Cindy started working with the Darrell D. Friedman Institute (DFI) in 1998, (with Debs Weinberg, when it was called the Baltimore Institute for Jewish Communal Service) recruiting and training graduate students preparing them to enter the field of Jewish communal service through internships and seminars. As executive director, beginning in 2007, she led DFI’s transformation into its current scope of service providing continuing education and leadership training to current Jewish communal professionals enabling them succeed in their jobs and advance in their careers. In its new iteration as part of Na’aleh: The Hub for Leadership Learning, Cindy continues to develop talent, inspiring people to take ownership of their leadership learning and professional growth, and thus deepen the culture of learning in their organizations as they strengthen the greater Baltimore community.

Cindy has a dual master’s degree in Jewish Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary and in Social Work from Columbia University. Cindy participated in the Jewish Coaching Academy with Deborah Grayson Riegel, participated in facilitation modality training with Rae Ringel, and holds a training certificate from the American Society for Training and Development.

Prior to moving to Baltimore in 1996, she was awarded a FEREP for grad school to work in a Federation, which she did as a Campaign Associate in Connecticut at the Hartford Jewish Federation. Positions followed at the Hartford JCC in Senior Adult Programming, and as Executive Director of the Connecticut Valley Region of United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism.
She has volunteered in several capacities in the community, including the Krieger Schechter Day School board, the University of Maryland Hillel board, Hadassah, and Beth Israel Congregation.

In her spare time, Cindy enjoys her place in the “sandwich” spending time with her children and twin grandchildren and being with her parents. She slips in reading and traveling and making “honey-do” lists for her newly retired Rabbi husband!