CLOSING THE OPPORTUNITY GAP

Dear Friends,

As I reflect on the past year, and look ahead at what’s to come, two things are in my mind and heart. First, I am grateful to our community for coming together through giving, volunteerism and partnerships to weather the COVID crisis and to meet our community members’ urgent needs while they advanced on their path to economic mobility. Second, there is still so much to do.

Currently 1/3 of Californians live in poverty, and 80% of those people live in households with one working adult. COVID has only deepened the long-term cumulative effects of systemic racism and structural inequities driving an opportunity gap that makes it difficult for low-income families to achieve economic mobility. JVS is seizing this moment as a catalyst for change to build an equitable system where everyone can thrive. To achieve this, we need to close the opportunity gap, and we need your help.

There is a role for all of us to play in closing the opportunity gap. Employers can create more accessible career entry-points and advancement opportunities for non-traditional talent (people without 4-year degrees, BIPOC, and underrepresented people). Government and policy makers can modernize the public workforce system to further align its investments with the most impactful strategies, including creating more flexible ways to support work-based learning and addressing the digital divide. JVS is committed to substantial, long-term impact. That’s why we are focused on continuing to expand our training programs, and taking our understanding of what works to support change in employer practices and public policy.

The scale of the problem is huge, but we have the experience, partnerships and vision to close the opportunity gap and give all Californians the opportunity to launch careers with family-sustaining wages and thrive.

The Opportunity Gap is Driving Poverty

Systemic bias and inequitable access to childcare, healthcare, education, training, employment and career advancement creates an opportunity gap that excludes people (especially BIPOC, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and people without 4-year degrees) from attaining careers with family-sustaining wages. This opportunity gap drives income inequality and poverty that plagues California.

JVS is closing the opportunity gap

JVS is closing the opportunity gap through our community outreach and partnerships, impactful career training programs, and policy change initiatives. In partnership with employers, community organizations, educational institutions and government agencies, we are building a more equitable system where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

JVS Alumni Network is Amplifying Opportunity

After many years of a successful career in tech sales, Ella faced a shrinking market and needed to change careers. Ella joined JVS’s Salesforce Administrator program and graduated just as the nation went into lockdown due to the pandemic, and through her determination and the support of her network, Ella passed her Salesforce Administrator exam.

Kehinde Oseni, a former Salesforce alum, connected Ella to his employer and JVS partner, PagerDuty. Ella’s skills were a perfect match for the company, and they offered her a 3-month paid fellowship that was extended to a 1-year project . Ella took this earn-and-learn professional period to complete an impactful project while she focused on getting a full-time Salesforce Administrator position.

“Kehinde, my fellow JVS Salesforce alum, showed me how to use my skills to become even more advanced. Now I mentor young women who are learning Salesforce.”

Throughout this period, Ella stayed connected to JVS and our mock interview sessions with Bay Area companies. It was during this time that she interviewed with Autodesk.

Autodesk hired Ella as a Salesforce Business Analyst in July 2021, and she recently learned that she is a candidate for a full-time position.

Public-Private Partnership is Transforming Lives

After years of struggling to support her family, Jamice learned about JVS’s Automotive Pre-Apprenticeship program, an innovative public-private partnership that connects underrepresented people with careers in the public utilities and skilled trades. With support from JVS, Jamice prepared for her exams and completed her 6-month pre-apprenticeship at the SFMTA (San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency).

Jamice then entered a 3-year paid apprenticeship within the SFMTA, which enabled her to earn a living wage while learning the key skills she would need to advance to a journey-level machinist position.

“I was born and raised in San Francisco. To be a part of keeping it together, it’s rewarding. It’s giving back and being a part of what you know.”

Today, Jamice has come full-circle and is a proud, full-time SFMTA apprentice auto machinist. She is able to support her family and is on the road to a secure future.

Our Community is Moving Up Together

Just like Jamice, Maurice was looking for a career with stability but he didn’t have a connection to the careers and training available.

“I grew up on the MUNI system. I knew bus drivers, but I didn’t know about all the careers available.”

It was the power of JVS’s community and network of partnerships that helped paved the way for Maurice. The camaraderie within his automotive pre-apprenticeship cohort strengthened Maurice’s ability to succeed.

“I jumped into a welding class with Jamice at CCSF. All of us can do the same thing. It became a family.”

After Maurice completed the program, the SFMTA hired him, giving Maurice stability and a schedule that enables him to spend quality time with his family.

Thank you to our employer partners for working with us to get job seekers from the Bay Area and beyond the opportunities and training they need.

Bridging the Digital Divide for Youth

JVS helped youth clients navigate remote school and prepare for an increasingly digital world of work. Addressing the digital divide, the JVS Work Resource Program Tech Training provides San Francisco high school students with foundational computer skills for the workplace.

In the program, students:

• Learned basic tech functions in Google Docs, Slides, and Drive Navigation

• Crafted professional emails

• Explored careers & how technology applies to the world of work

• Identified how these tech tools are used in school and the workplace

click image to expand

Our Partnerships and thought leadership in action

Thank You

Supporters as of June 30, 2021

CORPORATIONS & FOUNDATIONS

$200,000+

Crankstart
The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc.
The James Irvine Foundation
Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund
Tipping Point Community
Workday

$100,000+

Eva Heller Kohn Fund of the Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund
Google, Inc.
Salesforce
The San Francisco Foundation
Sobrato Family Foundation
Stupski Foundation
Walter & Elise Haas Fund

$50,000+

Bank of America
Hellman Foundation
LinkedIn
Twitter
U.S. Bank
Wells Fargo
Y & H Soda Foundation

$25,000+

Accenture
Alexander M. & June L. Maisin Foundation
Bank of the West
The Bernard Osher Jewish Philanthropies Foundation of the Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund
The Capital Group Companies, Inc.
Charles Schwab Bank
Kaiser Permanente
Mount Zion Health Fund
Newhouse Fund of the Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund
Okta
Sutter Health

$10,000+

Citi
City National Bank
Colliers International
First Republic Bank
Frank A. Campini Foundation
JPMorgan Chase
The Koret Foundation
Microsoft
Shorenstein Family & related companies
The Swig Company
UCSF
UCSF Health
Union Bank

$5,000+

Amazon.com, Inc.
Cruise
Ernst & Young
Herbst Foundation, Inc.
Menlo Ventures
Seiler LLP
SoMa Equity Partners
Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture
Union Bank Foundation

$1,000+

Comcast
Congregation Emanu-El
East Bay Municipal Utility District
ELM Advisors, LLC
Esther D. Kahn College Internship Fund of the Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund
The Handlery Foundation
Hood & Strong, LLP
New America
Nibbi Brothers General Contractors
Primark Benefits
Rosen Bien Galvin & Grunfeld LLP
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
Social Policy Research Associates
Visa Inc.

Individuals

$200,000+

Anonymous (2)
Nancy & Stephen* Grand

$100,000+

Cathy & Jim Koshland
John Pritzker Family Fund
Lisa Stone Pritzker

$50,000+

Arthur & Toni Rembe Rock
Randee Seiger
Max Simkoff & Jennifer Saslaw
Roselyne C. Swig
Caroline Voorsanger

$25,000+

Gerson Bakar* & Barbara Bass Bakar
Marcia & John Goldman
Wendy Kesser
Laura & Gary Lauder
Stuart A. Miller Family Foundation
Toole Family Foundation

$10,000+

Dauber Foundation
Lynn Feintech & Anthony Bernhardt
Mardi Dier & Jeffrey B. Rosichan
Patricia Hellman Gibbs & Richard Gibbs
The Steven K. & Winifred A. Grinspoon Foundation
Abby Snay & Ed Yelin
Cindy & Stephen Snow
The Tandowsky/Fox Family
Ben Tulchin & Laurie Beijen
Kirsten Wolberg
Matt & Jill Zames

$5,000+

Anonymous
Lilli I. Alberga & Larry Bardoff
Erran Berger & Johanna Carney
Jeffrey Chiu
Harry & Judy Cohn
Lorin Cortina
Dana Corvin & Harris Weinberg
Kim & Chris Drew
Jessica and Dan Lane
René & Henry Kim
Howard & Irene Levine Family Foundation
Paulette Meyer & David Friedman
Kumu Puri
Barbara & Richard Rosenberg
Harry & Karen Rosenbluth
Mark & Tobi Rubin
Amy & Eric Sahn
Marilyn Waldman
Michael R. Walker
Walnut Fund

$2,500+

Larry & Pam Baer
Ben Barclay & Lena Tjosvold
Jerry Hurwitz & Susan Borkin
Laurie Kahn
The Kaplan Family
Michael Luckoff
Gioia McCarthy
The Purple Lady/Barbara Meislin
Lida Morgenstein
John S. Osterweis
Noah Shanok
Carrie Varoquiers
Susan Zetzer & Bruce Thom

$1,000+

Anonymous
Katie Albright & Jake Schatz
Sharyn Bahn
Amy & Seth Barad
Anjana Berde
Ruth & Fred Brousseau
Rachael Brown & Shanan Delp
Lynn B. Bunim & Alexander L. Fetter
Gary Caine & Lori Feldman
Bruce Callander
Kathleen Chaikin & Gerald Bernstein
Guy Chicoine
Phyllis & David Cook
Stuart Corvin
Marc Countryman
Lisa Countryman-Quiroz
Steven & Pamela Dinkelspiel
Martha Ehmann Conte
Wayne & Leslee Feinstein
David Feltman
Howard & Carol Fine
Anne Fu
Janet Gallin Kelter
Nancie & Sanford Garfinkel
Gary & Yvonne Goddard
Lisa & Douglas Goldman Fund
Gail Hollingsworth
Deborah Houlihan
Sonya & Steve Hurst
Maynard L. Jenkins, III & Javier A. Davila
Eleanor Johns
Tom & Kendra Kasten
Susan Katz Snyder
Mark Kelsey
Heather Kesner
Kay Kesser
Allen & Hannah King
Aliza Knox & Linton Atlas
David Kremer & Marla Miller
Vivian Kremer
Myra K. Levenson
Elaine & Ward Lindenmayer
Siesel & Howard Maibach
Craig & Lorraine Mautner
Fran & David Meckler
Susan J. Moldaw & Bob Stallings
Gladys Monroy & Larry Marks
Hy Murveit & Leslie Airola-Murveit
Eleanor Myers
Karen & Brian Perlman
Rebecca Prozan
Frances Quan
Sheryl & James Reuben
Paul & Sheri Robbins
Richard K. Robbins
Stephen & Marcia Ruben
Ellice Sperber
Mark Sugarman
Jordan Tandowsky
William Terry
Victoria Treyger
Diane & Bob Wagner
Melvin B. Wasserman
Nancy L. Wiltsek
Lynn Winter Gross
The Wolfe Foundation
Jenny Yelin & Avi Cieplinski
Norman & Lucille Zilber
The Arthur & Charlotte Zitrin Foundation

$500+

Anonymous (2)
Jamie Austin & Ray Schreiber
Joseph & Joyce Behar
Judy & Jordan Bloom
Dion-Jay Brookter
Thomas & Cathy Brown
Bruce Buelow
Bonnie Burt & Mark Liss
Joanne Carder
Kevin & Christine Chessen
Kari Dohn Decker
Joelle Edler
Sandra Edwards
Martha Ehrenfeld & Carla McKay
S. Osborn Erickson & Rina Alcalay
George & Diane Frankenstein
David & Stella Goodwin
Michael Gordon & Sharon Chen
Steve & Donna Gothelf
David Arpi
Marsha & Ralph Guggenheim
Sahra Halpern
Phyllis C. Helfand
Leonard Hellman & Sarah Dang Hellman
Gary & Stephanie Isaacson
Noah Johnson
Alana Kadden Ballon & Jacob Ballon
Susan Karlins & David I. Sausjord
Barbara & Ron Kaufman
Denise Latka
Mark Leno
Joan Levison
Gabriel Levy
Frank Mainzer & Lonnie Zwerin
Bruce & Naomi Mann
Susie Medak & Greg Murphy
Elaine Moskowitz
Gail & Bernie Nebenzahl
Padma Nukala
Rachel Polish & Raul Keally
Harriet Prensky & William Pomeranz
Stephen Prestwood
David Prowler
Ellen Rothmann
Cheryl Salem
John Schaaf & Michael Weaver
Gene Schnair
Stephen Schwarz
Sally Sexton & Hal Meggison
Steven Sherr & Karen Hall
Mitchell & Harriet Sollod
Ruth Stein
Jennifer & Max Strasburg
Ann Swidler & Claude S. Fischer
Bob & Carol Tessler
Deidre Triplett
Charlene Tuchman
Micki Turner
Michelle Waldgeir
Assaf Wand
Nina Weil
Dave Weinstein
Carol Weitz
Lawrence Wolf
Allison Wysocki
Teresa Zimny
Eli Zinman

$250+

Robert & Judy Aptekar
Frank & Lee Battat
Alvin H. Baum, Jr.
John Beeley
Valerie M. Beijen
Michael & Nancy Borah
Robert Burlinson
Susan Carey
Jessica Carino-Lee
Cathy & Andy Clauson
Henrietta Cohen & Lee Trucker
John L. Colborn
Stephanie Duarte & Friends
Shelley Doty
Stephen Duscha
Susan & William Epstein Philanthropic Fund of The Jewish Community Foundation
Rabbi Daniel J. Feder
Terri Feeley
Michael & Lori Fineman
Newton Fong
Hallie Forman
Mary & Stan Friedman
Peter Friend
Catherine Garzio & Martin Mattes
Navneet Gautam & Joselle Deocampo-Gautam & Family
Laurie Ghielmetti
David Ghirarduzzi
David Goldberg & Cheri Goldberg
Gomathi Gopinath
Diane & Harry Greenberg
Shelly D. Guyer
Xenia & Gary Hammer
Raza Handan
Baha Hariri
Alice Harron
Allan & Nancy Herzog
Kevin Hickey
Elaine A. Hilp
Susan & Joel Hyatt
Kiran Jassal
Alex Justman
Arlene & Steve Krieger
Susan & Mark Lachtman
David Levitin
Anne Libbin & Christopher Cannon
Kate Lorch & Dennis O’Brien
Donald Maisel
Harper Matheson
Vivian & Steve McClure
Marisela Meskus
Howard & Eleanor Miller
Jeanne Miller
Micki Miller
David & Jan Mishel
Rachel Mosakowski
Hakeem Oseni, II
Ruth Owades
Beverly Perryman
Joshua Reynolds
Wendy Rothenberg
Lucy Runkel
Marlene & Jon Sakol
David Saxe
Susan Shargel
Mel & Lisa Sibony
Teddi G. Silverman
Mitchell Snay & Elizabeth Plotnick Snay
Audrey & Bob Sockolov
Steven Sockolov & Susan Snyder
Vera & Harold Stein
Marcie & Artie Storch
Michael TenBrink
Andy Van Kleunen
Richard Vezina
Norm & Joyce Weil
John Weinstein & Heidi Stewart
Caroline & Larry Werboff
Howard & Judie Wexler
Rabbi Peretz & Rebecca Wolf-Prusan

*of blessed memory

JVS Board of Directors

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President, Wendy S. Kesser
Certified Divorce Coach
Get With Wendy LLC

Vice President, Guy Chicoine
Medical Group Administrator
Kaiser Permanente

Vice President, Kari Dohn Decker
Strategic Advisor
Social Impact

Vice President, Jeffrey Rosichan
Managing Director
Citigroup

Vice President, Kirsten Wolberg
Board Director

Treasurer, Hubert Ban
Vice President - Reporting & Technical Accounting
Salesforce.com

Secretary, René Kim
Managing Director - Digital Banking Solutions
Charles Schwab

President Emeritus, Michael Walker
Executive Vice President & Regional Executive
City National Bank

BOARD MEMBERS

Anjana Berde
Chief People Officer
Accion Opportunity Fund

Erran Berger
Vice President, Engineering
LinkedIn

Jeffrey Chiu
Vice President - Human Resources
UCSF

Bev Correa
Vice President, Government Banking
JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Mercedes Fuller
Managing Director
Accenture Strategy

Sahra Halpern
President
Business Consortium Fund

Jerry Hurwitz
Founder
J&J Air Conditioning, Inc. (Retired)

Heather Kesner
Senior Vice President - CBB Market Leader
US Bank

Maria Lazzarini
Executive Vice President, Northern California Division,
Regional Banking Group
Bank of the West

Gioia McCarthy
President, San Francisco - East Bay
Bank of America

Hakeem Oseni II
Senior Product Manager, Detection and Response
Salesforce

Kumu Puri
Principal
Ernst & Young LLP

Max Simkoff
Founder and CEO
DOMA/States Title

Ben Tulchin
President
Tulchin Research

Carrie Varoquiers
Chief Philanthropy Officer
Workday

DONATE

JVS (Jewish Vocational Service) is the Bay Area’s leading job training agency. Aligned with employer needs, our programs train people for career pathways in healthcare, utilities and skilled trades, and technology.

Grounded in Jewish values, we’re transforming lives by helping people to build in-demand skills, secure good, living wage jobs and find their place on a career pathway.

Jewish Vocational Service
225 Bush St. Suite 400
San Francisco, CA 94104
415.782.6274
www.jvs.org