NJDC Expands

Aaron Keyak — May 21, 2009 – 10:37 am | Democrats | Obama Comments (0) Add a comment

Today, Adam Kredo of Washington Jewish Week authored a feature piece on NJDC’s recent staff enhancement and that ”[t]his is a huge time of reform across the country. ... [NJDC] organization is going to be a much larger presence in Washington.” 

Here’s the beginning of the article:

It’s good to be in power. Just ask the National Jewish Democratic Council: The nonprofit advocacy organization has had “a record year,” according to its leaders, and is now on course to implement its first major organizational change in 13 years.

In a push to expand its influence in the Democratic-led White House and Congress, NJDC announced last week that it is doubling its executive function by bringing aboard a new president, David Harris, the current executive director of the Israel on Campus Coalition. Harris will join the group in July.

Ira Forman, the group’s executive director since 1996, has been named CEO, and will lead the NJDC jointly with Harris.

“If we ever needed to grow and expand, this is the time,” Forman said in an interview. “We’re just jazzed [about the change] and I’m personally jazzed.”

In the minority during President George W. Bush’s eight years in power, the NJDC ran a budget deficit in 2007. Since then, however, Forman said that every year “our budget goes up.” He added that despite “these difficult times,” 2009 has been “a record year,” which likely “corresponds” to being associated with the majority party.

Serving as the NJDC’s sole captain since his tenure began, Forman said he is looking forward to dividing key duties between himself and Harris. (Before, “we were swamped and putting in 80-hour weeks,” Forman said.)

“We have a knowledge base with [Harris]” because he served as the NJDC’s deputy executive director for seven years, Forman noted. “There’s no real getting up time—he’s going to be coming in knowing” the terrain.

And with President Barack Obama pushing for major social and political reforms, Forman says this is the perfect time for the NJDC to revamp its vision and method. “This is a huge time of reform across the country. ... This organization is going to be a much larger presence in Washington.”

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