Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
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ROCHELLE L. REICH

Asheville

Summary

Dynamic Executive Director with a proven track record at Congregation Beth Israel, driving a 30% membership increase and managing a balanced budget with annual surpluses. Expertise in strategic planning and fundraising, complemented by strong relationship-building skills. Adept at crisis management and volunteer recruitment, ensuring impactful community engagement and program development.

Overview

28
28
years of professional experience

Work History

Executive Director

CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL
Asheville
01.2020 - Current
  • Hired as the first ever Executive Director for a 170 household synagogue with a part-time rabbi.
  • Responsible for all administrative, strategic and programmatic decisions for the Congregation. Work with current Board & committee chairs on Board recruitment, lay leader training, budget development & management, fundraising, marketing, membership campaign, grant writing and management, adult and youth education, volunteer recruitment, building maintenance, High Holiday logistics, policies/procedures and communication strategy & messaging.
  • Specific highlight projects include: steered the COVID-19 reaction, managed a rabbi search, 30% membership increase, balanced budget with surplus every year, new website & software conversion, a land parcel sale, a $400k exterior restoration to the building facade, a natural disaster (Hurricane Helene) response, and currently mid-way through a $500k endowment campaign for the Cemetary.
  • Served as chairperson for WNC Jewish Community Relations Council (2017-2022)
  • Active participant in Jewish Leadership Collaborative and Jewish Leadership Professionals Group

Director of Community Life and Jewish Learning

ASHEVILLE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
Asheville
07.2007 - 01.2020
  • Responsible for strategic planning, visioning, and development for cultural programming, community outreach programming, volunteer management, customer service, community collaborations, social justice programming, Israel programming, adult programming (non fitness), fundraising events, youth & family programming and newcomer programs.
  • Training and supervision of small department, including Tzedek Fellow for 4 years
  • Researched, wrote and managed the grant application process and reporting
  • Ongoing re-evaluation of existing programs and events
  • Member and donor engagement as ongoing initiatives
  • Partnered with Marketing Director to create messaging and creative elements of annual initiatives
  • Led Jewish lens initiative within the organization helping all departments to include meaningful Judaic content whenever possible
  • Staff leader on two standing committees and multiple task forces.
  • Administrative responsibilities including department payroll, check requests, annual reviews, departmental budget creation and management
  • Selected for national 18 month fellowship “Jewish Experiential Leadership Institute” and graduated in 2015 as part of JELI cohort 2. This program was a joint initiative between JCCA and JTS.
  • 2016 Zahav award winner for Jewish Impact by the JCCA bi-annual awards committee.
  • Served on JELI Southeast development task force and advisory team (2017-2019)
  • JCCA Arts & Culture Ignition Task force member (2019)
  • Selected to teach a seminar at the JCCA Professionals Conference (2019) and deliver d’var (2017)
  • Previous JCC positions held: Development Director and Development & Membership Director.

Senior Catering Sales Manager

BILTMORE ESTATE
Asheville
04.2004 - 07.2007
  • Provide in depth pre-qualification of potential clients ensuring maximization of revenue for nine venues located on private 8,000-acre estate.
  • Meet with prospective clients during their preliminary stages of site searching to sell our facilities, expertise, personalized services, and customized culinary experience.
  • Customizing events to meet individual client’s needs and price. Responsibilities also entail all aspects of event coordination which include: contract negotiations, menu selection, room set-up, specialty rentals, accommodations at Four Diamond inn for overnight guests, prepare all banquet event orders, group resumes, and related billing.
  • Provide flawless internal communication of all events between 20+ internal departments, including five separate food and beverage outlets, ensuring that all events surpass client’s expectations.
  • Supervise, manage, motivate, train and develop the Catering Team. Lead weekly department meetings, regular individual meetings and handle day to day concerns. Act as liaison to the Director of department and Vice President of Food and Beverage.
  • Responsible for a rolling 6 month financial forecast that is updated bi-monthly.
  • Ongoing prospecting and marketing within the community to further develop account base through networking with local chamber of commerce, vendors, and industry organizations.
  • Continuous development of marketing materials, packaging, and up-selling strategies.
  • Consistently exceeded individual sales goals. Exceeded sales goal in FY2005/2006 by 40%.
  • National Award winner “Wedding of the Year 2006” by National Association of Catering Executives (NACE)

Account Executive

DIFFERENT TASTES CATERING
Boston
04.2003 - 04.2004
  • Primary responsibility was to generate new sales. In first nine months with company, was responsible for increasing sales year over year by 10%. Brought in 25 new clients, two of which were within months on our top client list.
  • Created annual marketing plan utilizing market research; competitive analysis and trends.
  • Maintain an account base of existing clients and ongoing prospecting initiative.
  • Vice President of the New England Chapter of NACE 2003-2004
  • Served as co-chair of the 2003 NACE Educational Conference held in Boston for 500+ attendees.

Senior Catering Sales Manager

THE OMNI PARKER HOUSE HOTEL
Boston
06.1997 - 03.2003
  • Primarily responsible for a Corporate Market. Responsibilities included prospecting for new clients within my market as well as continuing to service the existing account base.
  • Prior responsibility: 80% of the wedding clients on an ongoing basis. This included the preliminary sales meetings, contract negotiations, wedding consulting and detailing.
  • Assist with monthly forecasting and end-of-the-month reports.
  • Development of new menu package strategies and marketing techniques for the department. This includes all wedding advertising, the content and layout of the menu package, client food tastings, initiating new types of menus and development of up-selling strategies.
  • Achieved and surpassed budget and sales goals monthly and annually.
  • Manager of the Quarter for 3rd quarter of 1998.
  • Executive Catering Sales Manager of the Year 1999. This is an Omni Corporate Award that recognizes one Catering Manager per year, throughout the company.
  • Omni “President’s Circle” 2002 & 2003 for exceeding sales goals the three prior consecutive years.
  • Named “Caterer of the Year” by the New England Chapter of NACE for 2002.

Education

BA - Speech Communication, Writing

Ithaca College
Ithaca, NY
05.1992

Skills

  • Community outreach
  • Crisis management
  • Volunteer recruitment
  • Conflict resolution
  • Effective communication
  • Team leadership
  • Project management
  • Policy development
  • Expectation management
  • Relationship building
  • Strategic planning
  • Budget management
  • Grant writing
  • Fundraising strategy
  • Program development
  • Membership engagement

Timeline

Executive Director

CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL
01.2020 - Current

Director of Community Life and Jewish Learning

ASHEVILLE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
07.2007 - 01.2020

Senior Catering Sales Manager

BILTMORE ESTATE
04.2004 - 07.2007

Account Executive

DIFFERENT TASTES CATERING
04.2003 - 04.2004

Senior Catering Sales Manager

THE OMNI PARKER HOUSE HOTEL
06.1997 - 03.2003

BA - Speech Communication, Writing

Ithaca College

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ROCHELLE L. REICH