Daryle currently serves as CEO and owner of American Paving and Striping, a Baltimore-Washington area leader in providing asphalt paving, concrete, and lot striping. Daryle was recently the President of Hof Laundry Systems in Beltsville, Maryland as well as the President of Best Lockers, LLC. Hof was the area's largest local provider of coin and card operated laundry equipment to multi-family housing. Best Lockers was the pioneer of the electronic locker system that is now in use on a global scale. Daryle has an extensive background in non-profit work and was actively involved on the Board of Directors for local branches of the Daniel Heuman Fund for Spinal Cord Research from 1991-1998, The Sharre Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem from 1993-1994, the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington from 1994-2000, and the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes from 2015-2018. Daryle Co-founded Most Valuable Kids, a non-profit agency that turns unused tickets of sports and cultural events into opportunities for kids in need. Daryle is currently the Board Chair of the Bender JCC of Greater Washington, The Vice President of Woodmont Country Club, and a Board Member of Tickets for Kids. A native Washingtonian, Daryle earned his bachelor’s degree from The University of Wisconsin in Madison and lives in Rockville, Maryland with his wife and their four children.

CHARLES LEVINGSTON, has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of EagleBank since April 2017. Mr. Levingston, a Certified Public Accountant, served in various financial and senior management roles at the Bank prior to his current role. Mr. Levingston joined the EagleBank in January 2012, and previously worked at The Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta and Philadelphia as a Bank Examiner, and at PwC as a Manager in the Advisory practice. He has over 24 years of experience in the banking industry. Charles and his wife Ali, have two children, Jonah and Maya who have been through the JCC preschool. They now attend Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School. Jonah and Maya have been campers at Camp JCC.

WENDY LEFKOE MORRIS received her bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University and her Juris Doctor degree from American University’s Washington College of Law. She began her career as a corporate and banking lawyer with Muldoon, Murphy & Faucette, and then Mayer, Brown & Platt. After her eldest son was diagnosed with autism, she has dedicated her time to volunteering with various autism-related organizations including Autism Speaks and Kennedy Krieger Institute. Wendy is married to Matthew S. Morris and has two sons, Jared and Drew. She joined the Bender JCC Board in 2020.

Josh Bender has spent the last 20 years in leadership roles spanning the JCC, Jewish camping, synagogue, and Jewish Day School worlds. He brings an eclectic background in both executive and educational leadership in the Jewish non-profit sector. Josh is a graduate of DSLTI, a leadership program at the Jewish Theological Seminary, holds a Master’s Degree in Jewish Education from Baltimore Hebrew Institute of Towson University, and a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University in English Writing. Josh grew up in the JCC movement in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania where he learned his love of sports, song leading and playing the guitar in JCC camp and youth groups. Josh is married to Julie and has 4 children, Noah, Jacob, Ethan, and Sophie.

Jake is from Bethesda, MD and has been working in the commercial real estate field for 10+ years. He currently serves as a commercial office property manager for Blake Real Estate in Washington, DC.  He earned his bachelor’s degree from The University of Wisconsin in Madison and his masters in real estate from The American University. Jake has been serving as an Advisory Director on the Bender Foundation Board since 2018.

BRIAN GAINES is CEO at MdBio Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides science, technology, engineering and mathematics education opportunities. He has a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany. He has served on the Bender JCC Board since 2013.

Yair Inspektor currently serves as the Executive Director of Construction and Real Estate and Senior Managing Counsel at Children’s National Hospital. In previous roles, Yair served as an Assistant Attorney General for the District of Columbia, Senior Advisor to the Deputy Mayor for Education, and as Interim Assistant Superintendent at the Office of State Superintendent of Education, Office of Health and Wellness. Before entering the fields of real estate, law and policy, Yair taught 11th grade global history in the South Bronx. Yair is a fluent Hebrew speaker (hailing from Israel by way of Pittsburgh) and has served on various boards including most recently the Sela Public Charter School. He is a proud husband and father of two, who both enjoyed experiences at the Bender JCC camp and can still perform spirited renditions of most of the choreographed dances and ‘Take me home, Montrose Road’. A member of the B’nai Israel Congregation, Yair calls the North Farm neighborhood home, just a short trip down that same Montrose Road.

Aaron Kaufman joined The Jewish Federations of North America’s Washington DC office in January 2016. He is the Senior Manager of Legislative Affairs. He focuses on disability and poverty issues.  Aaron came from the Arc Maryland where he lobbied members of the Maryland General Assembly and the Maryland Congressional delegation on issues affecting Marylanders with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. He worked in the offices of then Congressman (now Senator) Chris Van Hollen and former Senator Evan Bayh as well as the Easter Seals Office of Public Affairs. In addition to working at JFNA, Aaron is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates where he serves on the Judiciary Committee. Having Cerebral Palsy, Aaron feels he brings a unique perspective to his work in the House of Delegates and JFNA’s efforts on behalf of people with disabilities. Outside of advocacy, he was the instructor in Project SEARCH Montgomery, a job-training program for young adults with significant disabilities. Aaron graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a BA in American Studies and with several honors. He is on the Executive Committee of the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes and is the former Vice Chair of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council.  He also served on the Board of the National Association of Developmental Disabilities Council as well as the Board of Disability Rights Maryland. He is on the Board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and former Board Member of the Union for Reform Judaism. Outside of work, Aaron enjoys following DC sports teams.  He is passionate about politics, enjoys movies, live theater, museum and travel as well as non-fiction books.

Elyse Lipan-Lash retired after a 34-year career at Accenture.  Elyse was an HR executive focused on helping people achieve  their best, personally and professionally. She believes the best outcomes result from working collaboratively and supporting each person’s unique contributions. Elyse met her husband, Steve, when they were undergraduates at Northwestern University. She is the proud parent of two young adults. Elyse has been a member of the Bender JCC for 20+ years.  She joined for the inclusion program and stayed for the people. Elyse can often be found attending exercise classes or swimming at the JCC. 

HOLLY MENDELSON is the Vice President and co-owner of Potomac Publishing, Inc. She is the co- publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest, oldest, and most respected national diversity, equity, and inclusion magazine in higher education. Prior to owning INSIGHT Into Diversity, Holly worked in corporate marketing at companies such as Marriott International, Inc., and Bell Atlantic, Inc. She spent 20+ years shaping the way organizations communicated with their customers and was proud to help grow the Marriott Rewards program into the largest hotel loyalty program in the world by the time she left. When the opportunity arose in 2007 to transition to communicating about diversity, inclusion, anti-hate/bias, and the critical nature of the work being done in these areas, she embraced the opportunity. Holly believes her work supporting higher education access, employment, and social justice for people from all underrepresented groups through INSIGHT Into Diversity over the last 15 years has turned out to be her 'calling.' It is in line with her strong personal beliefs and values, and she feels it has been life-changing for her in innumerable ways. Since purchasing INSIGHT Into Diversity, Holly and her co-owner have completely revamped the publication to be the foremost voice advancing the national conversation about diversity and inclusion in higher education and beyond. Holly has focused on expanding INSIGHT's readership through partnerships with highly respected non-profit organizations in order to reach all underserved populations, and its Editorial Board to ensure that all voices are represented. INSIGHT Into Diversity is well known for its Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, the only national recognition for an institution's level of achievement of and commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout campus. Holly graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing, communications and psychology. She resides in Gaithersburg, MD, with her husband Brad, and has young adult children. To learn more about Holly Mendelson and INSIGHT Into Diversity visit www.insightintodiversity.com or (43) Holly (Benton) Mendelson | LinkedIn.

John Schmelzer grew up in Miami Beach, Florida, and went to college at Emory University in Atlanta. He married Naomi, his college girlfriend, and they have lived in the DC area for over 40 years, 35 of them in Potomac. Their older son Jeffrey lives in Austin, Texas, and works for a company that provides virtual mental health services. Their younger son, Michael, lives in Bethesda with his wife, Amanda, and their two sons. Michael works for Abramson Construction Company. John has been retired for six years, but had a rewarding professional life. He was a civil rights attorney/manager for the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for 42 years. He began as an appellate attorney in 1974, arguing cases before federal courts of appeal across the country. John sued employers for refusing to hire individuals because of their race, sex, or national origin. Later, John served in several management positions. During his career, John recovered millions of dollars for the victims of employment discrimination, won several precedent setting cases, including one before the US Supreme Court, and developed and built the largest nationwide mediation program in the country. John has always enjoyed serving the community. He became a volunteer listener for the Northern Virginia Hotline in Arlington when he first moved to the DC area. He served as a board member of his community pool and was a volunteer for his son’s cub scout pack. He has always had an interest in community mental health and therefore volunteered with the Jewish Social Service Agency, which provides counselling and other services to individuals and families. At JSSA, John has served in various capacities, including as a board member, on the Executive Board of Directors, and currently as co-chair of JSSA’s Ambassadors’ Council. At the Bender JCC, John has been a volunteer teacher for the last six years. One day a week, he teaches citizenship and civics to immigrants so they can pass their citizenship test and interview. Another day a week, he teaches conversational English to immigrants. He also volunteers at JCC special events, including the Health Fair, Celebration of Israel, the Hanukah concert, and movie nights. John looks forward to further assisting the Bender JCC.

STACEY WATSON is the Director of the Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Division of the Marfan Foundation. A graduate of Syracuse University, Stacey went on to receive her MSW with a focus on Management and Community Organizing from the University of Maryland. With a passion for helping to create and support inclusive communities, Stacey's dedication stems from her experiences as a Bender JCCGW camper and later as an inclusion counselor. A third-generation Bender JCCGW member, Stacey has a deep-rooted connection to the community. She lives in Kensington, MD, with her husband, two children, who love the JCC, especially camp. Stacey is committed to continuing the legacy of engagement and support for the Bender JCCGW community.

RACHEL WEINSTEIN is a seasoned communications specialist with extensive experience crafting and implementing complex communications programs for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She currently leads communication and media activities for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Rachel has expertise in strategic planning, health promotion, and partnership development and is a dedicated leader and strong collaborator. Rachel is also actively involved in her community and has been a board member in several organizations, including her synagogue, B’nai Israel Congregation. Rachel, her husband, David, and their children, Ellie and Sara, are all active members of the Bender JCC community.