M² Aleh Summit for Jewish Federation Professionals 2026

Mollie has over 10 years experience teaching in a variety of Jewish educational settings – from formal classroom teaching to nature education, theatre education to collaborative philanthropy education. She enjoys being in the field, as well as building programs and trainings to support others. Mollie holds a double Masters in Midrash and Jewish Experiential Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary, a BA in Religion from Bard College, and is a graduate
of M²’s Senior Educators Cohort.

She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and children.

Jessica Balboni serves as the Associate Vice President of the Mandel Center for Leadership Excellence for the Jewish Federations of North America. She designs professional development, produces national conferences, and helps to support talent development for a network of 141 Federations across North America. She holds an M.A. in Social Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, a B.A. in Political Science from Smith College, and coaching credentials from Leadership that Works.

Liz Fisher is the Chief Talent Officer at the Jewish Federations of North America.

Serving as JFNA’s inaugural Chief Talent Officer is Liz’s dream job, combining a lifelong love of organizational development, culture, and talent with the ability to impact the system that launched her career in the Jewish communal sector.

Liz’s prior leadership roles include CEO at Amplifier, COO at Repair the World, and Managing Director at Birthright Israel NEXT. She’s proud to have worked at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis and at UJA-Federation of New York.

Liz has an MSW from Washington University in St. Louis.

Abby Mintz is a Senior Program Director at M², where she brings creative and ambitious visions to life with thoughtful attention to programmatic operations and facilitation. Since joining M² in 2021, she has drawn on her experience as a Jewish camp director, university instructor, and clinical therapist to help people grow and find meaning in their work and lives.

Abby earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Special Education and Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University, where she also completed her M.Ed. in Human Development Counseling. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a former yoga instructor, and most proudly a mom of 3 kiddos and 1 fur baby. She lives in Evanston, IL, and outside of work can be found reimagining home design or planning her next safari adventure.

Becca Shimshak is the Director of Professional Development for the Mandel Center for Leadership Excellence at the Jewish Federations of North America. Becca focuses on developing trainings, conferences, retreats, and leadership programs to enhance talent development for the field of 141 Federations across North America. Becca’s emphasis is on internal and external partnership development as well as marketing and recruitment. Becca also meets individually to help professionals design their career trajectory. Becca holds an M.A. in Organizational Psychology with a concentration in Talent Management from William James College in Massachusetts and a B.A. in Psychology from Harvard University.

Sara Sukol is the Graphic Design Manager at M², where she brings a passion for using design to elevate communication and support Jewish educational experiences.

Joanna is a Program Manager at M². Joanna holds a BS in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University. Prior to joining M², she worked at Evanston Township High School, where she facilitated a course that empowered students to use the design thinking framework to develop innovative solutions for community improvement. Joanna loves using her creativity to design engaging and meaningful program experiences and then produce organized action to bring these ideas to life.

Outside of work, you’ll find Joanna picking up a new book from her local public library, exploring farmer’s markets and new neighborhoods around Chicago, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, and spending time outdoors with friends.