The Workmen’s Circle Elects New President of Board of Directors

New York, NY – Workmen’s Circle members voted to elect Richard Rumelt to a two-year term as President of the Board and elected new members Zeev Dagan, Michelle H. Green, and Eric Marshall on October 21. Mr. Rumelt succeeds Peter Pepper, who will now serve as Treasurer and Past President.

Richard Rumelt previously served as a member of The Workmen’s Circle Board of Directors from 2010 to 2016, including most recently serving as its Treasurer. Richard served as a Vice President of the Workmen’s Circle MultiCare Center, Branch Financial Secretary, and Former President of Branch 310. Professionally, he was Vice President of ILGWU and UNITE HERE. His affiliations include being the Director of Amalgamated Service Corporation, Trustee of the National Retirement Fund, and Trustee of the Amalgamated National Health Fund.

“I’m honored to be elected president of the Workmen’s Circle, an organization with a storied history and a bright future,” Richard said. “Our affiliates around the county are at the forefront of social activism and cultural Jewish education. Our Camp Kinder Ring provides a unique Jewish camping experience and our Yiddish language program is thriving. I hope to work with our Board, staff and Executive Director to build on our legacy and grow the next generation of Jewish activists.”

“I am thrilled to welcome such a talented group of new members to the Workmen’s Circle Board,” said Workmen’s Circle Executive Director Ann Toback. “It’s exciting to see our organization’s growth reflected in the expansion of our leadership pipeline. I have benefited greatly from my partnership with outgoing president Peter Pepper, who has strengthened our social justice department and shored up our financial snapshot. And I look forward to continuing to develop our footprint with Richard Rumelt, a leader who has positively represented the Workmen’s Circle throughout the years and brings a great enthusiasm to carry our mission forward.”

Members Michael Kaminer, Robert Kaplan, Edgar Romney, and Bernice Siegal were re-elected to the board. The new board members – who each serve three-year terms - are:

Zeev Dagan, PhD. Affiliated with City College of New York (CCNY) since 1983, Zeev served as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost from 1999 until 2010. Prior to this appointment, he served as a Deputy Provost, Associate Dean in the School of Engineering, and Chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He is the author and co-author of forty scientific articles. As Provost, Zeev managed 75% of the College’s $150 million operating budget, with about 800 faculty and staff. During his tenure, enrollment increased from 11,000 to 16,300 students, and external research funding from $28 million to $69 million. He also served on the Board of Directors of the New York State Structural Biology Center, and on the regional College Board. Currently, he serves on the executive committee of the NYC Town & Gown consortium involving 15 universities and the New York City Department of Construction. In 2011, Zeev was appointed Executive Director of Entrepreneurial Research Initiatives at The City University of New York. He received his Bachelor of Engineering degree and a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the City College of New York (CCNY) as well as his Ph.D. in Engineering from the City University of New York (CUNY).

Michelle H. Green. Michelle has served as Assistant Director for District Council 37, American Federation of State and Municipal Employees, from 1980 to 2005 and most recently from 2016 to present as the lead union negotiator in private and public sector negotiations. Prior to this appointment, Michelle served as Associate Director for Special Projects for the New York State Nurses Association from 2005 to 2016 on statewide DISRIP activities and local bargaining unit committees. From 1978 to 1979, she was Research Assistant for the Stein Partnership from 1978 to 1979 wherein she prepared a study of energy consumption in buildings for the New York State Office of Energy Conservation. She also served as Legislative Assistant for the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Labor from 1973 to 1977 as committee liaison with labor organizations. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from State University of New York (Albany) in Philosophy.

Eric Marshall. Eric Marshall has more than 20 years of experience in labor-management relations. He currently represents the Bridgeport public school teachers for the Connecticut Education Association. From 2002 to 2017, Eric worked as a Labor Relations Specialist with New York State United Teachers, resolving labor disputes in the public and private sectors, negotiating collective bargaining agreements, representing workers in arbitration and practicing before PERB and the NLRB on behalf of labor unions. For the past five years, he has taught Employment Law in the Baruch College/Zicklin School of Business MSILR program and has served as thesis advisor for the past three years. In addition, he maintains a solo law practice focusing on employment related matters. Eric received a BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, an MPhil (PhD ABD) in English Literature from the CUNY Graduate Center, and a JD from New York Law School, where he was an editor on Law Review and recipient of the Alfred L. Rose Award for Excellence and the Otto L. Walter Distinguished Writing Award. He is the author of several essays on academic labor and workplace rights.

About The Workmen’s Circle

The Workmen’s Circle is a social justice organization that powers progressive Jewish identity through Jewish cultural engagement, Yiddish language learning, multigenerational education, and social justice activism. For over a century we have provided this 360-degree approach to Jewish identity-building. Through contemporary cultural programs, strategic social justice campaigns, vibrant Yiddish language classes, interactive educational experiences and more, we connect Jewish adults, kids and families of all affiliations with their cultural heritage, working to build a better and more beautiful world for all. Learn more at www.circle.org

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