pamela obtained her undergraduate degree from Temple University (Economics) and an MBA from The University of Chicago. For the last three decades she has worked in a variety of organizational settings, including the Peace Corps (Sri Lanka), Planned Parenthood, multiple hospitals, and the private sector, to promote access and quality in health care delivery. Community service is meaningful in her life and has included leadership roles on civic and professional boards.
Pamela and her family became Rodef Sholom members in 2007, shortly after they relocated from Boston. Her two children attended preschool at the JCC Preschool and became B’nai mitzvah in our beloved community, where they developed strong Jewish identities and friendships, and were active in NFTY and Midrasha. Pamela has co-led the Mitzvah Day no-sew baby blanket project for Marin Community Clinics for a number of years and enjoys connecting with new CRS members through the Moreh Derech team. She deepened her understanding of Rodef Sholom's history through her participation in the Visioning weekend, and had the privilege of interviewing some of our oldest, founding members.
Pamela serves on the Finance Committee. She is eternally grateful for our incredible clergy and staff who cultivate a sacred and welcoming space and is deeply honored to be a part of shaping what it means to be part of this kehillah kadosha (holy community).
Ellen Kahn and her husband, Rabbi Doug Kahn, have been members of Rodef Sholom since 1987. Their two sons, Daniel and Joey, became Bar Mitzvah under Rabbi Michael and Rabbi Stacy. Ellen has always felt that Rodef feels like home and has been grateful for the extraordinary and dedicated leadership of our clergy.
Ellen spent more than ten summers at the URJ Camp Swig in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and she and Doug served there as counselors and program leaders, including leading high school students on Summer Israel programs. Ellen believes deeply in the benefits of a Jewish summer camp experience, and enjoys spending Shabbat at URJ Camp Newman during the summer.
Ellen served on the board of the Jewish Community Federation and a number of its subcommittees. She was a Wexner Heritage Fellow, which was a transformational experience in Jewish life and learning. For the last twenty years, Ellen served on the board of Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, a non-profit focused on eliminating toxic chemicals from our environment.
Ellen has practiced law for more than 40 years at the law firm, Sideman & Bancroft, in San Francisco, where she specializes in estate planning. The practice of law has been, and continues to be, a fulfilling and important part of Ellen's life.
Ellen grew up in Portland, Oregon, where she was active in her Reform synagogue and the Reform Jewish Youth Movement. She is an avid hiker, loves to cook, and is grateful to spend time with friends and family (which now includes two grandchildren who live in the Bay Area). She is also deeply focused on politics and the upcoming election, and extraordinarily concerned for the future of Jewish life, for Israel, and for the future of democracy in this country.
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Beth is President of the Board of Directors of Congregation Rodef Sholom from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Boston University with an undergraduate degree in psychology and holds a law degree from George Washington University. She practiced law at Baker & Hostetler in Washington, DC before moving to Mercer Consulting to work in healthcare and employment law consulting. Beth later worked as the director of the Marin office of Jewish Family and Children’s Services and, subsequently, at Marin CASA, supervising volunteers to support foster youth in Marin County.
Beth’s family has a long tradition of Jewish communal life. Her extended family belonged to Rodef Shalom in Pittsburgh for over 80 years and served on their Rodef Shalom board in various capacities for many years. Beth feels fortunate to be able to continue this legacy on the West Coast. Beth has also been involved in the Jewish Community Federation and was a member of the National Young Leadership Cabinet.
Beth and her husband, Marty, live in Larkspur, and have an adult son, Aaron, as well as twins, Nate and Rachel, who are currently in college. Beth is passionate about building and supporting Jewish community and has loved the opportunity to bring her time and dedication to Rodef Sholom during this exciting time of transition.
Tracy Layney
Tracy is an HR executive with over 25 years of experience in organizational strategy and HR thought leadership. Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Levi Strauss & Co. Prior to joining LS&Co., she was SVP and CHRO for Shutterfly, Inc. Before that, Tracy spent 10 years at Gap Inc., where she held several senior leadership roles in HR, including serving as SVP of HR for Old Navy. She began her career in consulting, primarily at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she worked with Fortune 500 clients in the high tech, financial services and retail industries on projects ranging from organizational design to strategic change management.
Tracy grew up in Houston, Texas, and attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her BA in English. More importantly, it was there that she met her husband, Jaison. They moved to Marin County in 1998 and have been members of the Rodef Sholom community since 2010. Rodef has been the center of their family’s spiritual life ever since. Their son, Noah, attended religious school and became a Bar Mitzvah in 2018. Tracy and Jaison were both members of the Campaign Cabinet Committee for the new building, and Tracy worked with Rabbi Elana and her committee to develop the Congregational Ethics Code and Statement of Inclusivity.
Tracy also serves on the Board of Trustees of the GLIDE Foundation, where she chairs the HR Committee, and on the Board of the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) Foundation, where she chairs the Strategic Initiatives Committee. She was formerly a Board member of the Levi Strauss Foundation. Tracy and Jaison are passionate about travel and are finding even more time to see the world now that Noah has left the nest. When not traveling, they enjoy cooking and spending time with friends at their home in San Rafael. Tracy is thrilled to be part of the Board and to contribute to this amazing community, especially during this exciting time in our congregation’s history.
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Ellen LevinMarin County has been a wonderful home for Ellen and her daughter Sofie for three decades. Shortly after moving here, she realized how disconnected she felt from a Jewish community and found Rodef Sholom. It was an answer to a prayer. She had never experienced services and Jewish life in such a joyous way. It brought back feelings from camp of being part of an uplifting and inclusive Jewish community. She became involved quickly and did two terms of service on the Rodef board. The highlight of her second term was co-chairing the Senior Rabbi search committee and securing our future with Rabbi Stacy. She recently participated in the Executive Director search.
Ellen is very excited to become part of the Board of Directors, especially at a time of such great change.
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Gerri MillerOver the years Gerri has been involved with the temple in a variety of committees. She has been on the Nominating Committee and is helping with the newly formed Cemetery Task Force to help beautify Sharei Shalom. She is incredibly grateful for the support she has received from our community since the passing of her husband.
Elya Schwartzman
Born in the USSR and raised near Boston, Elya’s life has been a journey of reconnecting with his Jewish roots—from listening to his grandparents speak Yiddish to celebrating lively seders with family and friends. He met his wife, Susan, during a semester abroad in Jerusalem, and they’ve now shared 35 years together. Elya is proud of their three grown sons—Nathan, Jonah, and Gabriel—all of whom became Bar Mitzvah at Rodef Sholom.
Professionally, Elya is a co-founder and Head of Investments at BondBloxx, a Marin-based investment firm focused on fixed income ETFs. He previously held senior leadership roles at BlackRock and State Street Global Advisors and ran his own consulting practice. Elya served for many years as Endowment Chair of the Tam High Foundation and has been active in disability rights advocacy.
He and Susan moved from the Boston area to Mill Valley in 2010. A licensed psychotherapist, Susan has worked in both private practice and school-based counseling, and has long been active in local schools and nonprofits. In 2023, Elya celebrated his adult b’nai mitzvah at Rodef Sholom—a milestone that deepened his connection to Jewish life and community. Together, he and Susan enjoy hiking, kayaking, Jewish learning, local music, and exploring the natural beauty of Marin.
Orr grew up in Israel, served as a captain in the IDF, and attended college in Israel. He immigrated to the U.S. to attend graduate school at UC Berkeley, and has been living in the Bay Area ever since. Orr and his wife Sharon have been active members of the Marin Jewish community for many years, being involved with AIPAC, Brothers for Life, Hillel, Shalom Bayit, and Brandeis Marin, among others. Orr participated in a two year leadership program with the Shalom Hartman Institute for leaders from Rodef Sholom, Brandeis Marin, and the JCC. Orr served on the SF Hillel board of directors prior to serving for 9 years on the Brandeis Marin board (2 years as president of the board), where he also served as treasurer for several years, and led the Budget and Finance Committee, as well as the Executive Committee. Orr’s service on the Brandeis Marin board started before the school became independent and continued through the first years of independent operation through the pandemic and beyond.
Professionally, Orr is a marketing executive that has served in leadership roles at Expedia, TripAdvisor, and Shutterfly. He has deep experience in performance marketing, digital advertising, lifecycle marketing, PR, and communications. He is currently the Chief Marketing Officer at The RealReal.
Orr and Sharon’s two children attended the Marin JCC preschool and then Brandeis Marin from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Through the Brandeis community and time on the campus, they got to know and love Rodef Sholom and joined the congregation. Orr and his family feel very fortunate to be a part of the warm and welcoming Rodef Sholom community. Rodef Sholom brings so much joy to their family and a sense of deep belonging. Their family values align with Rodef Sholom’s values around building community, giving back, and strong Jewish identity. Orr is very excited to be part of the team that leads and continues to build Rodef Sholom in its next chapter.
Jodie SilbermanJodie Silberman has over 25 years of retail corporate experience leading strategic teams in supply chain, operations, and marketing. Jodie is a big thinker, idea generator, creatively curious, and always brings heart and soul into each of her endeavors. Jodie is an advocate for social justice, social change, and equity for all. She is proud to bring her life and workplace experiences to the forefront, to be of service, and to leverage the work for the greater good.
She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Rodef Sholom board, and is a board member for The Jewish Studio Project, which cultivates creativity, spiritual connection and social transformation. Additional board service includes The Jewish National Fund NorCal, and the NorCal leadership team for Brady United. Jodie is focused on aligning herself with a diverse collective of thinkers, and doers, and continually reimagining what’s possible to help us do what we love in new and better ways, and to leave the world better than we found it.
Jodie and her wife, Donna, live in Marin County, CA. They have an adult son, Lucas who lives in NYC, living his best life. In her spare time, you might find her painting, planting flowers, harvesting vegetables in her garden, photographing the beauty of the Bay Area, and hiking whenever possible.
Jeff StoneJeff and his family moved to Marin in 2013 from Irvine, CA after selling his marketing agency of 29 years. He accepted a position with a long-time client and is National Sales Manager for a division of Emerson Electric Co. Jeff holds a BA in Political Science and Business Administration from Michigan State University. He was elected delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business under two administrations.
When Jeff was young in Detroit, his parents belonged to an Orthodox shul. When he was five his family joined Temple Israel, now the largest Reform congregation in North America. His fondest memories at Temple Israel were Shabbat and High Holiday prayers and beautiful melodies many which are included during our Rodef Sholom services.
He served 5 years on the Board of Trustees at Temple Bat Yahm in Newport Beach. He is a graduate of SKILLSET NPO® Values- Vision-Leadership for a flourishing Jewish community, Jewish Federation of Orange County.
Jeff is co-chair of Rodef Sholom’s High Holiday Civic Center Welcome Committee, a facilitator for the Wise Aging Program, and a member of the Security Task Force. Jeff strives to obey the Jewish commandment “thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children…”. For many years his daughters Danielle and Sarah have joined him at Torah Study first at Temple Bat Yahm and now at Rodef Sholom. Jeff and his wife Marianne live in Mill Valley.
Ingrid Tolson
Ingrid was born and raised in New Jersey, graduated from Boston University, and lived in New York City for 10 years after college. In 1997, she married Andrew Tolson and in 1998 they moved to San Francisco. Andrew is a fifth generation San Franciscan, so there has always been a lot of family close by. The Tolsons introduced Ingrid to Hadassah, where she became one of the founders of the L'Atid chapter in 1999. Ingrid also volunteered with the Jewish Community Federation Women's Alliance and helped start a mothers group called Kids and Kibbutzing before moving out of the city.
In 2003, Ingrid and Andrew moved to Mill Valley, where they raised their two sets of fraternal twin boys, born in 2000 and in 2002. The children attended local public schools from kindergarten through high school. Ingrid was active on the PTA boards, the Kiddo! Foundation board, Cub Scouts, and the Tam High Foundation board while the kids were in school and living at home.
The Tolsons joined Congregation Rodef Sholom in 2007, where the boys attended religious school and became b’nai mitzvah. As a family they attended retreats at Camp Newman and traveled to Israel with Rabbi Stacy and other Rodef Sholom families. Ingrid began volunteering in the Rodef Sholom
gift shop in 2014, became its buyer in 2019, and during the COVID-19 pandemic,
created a website for the shop with delivery and pick up available. Over the past several years, Ingrid has become more involved with the Women of Rodef Sholom Sisterhood board and the organization’s activities, has developed meaningful friendships through the Sisterhood, and is honored to be the President for 2024-2026.
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