Gann Academy Announces Election of Four Local Leaders to Board of Trustees

Growing Board to Move School Forward, Focus on Academic Excellence
WALTHAM—Gann Academy, a Jewish High School in Waltham committed to academic excellence and offering students a meaningful Jewish education in a pluralistic environment, announced today that four new leaders will join its distinguished Board of Trustees. The new members will be critical to the board’s efforts to support the Academy’s efforts, and will lend their wide array of expertise and leadership experience to helping Gann achieve its goals. 

Joining the board are Rachel Chafetz and Scott Simpson Cohen of Newton, Adam Suttin of Needham, and William Foster of Wellesley.

"Gann's Board continues to get stronger and stronger each year,” said Rabbi Marc Baker, Head of School. “I am inspired by the passion and talent of all of our Board members and this year we were particularly proud to welcome four new members with significant lay and professional experience in the areas of finance, philanthropy, entrepreneurship, marketing and management consulting. We can already see the benefits of their contributions."

"I'm honored to have been asked to serve on Gann's board with such a distinguished group,” said Rachel Chafetz. “Gann continues to grow and excel in many areas, and I'm particularly excited about the changes to their Judaic Studies programming that will offer a much broader scope and continue Gann's mission for academic excellence."

Rachel Chafetz is a passionate advocate for Jewish special education in the Boston community. She currently serves as the President of the Board of Gateways: Access to Jewish Education, where she began as a volunteer in the B’nei Mitzvah program nearly 10 years ago. She is a former board member of the Bureau of Jewish Education and the Greater Boston Jewish Community Center. Chafetz lives in Newton with her husband, Larry, and her three children, Daniel, Tal and Ben. 

"Gann Academy is an extraordinary, growing institution that has an outsized influence on the region and the nation at large. I'm honored to have been asked to serve alongside this astoundingly impressive and experienced group of Trustees,” said Scott Simpson Cohen.

"We wanted the best of both worlds for our daughter. We wanted a proven, exceptional, rigorous academic environment, but we also wanted a program steeped in the ethics of Jewish law and tradition. At Gann, you get both.”

Cohen is a co-chair of Combined Jewish Philanthropies’ Day School Education Commission. He and his family are active at Chabad of Needham, Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, and The Rashi School. Cohen also works closely with several Jewish nonprofits, including JNS, a global wire service that aims to improve objective, nonpartisan reporting on Israel.

"It is a true honor to be welcomed onto the board of an institution with such a clear mission and strong leadership team,” said William Foster. “On a personal level, my wife and I are the first in our families to send our children to day school and are deeply committed. On a professional level, I am excited to bring my background in nonprofit strategy and funding models to Gann as it plans for its future."

Foster is a partner at The Bridgespan Group and head of the consulting practice.  In that role, Foster has supported the success of some of the sector’s leading nonprofits and philanthropies.  Based on his clients’ experiences, Foster has dedicated himself to research on the topic of nonprofit funding models and their relationship to philanthropy and has published multiple works on the subject. Foster has previously served as the Executive Director of the Jacobson Family Foundation.  He and his wife, Rachel, have four children. 

“My children, Ben and Rachel, have had great experiences at Gann and I look forward to helping the school continue to fulfill the mission of instilling Jewish values to our children in an academically rigorous and nurturing environment,” said Adam Suttin.

Suttin is a partner at J.W. Childs Associates, L.P., a local private equity firm. He is a member of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies’ Board and the Treasurer of the Jewish Community Relations Council. He and his wife, Hope, have three children, Ben ‘14, Rachel ‘16, and Liana, and are members of Temple Emanuel.

About Gann Academy
Gann Academy, founded in 1997 in Waltham, is a Jewish high school that encourages students to consider their relationship to Judaism, Israel and the Jewish community around the world through an enriching and diverse curriculum. Students come from all over the country and from a variety of religious backgrounds. Gann’s curriculum is a unique combination of the arts, humanities, math, science and Judaic studies. The courses are largely project-based and experiential, involving significant research, experimentation and presentation.  To learn more about Gann Academy, visit them online at www.gannacademy.org.

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