By Michelle Gordon
In November of 2006, I clearly remember sitting at my desk at The Associated when Marc Terrill called and asked if I could meet with him.
I had no idea that that conversation would launch an 18-year tenure as chief of staff at The Associated, working side by side with Marc and the top leadership of The Associated.
Flash-forward to 2024 and we are collectively embarking on a new chapter at The Associated as Marc departs from his role and passes on the torch to the very capable Andrew Cushnir.
I’ve had a long time to prepare for Marc’s departure. But now that it is just weeks away, so many thoughts and emotions are surfacing.
What I hope to communicate most is not what Marc has accomplished on behalf of this community — which has been documented on previous pages of this issue of Jmore — but also a bit of insight into who Marc is as a leader and how he has shaped The Associated’s image and successes.
Marc has served as the ultimate Jewish community professional in so many ways. He represents the hundreds of people in Jewish Baltimore who have dedicated themselves to serving this amazing community.
Working on behalf of Baltimore’s Jewish community is a privilege and a challenge. The professional and personal lines get blurred about where one lives and works in the community, whose fellow synagogue congregant may be their boss or employee and when you see volunteers at the grocery store. It is an honor and a sacrifice at times, and Marc has led us enthusiastically and with resolve, seeing us through the most difficult of days and the happiest of moments.
Marc’s connection to our donors and community members is unparalleled; his deep relationships connect our community in ways that enable us to achieve projects other communities can only dream of.
He has led our Associated network through challenging times, always striving for a vision that ensures that Jewish Baltimore is thriving and collaborative.
He is a master at managing the multiple stakeholders that are the core of The Associated — the volunteers, staff, agencies, donors, synagogues and community partners.
Balancing the demands and many opinions of our stakeholders is an art that Marc has perfected.
Marc believes The Associated’s work is a sacred obligation. He has embodied the values that are core to our work: the vitality of the lay-professional relationship, the power of each individual in advancing our work, the attention to detail and that every encounter matters.
Marc’s commitment to Jewish life and identity is boundless. He works tirelessly to maintain the vibrant and delicate balance of our Associated network of agencies, and under his leadership we have created and merged new and innovative agencies to ensure we are proactive in addressing the trends of our community while also using donations and the generosity of the community wisely and effectively.
Serving as president of The Associated is a delicate balance. A balance of business savvy, leadership management, fundraising, collaboration — the list could go on — layered with a great deal of empathy and mutual understanding.
Marc makes it look easy, and this work is anything but easy.
And at the core of who Marc is, he cares about YOU. You — the reader, community member, agency colleague, donor, fellow Jewish professional — he cares about each individual represented by The Associated.
His work over the last 20-plus years reflects that as we work to ensure that Baltimore is a thriving success for generations to come.
And for that Marc, we thank you.
Michelle Gordon is chief of staff at The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore.
A former college campus activist, Veksler will speak at Chizuk Amuno on June 8 at the Ruth and Jay Lenrow Visiting Scholar-in-Residence for Combating Antisemitism.
A lifelong Baltimorean, Judge Rosenberg served as a U.S. magistrate judge from 1973 to 1998.
A former resident of Baltimore and central Florida, Ritt was active in the Soviet Jewry movement of the 1970s and 1980s.
For more than four decades, Goldman played a vital role in the supervision of elections in the city.