On Thursday the LJCC Board of Directors voted to name Brooke Bowles the permanent director of The J. The unanimous decision came just 13 weeks after the board named her the interim director.
“We are thrilled and excited by Brooke’s commitment and leadership of The J,” says Hilton Berger, president of the board. “We look forward to the wonderful and exciting opportunities that lie ahead.” Another board member praised her “tenacity, creativity, and enthusiasm.”
Brooke was first hired by The J as director of marketing and fund development in late 2021. She was named interim executive director a year later, during what turned out to have been a successful post-pandemic “rebuilding” phase.
Making a difference
One of Brooke’s main goals in her initial position was to assemble and oversee a team of staff members tasked with growing The J through various development initiatives. Their efforts helped the organization see 30 percent growth in revenue vs. 2021, large increases in individual and corporate donations, and a massive 320 percent increase in grant funding. During this time The J also increased membership by 18 percent after implementing a major overhaul of its membership structure, and expanded Jewish programming. (Read more about 2022 accomplishments in our 2022 Annual Report and in our recap of last month’s annual meeting.)
Prior to her work at The J, Brooke was program coordinator for Glenwood, an autism and behavioral health provider; founded Triumph Services, a provider of services to people with developmental disabilities; worked as an advisor to nonprofits through Bowles Consulting; and was interim CEO of Impact America, an organization that helps recent college graduates address various community needs.