David B. Edelson, a distinguished business and Jewish communal leader, was installed today as Chair of the Board of Governors of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). A member of the Board since June 2016, Vice Chair since June 2020, and Chair-Elect since June 2021, he succeeds Sue Neuman Hochberg as Chair.
“David Edelson brings to HUC-JIR his deep commitment to our sacred mission of developing leaders for the Jewish people, as well as his profound professional and nonprofit governance expertise,” stated Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., HUC-JIR President. “During this past year, he has been a source of wisdom and strength in guiding our historic reconciliation process and supporting our strategic decision-making, both of which have positioned HUC-JIR to successfully achieve our strategic goals and ensure a vital Jewish future.”
Edelson stated, “I believe HUC-JIR is pivotal to a flourishing Jewish future. Our students go on to build and transform institutions that engage, educate, and inspire individuals and communities throughout North America, Israel, and around the world. It is a privilege to work with our faculty, administration, students, alumni, and Board of Governors to advance HUC-JIR’s mission, enhance our educational excellence, solidify our financial foundation, and ensure visionary Jewish leadership for future generations.”
Edelson is a Senior Advisor at Loews Corporation. He joined Loews as Senior Vice President in May 2005 and served as Chief Financial Officer from May 2014 to May 2022. Prior to joining Loews, he was Executive Vice President and Corporate Treasurer of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Earlier in his career, he was an investment banker with Goldman Sachs & Co. and J.P. Morgan Chase. He is a director of AutoNation, Inc.
He earned an M.B.A. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and a B.A. from Dartmouth College.
Edelson joined the Board of Central Synagogue in New York City in 2004 and served as Board President from 2012 to 2015. He served as President of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Board of Family & Children’s Services in New York City from July 2018 through June 2022 and currently serves as a Board member of UJA-Federation of New York. At Dartmouth, he serves on the Board of Visitors of The John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding.