Aimee Segal’s love for mission-driven work and deep roots in Jewish community centers led her to take on the role of the Bender JCC of Greater Washington’s first chief program and innovation officer.
Her appointment by the Bender JCC was announced on March 7 and she officially began on June 4.
“My first day was exciting,” Segal said, adding that her family sent her flowers at work to congratulate her.
In her role, Segal will oversee the Bender JCC’s programmatic departments, including adults and seniors, arts and culture, the Bender Early Childhood Center, Lessans Camp JCC, inclusion services and youth and family engagement. She will use analytics to assess and expand these programs, according to a press release.
Segal will also develop and lead a “unified vision for community life” at the JCC with a focus on meaningfully engaging members and guests, according to the press release.
“I just love the energy of a JCC and what it stands for,” Segal said. “When I see that the lobby is crowded and there are intergenerational connections happening and many languages being spoken, and there’s culture alongside athletics and camp alongside art, I love that this is a crossroads where it can all happen and everyone is welcome.”
She hopes to facilitate more of these connections at the Bender JCC: “My initial goal is to help take what is already great and maximize it.”
“There’s so much potential to not just be a bridge builder externally, but from the youngest to the oldest, help create new connections within our walls and help the youngest members see a path with their family,” she said.
When children age out of the Early Childhood Center, Segal still wants families to see opportunities to keep returning to the Bender JCC and stay engaged, whether through lifelong learning, fitness or another program.
“I was just meeting with a colleague who coordinates programs for lifelong learning and seniors, and beautiful connections are being made between teens and seniors,” Segal said.
She aims to foster these connections by listening not only to her fellow staff members but also community members: “What do they like? What do they wish we were doing? What are the areas where they see we have growth potential? What are their ideas for bringing in new members or new experiences?”
“I want to work with this excellent team that I’m now a part of to take their ideas up to the next level,” Segal said.
Segal brings more than 30 years of experience in strategic planning, communication and programming, having worked in nonprofit leadership for much of her professional life. She is the immediate past president of the board of directors for Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac. Before that, Segal served as the senior advisor of special projects at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. She is also a regular volunteer with Meals on Wheels through the Jewish Social Service Agency.
“I’ve always been in mission-driven work,” she said.
Throughout these leadership roles, Segal has learned the importance of active listening.
“I think for the JCC or any organization to be responsive to its members, I’ve got to listen, get to know people and put relationships and the opportunity to make those connections at the forefront of the work I do,” she said.
Segal plans to spend the near future learning about what the Bender JCC has done and what successes she can build upon to boost community engagement.
For Segal, the JCC is more than her work — it represents a lifelong connection.
“Being a member of the JCC was really formative,” said Segal, who has fond childhood memories of attending camp and activities at her local JCC in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
She and her husband joined the Bender JCC when they moved to Potomac as newlyweds in the early 2000s. The two sent their kids to Bender JCC’s preschool and day camp: “It was a priority for my family.”
Segal is back at the JCC during a pivotal time for the local Jewish community.
“More than ever, we’re living in divisive times, and I, as a member of the Jewish community, want to be part of advancing [the Bender JCC’s] mission,” Segal said. “I think that the JCC can be a bridge builder.”
“We are delighted and energized by the possibilities of welcoming a new, talented leader with an impressive track record in program development and a steadfast commitment to community,” Josh Bender, Bender JCC’s CEO, said in the press release.
