Melissa Greenberg has been appointed Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Chief Philanthropy Officer at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), effective December 1, 2021.
Reporting to the President, Greenberg will serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet and provide support to the Board of Governors, working closely with the Development Committee of the Board. She will be responsible for the vision, strategy, and implementation of a comprehensive institutional advancement program as well as the recruitment and development of talented team members seeking to significantly increase constituent involvement and financial resources. Overseeing HUC-JIR’s global institutional advancement work, she will build a collaborative model with the directors of all schools, academic programs, the library, and archives, strengthen engagement with all alumni, and identify new sources within the Jewish and secular communities to support HUC-JIR’s vital future.
Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., HUC-JIR President, stated, “We are thrilled by the addition of Melissa Greenberg to our senior leadership team. She brings a successful track record working in all three environments that are distinctive to HUC-JIR. Her experience at Temple University in the President’s Office and overseeing their comprehensive campaign gives her an understanding of the importance of resources to support faculty and scholarship to maintaining academic excellence and deepening public discourse. Her skill in leading the efforts to transform the Free Library of Philadelphia gives her an appreciation of the significance of outstanding collections to facilitate and support research and engage communities. And her leadership role at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, among the largest Federations in North America, demonstrates an understanding of, and deep commitment to, the Jewish community, Israel, and the Jewish People in helping individuals live lives with dignity, meaning, and purpose. She impressed us with her broad vision, strategic thinking, and dynamic management approach that will be essential to meeting our challenges into the 21st century. We are delighted to welcome her aboard.”
Greenberg comes to HUC-JIR after serving as the Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. As the senior professional responsible for creating and directing an integrated and comprehensive approach for philanthropy and community engagement, she oversaw all financial resources development, endowments, and campaigns. She created opportunities for engagement with the Jewish communities in the greater Philadelphia region, while promoting a culture of Jewish philanthropy to support the Federation’s partner agencies, synagogues, and civic institutions, locally and globally.
Prior to joining the Jewish Federation in 2016, Greenberg led the philanthropy efforts and campaigns at many civic, cultural, and educational institutions in Philadelphia. She was Vice President of Development for the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation, where she designed Building Inspiration, the capital campaign for the Free Library System. As Chief of Staff at Temple University, she directed Access to Excellence, the University’s first comprehensive $400 million campaign. Greenberg also served as Director of Development for the $265 million Campaign to Build the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
A native Philadelphian, her career was launched when she worked with former Governor and Mayor Ed Rendell to build initiatives to position Philadelphia as a destination city. She lives in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania with her husband, two daughters, and Bernedoodle. She is an active member of the community, currently serving on the boards of The Lantern Theater and The Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavioral Health and is a former member of the boards of the Fleisher Art Memorial and Adath Israel Synagogue.