RYPA Leadership Team
Traci Stratford-President
Traci Stratford is the Religious Educator and Youth Director at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi and the NFTY-Southern Regional Advisor. Born and raised in the Chicago area, Traci was a 9-summer camper and 7-summer staff member at URJ Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. She was an active NFTY participant-- serving as NFTY-Chicago Area Region Communications VP and Regional President as well as a student on NFTY’s Eisendrath International Exchange (EIE) semester in Israel, Spring 2004. Traci graduated from Indiana University-Bloomington with degrees in Jewish Studies and Nonprofit Management and spent a semester at Ben-Gurion University in Be’er Sheva, Israel. Her portfolio at Beth Israel includes leading and directing all Religious/Hebrew school programs and family education for the congregation as well as coordinating and advising all informal youth programming for students in PreK through 12th grade. Traci also works closely with URJ Jacobs Camp during the school year and over the summer. She served as the Director of Jewish Life in 2010 and 2011 and is the 2012 Program Director. Traci is honored to be a part of the RYPA Leadership Team and working alongside so many others who share her passion for Jewish education, youth work and Jewish camping.
Matt Jerome-Executive Vice President
Matt Jerome has been in the field as a Youth Professional since 2004 after spending his high school years as a member of NFTY-CAR. Currently Matt is the Youth Advisor of Temple Emanuel in Andover, MA outside of Boston. He also has a passion for teaching leadership development to teens as well as new Youth Professionals in the field. His experience in camp, youth groups and supplementary schools has developed his passion in Reform Jewish Teen life. In Matt's "spare time" he enjoys taking apart electronics and spending time with his new wife Ashley whom he met at a NFTY-STR event!
Lynne Butner-VP of Membership/URJ Liaison
Lynne Butner recently celebrated her 11th anniversary as NFTY-Southwest Advisor, and is the longest standing Regional Advisor working in NFTY at this time. Although she started as NFTY-SW advisor while living in Tempe, AZ, Lynne now lives in Salt Lake City, UT with her husband Jon, and children Josh and Emily. Lynne has over 20 years of experience working with high school students first as the Summer Camp Director at the Palo Alto, CA JCC, and later working with pregnant and parenting teens in CA and AZ. Lynne completed her undergraduate degree at the University of California at Davis and her Masters in Social Work at California State University, Sacramento. She is a member of Temple Har Shalom in Park City, UT and teaches confirmation class and has worked as their youth group advisor. She is a disgrace to the Park City Jewish community as she is not an avid skier but keeps taking lessons and trying to learn to ski. Lynne was recently promoted to a full-time position as Youth Programs Manager for the Southwest region of NFTY in concert with the Campaign for Youth Engagement.
Rabbi Melissa Zalkin Stollman-VP of Professional Development
Rabbi Melissa Zalkin Stollman serves as the new Program Coordinator of the Certificate in Jewish Education for Adolescents and Emerging Adults at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Based on the New York campus, she also helps to recruit for the Schools of Education in New York and Los Angeles. Rabbi Melissa Zalkin Stollman received Rabbinic Ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religions in New York in May 2010. In 2008, she also received her Master’s Degree in Religious Education as part of a Mandel Fellowship. While in school, Melissa served as a rabbinic intern for Larchmont Temple, Larchmont, NY and Temple Sinai in Roslyn, NY.
Melissa has worked in the Jewish community in New York for several years. Prior to coming to HUC-JIR she served as CLAL’s Development Manager and a Program Associate at MAKOM, with the Jewish Agency for Israel. She has also served the Reform movement in many capacities working for affiliates such as the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA) and the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) as the New York Regional Advisor. She worked at the Union for Reform Judaism as Director of Campus and Congregational Relations for the KESHER College Department, and the Director of Regional Development for the Development Department. While in school, Melissa traveled with NFTY to Israel for three summers serving as a music and worship leader. She is an associate editor of The Gender Gap and a published author within the book.
Originally from Miami, Melissa came to New York via Boston, where she received her MSW from Boston University. In Boston, she worked in development for such organizations as the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston, Jewish Family & Children's Service (Boston), and the URJ. In 1994, she received a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Psychology from the University of Florida in Gainesville. Melissa serves as a national volunteer for the Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority and as an ARZA Board Member. She lives in New York City with her husband and one-year old son.
Melissa has worked in the Jewish community in New York for several years. Prior to coming to HUC-JIR she served as CLAL’s Development Manager and a Program Associate at MAKOM, with the Jewish Agency for Israel. She has also served the Reform movement in many capacities working for affiliates such as the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA) and the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) as the New York Regional Advisor. She worked at the Union for Reform Judaism as Director of Campus and Congregational Relations for the KESHER College Department, and the Director of Regional Development for the Development Department. While in school, Melissa traveled with NFTY to Israel for three summers serving as a music and worship leader. She is an associate editor of The Gender Gap and a published author within the book.
Originally from Miami, Melissa came to New York via Boston, where she received her MSW from Boston University. In Boston, she worked in development for such organizations as the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston, Jewish Family & Children's Service (Boston), and the URJ. In 1994, she received a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Psychology from the University of Florida in Gainesville. Melissa serves as a national volunteer for the Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority and as an ARZA Board Member. She lives in New York City with her husband and one-year old son.
Marissa Frankel-VP of Communications
Marissa Frankel has a lifetime of experiential Jewish experience, both as a participant and as an educator. She grew up actively involved in her synagogue and Jewish Community Center. Marissa has worked as a youth advisor, religious school teacher and Elementary School Special Education teacher. Marissa earned a BA in Sociology and Judaic Studies from SUNY Albany and an MS in Elementary and Special Education from Touro College. Marissa spent a year in Israel on an experiential program, Livnot U’Lehibanot, which included community service, hiking, learning and staffing birthright trips. Marissa is currently an Assistant Director at the URJ Eisner Camp and also works on Camp Chazak, a new special needs camping program that Eisner and Crane Lake Camps launched in the summer of 2011. Marissa is thrilled to be the camp representative on the RYPA leadership team, working to build a community and network of youth professionals.
Lisa Greengard-VP of Finance
Hi! My name is Lisa Greengard and I have been the Youth and Camp Director at Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles, California since 2004. I think I have the best job in the world, afterall, I’m paid to be a big kid! My responsibilities include overseeing, running, and managing our three youth groups (Club 456, Jr. ITY, and ITY) and designing and/or staffing approximately a dozen retreats. I am also the Director for our 8-week day camp, Camp Isaiah and develop all programs such as a social justice track for 5-6th graders, and a leadership/relationship development and community-building track for teens. After graduating from USC in 1998 with a BA in Psychology, I pursued a career in financial/tax/estate planning before happily returning to the world of Jewish informal education in 2001. Attempting to mix my passions, I help steer a company that teaches basic financial literacy to teens and young adults. I am excited to a part of the first cohort at HUC for the Certificate in Adolescents and Emerging Adults and I also serve as the chair for the LA-based YPAC (Youth Professional Advisory Council) group. I am so incredibly thrilled to be a member of the RYPA Leadership Team and look forward to professionalizing our field for all youth professionals in Reform organizations.
Ross Glinkenhouse-VP at Large
Ross Glinkenhouse is a graduate from Florida Atlantic University where he received a BA in Design/Technical Theatre. Currently he is enrolled at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute, part of the Certificate in Jewish Education: Specializing in Adolescents and Emerging Adults. Ross also serves as the full time Youth Director at Woodlands Community Temple in White Plains, NY. He also has spent the past 8 summers working at the URJ Crane Lake Camp in various staff and Senior Staff positions.
