Joanna Powers named interim head of JDS
Joanna Powers has been named interim head of school at the Jewish Day School as the search begins for a permanent replacement for the departing Amy Golding. Powers will begin in her new role on June 12 and will remain in it for the 2023-24 school year, the school’s board of directors decided unanimously. “Her familiarity with our students, faculty, staff, parents and greater community all serve as an asset,” said Dr. Marc Berson, president of the board. “We are looking forward to a successful search and a bright future for our school and our community.” Powers has been at JDS since 1997, starting out as a kindergarten general studies teacher. Over the years, she has taught all grades. In 2016, she took on an administrative role as director of Hebrew and Judaics. “After so many years,” said Powers, “the JDS has be-
come like my home, and the faculty and staff are more like family than coworkers. There are students who I've known nearly their entire lives and others that have made their way into my heart after only a few years. I am truly humbled and grateful for the opportunity to help guide the JDS through this transition." Her curriculum vitae also includes licensed teacher and alumna of the prestigious You Lead Prizmah Leadership program and the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s “Improving Schools: The Art of Leadership” program. Joining Powers in the transition to new leadership for the school will be a transitional administrative team of current JDS staff: Krista Gerbasio, assistant director of the lower school; Brian Goldman, curriculum and instruction coordinator; Ariel Solomon, director of Hebrew and Judaics; Adrienne Weaver, executive office manager and director of human resources. Golding became head of school at JDS in 2016, returning to Allentown from New York City to lead the school
she attended growing up. For her work and accomplishments at JDS, she received the Jewish Federation’s Mark L. Goldstein Outstanding Jewish Professional Award in 2019. Her new role is associate vice president of philanthropy and donor engagement at the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley.
"We will all miss Amy deeply and appreciate everything she has done for our school,” Powers said. A committee to search for a permanent head of school includes: Hartley Lachter and Marc Bernstein, cochairs; Tama Tamarkin, past JDS board president; Dustin Nash, JDS board member
Muhlenberg College professor; Sara Schonbach, director of admissions and academic life at JDS; and Gwen Hartnett, math teacher at JDS. As the search process moves forward, there will be opportunities for input from the entire community.
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A note from Amy Golding Serving as the first graduate of JDS to become the head of school has been an honor. Together, we have accomplished so much over the last several years. We strengthened our budget, expanded our lower school program, renovated our campus into a modern sleek and warm space. Our faculty received numerous awards from Harvard and Da Vinci Center and others. Our students entered
and won contests, including Mathcounts Future Engineers and Regional Scripps Spelling Bee. Our graduates were selected as recipients in the National Merit Scholarship program and of Parkland’s Tony Stark Young Genius Award and many more. How lucky are we that Joanna Powers, a seasoned educator and an active member of our community, will take on the role as interim head of school. Under her leadership, JDS will continue to flourish. I look forward to continuing my involvement with JDS as a parent and lay leader.
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