Dedicated volunteer and leader of the Jewish community, Sara Waskin has been chosen to receive the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond’s L’Dor V’Dor Woman of Valor Award.
This annual event honors the connection from generation to generation – L’Dor V’Dor – and celebrates the power of Women’s Philanthropy and the impact it has on our Community.
L’Dor V’Dor, hosted by Women’s Philanthropy of JCFR, will be held at Crossroads Art Center on Wednesday, May 10, at 7 p.m.
Women’s Philanthropy Chair, Jill Goldfine, along with co-chairs Molly Dickinson and Hedy Lapkin, have planned a spectacular evening in honor of Sara.
The event will feature Vicki Agron, who has been deeply involved in organized Jewish life for more than 50 years as a major donor, local and national leader, development professional, and consultant.
Vicki has trained thousands of fundraising professionals and lay leaders in addition to advising federations, Jewish community centers, day schools, synagogues, and international non-profits on strategic fundraising and successful major donor development.
In addition, Vicki has worked with families on succession planning, engaging their children and grandchildren in philanthropy, and raising children to be capable, confident, and compassionate.
Sara Waskin
Sara Waskin grew up in Richmond and attended Richmond public schools, Rudlin Torah Academy, and Trinity Episcopal High School. As a teen, she was active in temple (Kadima, USY), Jewish sorority Iota, and BBYO. A Tulane University graduate, Sara started her career as a CPA at Keiter Stephens Hurst Gary & Shreaves.
She has held distinguished positions as a CPA at Biegler & Associates, LLC; Administrator at Central VA Emergency Associates, LLC, and Foot & Ankle Center, LLC; and, co-owner of VA Billing Associates, LLC.
Sara was active in Jewish Women International, helped start the Young Adult Division of the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond (JCFR), and participated in JCFR’s Sherry Rose Leadership Institute.
Sara is a past President of the JCC Board of Directors and has been engaged with JCC committees and board since 1993. She currently chairs the Budget & Finance Committee.
At JCFR, she has been a Board Member and has also chaired the Finance Committee and the Allocations Committee.
Additionally, Sara is a Lion of Judah and has worked on many JCFR Annual Campaigns over the years.
At Temple Beth-El, Sara was President of the Sisterhood, Treasurer, currently chairs the Personnel Committee, and sits on the Endowment Committee.
She will be installed in May as President of the Jewish Woman’s Club.
Sara is the recipient of the JCC Leroy B. Goldberg Emerging Center Leaders Award, JCFR Sam E. and Virginia V. Binswanger Young Leadership Award, JCC Esther, Edith & H.J. Bernstein Award, and JCC President’s Award.
Sara is married to Mitchell Waskin and has two sons, Matthew and Zack.
Vicki Agron
With nearly four decades of experience as both a national leader and a senior Development professional, Vicki Agron opened her own consulting firm specializing in strategic fundraising. Less than one month later, her client list included local, national, and international Jewish organizations.
A former executive with United Jewish Appeal and its successor organization, United Jewish Communities, Vicki has worked with Federations and communities throughout the world for more than 30 years.
In her last post as Senior Vice President for Development, she had oversight and strategic planning responsibilities for the Annual and Special Campaigns, Planned Giving and Endowments and Supplemental Giving. Together, these efforts result in more than $3 billion being raised through Federations each year.
Ms. Agron has cultivated relationships and worked with volunteer leaders around the globe. An innovative thinker, she has created and developed a wide range of initiatives to attract and engage philanthropists.
She has led study and fundraising missions, traveling to Israel more than 100 times as well as making more than 50 visits to meet with Jews throughout the Former Soviet Union, Europe, South America, and Africa. Her expertise on American Jewish demographics and psychographics, particularly as related to philanthropy, has earned her an international reputation as an effective educator, trainer, fundraiser, coach, speaker, and strategist.
Prior to her professional experience, Vicki served in a variety of local and national leadership positions including as Chair of the UJA National Women’s Young Leadership Cabinet.
As a professional, she has designed and implemented leadership succession pro-grams to educate and train the next generation of organizational leaders. Additionally, Vicki has worked with high net worth, multi-generational families, and individual philanthropists to help them with succession planning and to determine their visions, missions, and strategies for giving.
Vicki and her husband, Joel Friedman, live in Miami, New York, and Denver. They have five children and thirteen grandchildren.
The L’Dor V’Dor event welcomes women making a suggested gift of $360 to the Annual Campaign, and $180 for women 45 and younger. The couvert is $36. Dietary laws will be observed.
L’Dor V’Dor, a program of JCFR Women’s Philanthropy, is made possible by the infra-structure, partnerships, and systems supported and sustained by Federation’s Annual Campaign.
Past Honorees
Past award recipients include: Selma Brown (obm), Miriam Davidow, Deane Dubansky, Bea Fine, Anne Fisher (obm), Inge Horowitz, Edith Glock (obm), Carolyn Grandis, Helen Horwitz, Willa Kalman, Amy Krumbein, Hedy Lapkin, Jeanette Lipman (obm), Pearl Karp Markham (obm), Bertha Meyer (obm), Susan Meyers, Sara Belle November (obm), Catherine Plotkin, Shirley Plotkin (obm), Fran Raphael (obm), Elise Scherr, Lynn Schwartz, Barbara Shocket, Nannette Shor, Susan Sisisky, Carole Weinstein, Dorothy Wizer, Hortense Wolf (obm) and Helen Zimm (obm).
For questions, or to RSVP, please contact Director of Women’s Philanthropy and Affinities Jill Grossman at jgrossman@jewishrichmond.org, or 757-652-2446.
