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Orit Lender, CEO of the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island, is a community-minded leader with more than 20 years of experience in outreach, community building, and philanthropy.

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Prior to her time at the JCC, Orit served as the Youth Coordinator at Seaman’s Society for Children and Families, where she facilitated youth groups throughout Staten Island. She built on this background in her first role at the JCC as the Youth Empowerment Director. This position gave her the opportunity to make a positive difference in young people’s lives through programs like camp and an anti-tobacco campaign. After taking on the role of Program Director in 2009, Orit’s work brought her out into the community to work with Staten Island’s senior population. Working closely with community leaders and government agencies, she developed and supervised all of the JCC’s senior centers including the Innovative Senior Center. In 2015, Orit was appointed Assistant Executive Director, and as she expanded her portfolio, she was named Deputy Executive Director. In these roles, her vision and leadership touched all aspects of the JCC’s work across Staten Island. During this time, she also completed the Duke University Executive Leadership for Non-Profit Certificate program. In 2020, Orit was selected to be the JCC’s next Chief Executive Officer. She has the distinction of being the agency’s first female CEO.