MJCCA Hires New Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer

Dunwoody’s Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta has a new leader.

The MJCCA announced that they have appointed Gail Luxenberg as the new executive director and chief executive officer of the MJCCA. The MJCCA’s Governance Board appointed her last week.

She will begin her new role on Dec. 1, replacing Howard Hyman who has been the interim CEO for the past 15 months, according to an MJCCA press release. Hyman will rejoin the MJCCA’s Governance Board after stepping down from his current position.   

“For the last four years, the MJCCA has accomplished a remarkable turn-around, reducing its debt to an acceptable level and improving its operations, while providing more outstanding programming to the Atlanta Jewish Community,” said Governance Board Chairman David Levy. “We believe that Gail is the leader who will take our Center to an even higher level of performance we all want for our community. We look forward to welcoming her.” 

The previous CEO Michael D. Wise resigned in August 2010. He’d served in that position the MJCCA starting in April 2007, and helped the MJCCA get on sound financial footing.

Luxenberg holds a bachelor of arts in Middle Eastern studies and an MBA in marketing and organizational behavior from the University of Chicago. S

Most recently, she served as executive director of the Jewish Vocational Service in Chicago where she introduced new programs and revitalized the 126-year-old affiliated agency of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. Previously, as executive director of the Midwest Region of American Friends of the Hebrew University, Luxenberg significantly increased the visibility and fundraising efforts of the organization, according to the MJCCA.

The Harvard Business School and the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago have recognized her accomplishments. She has family, including her parents, sisters and their families, in Atlanta.