Jewish Geriatric Services Names Halpern New Director Of Development

LONGMEADOW — Susan Kimball Halpern has been named director of Development for Jewish Geriatric Services (JGS). She will be responsible for all fundraising initiatives for the non-profit organization, including its annual campaign, planned giving efforts, special events, and grant writing.
Halpern joined JGS in 1996 to oversee its $7.4 million Regeneration (Capital) Campaign, which made possible the building of Ruth’s House and the renovation of the Julian J. Leavitt Family Nursing Home. While coordinating that effort in subsequent years, she also became the director of Community Development, and as part of that responsibility, she assumed the role of the first coordinator of JGS Institute, the community and professional education initiative of JGS.

Prior to joining JGS, Halpern was an attorney with the Springfield law firms Cohen, Rosenthal and Cooley, Shrair, concentrating in the areas of real estate transactions and commercial loan transactions.

Halpern holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Western New England College and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont. She is currently a member of the Women’s Division Board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Springfield, holding the portfolio for board development; chair of the NEFESH (Nurturing the Feminine Spirit of Hope) Fund of the Jewish Endowment Foundation, which provides grants to support programs impacting local Jewish women and girls; a member of the Board of Directors of Temple Beth El, serving on its Education subcommittee; and a member of the Board of Directors of the Hatikvah Education Resource Center.