Anya Abramzon - Executive Director
Anya has been Executive Director of the Jewish Family Services of Ann Arbor since 1997. In 1996, Anya received her Masters degree from the University of Michigan School of Social Work and a certificate in Jewish Communal Work from the Project STaR program (now renamed the Sol Drachler Program). Prior to JFS, Anya worked as a Building Administrator for the Jewish Federation Apartments and Services in Oak Park, Michigan and participated in the establishment of JCare, a home care service for senior adults for the Jewish Federation Apartments and Services. As the Director of Jewish Family Services, Anya has been instrumental in increasing the agency's budget and staff while considerably expanding JFS' scope of services. Anya feels very strongly about the importance of JFS' role and mission in the community. It has been her ultimate desire to see JFS grow bigger and stronger, providing more services to all segments of the community. Anya lives in Ann Arbor with her husband and three children.
Lindsay Bryan - Employment Services Coordinator
Linsay earned BA in Sociology from Michigan State University and her MSW in Social Work from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, with a focus on interpersonal practice in mental health. Lindsay is responsible for helping clients by providing career counseling and job placement activities, as well as providing case management services. Previously, she worked as a MSW intern providing outpatient therapy to children and teenagers. Lindsay currently lives in Ann Arbor and enjoys reading, yoga and traveling.
Morgan Deleonard - Resource Center Specialist
Morgan DeLeonard is the JFS Resource Center Specialist. She provides the initial intake for JFS clients, as well as crisis management and community referrals. Additionally, Morgan is responsible for the oversight of the JFS Food Pantry. Morgan earned a BSW from Eastern Michigan University. Prior to working at JFS, Morgan gained considerable experience in crisis management and intake as an Information and Referral Specialist for a non-profit in Washtenaw County.
Nina Dmitrieva - New American Program Coordinator for Older Adults
JFS welcomes Nina Dmitrieva as the New American Program Coordinator for Older Adults. Nina has been teaching ESL, Russian as a second language and Communication and Culture for more than 30 years to people of different ages and backgrounds. Besides teaching, Nina did research work in the fields of teenage psychology, linguistics, and methodology of teaching and communication. Nina has her Master's Degree from the Moscow State Pedagogical University and certificates as a Teacher of Russian Language and Culture and Lecturer on Culture and Communication. Since relocating to the USA, Nina continues to teach ESL and Russian as well as counseling adoptive families, helping them navigate the adoption of children from Eastern Europe. Nina and husband Fred Mayer enjoy music, dogs, gardening and cooking.
Rick Finger - CARF Accreditation and Quality Assurance Coordinator
Rick Finger serves as the JFS Accreditation and Quality Assurance Coordinator. He has over 36 years of experience in mental health services, court casework, and general health care administration including licensing and accreditation in such settings as the Washtenaw County Juvenile Court, the Center for Forensic Psychiatry, Ypsilanti Regional Psychiatric Hospital, and the University of Michigan Health System. Rick is coordinating the JFS effort to gain accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology from Michigan State University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Eastern Michigan University. Rick resides in a small rural community near Ann Arbor with his wife and two sons.
Lisa Franklin - Program and Community Outreach Director
Lisa oversees Older Adult Services which includes the Patient Partner Program, Friendly Visitors and the ElderLink program. In addition, Lisa coordinates and supervises volunteers and interns, participates in community collaboratives and organizes community outreach projects. In 1998 Lisa received her Master's degrees from Boston University in both Social Work and Public Health. Lisa was born in Ann Arbor and, aside from her graduate work, has lived in Ann Arbor her whole life. Prior to working for JFS, Lisa worked as a social worker and health educator for the Washtenaw County Public Health Department, University of Michigan Health Systems and the Corner Health Center in Ypsilanti.
Regina Hunter - Office Assistant and Graphic Design Assistant
Regina Hunter comes to us with prior office experience as well as graphics and layout experience. She attended Washtenaw Community College, majoring in Graphic Design with certification in Video Production. Regina has been instrumental with the layout and design of our materials, advertisements and new program brochures. She spends her off hours keeping up with her daughter and a dog.
Lisa Keefauver - Clinical and Community Services Director
Lisa directs the Clinical and Community Services Department, where she supervises the Resource Center Specialist responsible for client intakes. She also provides clinical supervision of social work staff and student interns. Lisa offers therapy and case management for individuals and families, participates in community collaboratives and organizes community education and outreach projects. Lisa is a clinically licensed M.S.W. She earned her Masters of Social Work degree with a concentration in Children and Families from the University of Vermont and has 9 years of field experience..
Merrill Poliner - SPICE Coordinator
Merrill Poliner joins Jewish Family Services as the coordinator of the SPICE program held at the Jewish Community Center. She recently received her MSW from the University of Michigan where she completed a field placement in medical Social Work and a practicum in clinical psychology with children and mothers exposed to family violence. She also has an MBA from the University of Michigan which she used in her previous career in Computer Information Systems and Finance. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Northwestern University. She is a long time resident of Ann Arbor where she lives with her husband, Robert Lougheed and her two sons, Ben and Oleg (who joined the family via Russia.)
Joanna Rosenthal—Clinical Social Worker with Older Adult Services
Joanna earned a MSW from Tulane University in 2005, Joanna has worked in both clinical and community settings, providing crisis intervention, case management and counseling to children and families primarily in New Orleans, Louisiana. Prior to Tulane, Joanna received a BA from Sarah Lawrence College in New York.
Mira Sussman - Resettlement Services Coordinator
Mira Sussman joined JFS in 2005 as its Case Management Coordinator. She provides clients with assistance in a variety of areas, including employment, training, mental health, social services referrals and other assistance drawing upon her past work with children and families as a social worker, teacher, family educator and youth group advisor. Mira returned to the area after nine years in Los Angeles where she received her B.A. in Jewish Studies from the University of Judaism, as well as a Masters in Social Work from University of Southern California and a Masters in Jewish Communal Service from Hebrew Union College. She was born and raised in Ann Arbor, where her family still resides. She lives in Ann Arbor with her husband and children.
Jessica Vinter - ESL Instructor
Jessica Vinter is the ESL Instructor at JFS. She has been a language consultant, linguist, ESL specialist, Russian teacher, and a high school English teacher for a multi-ethnic population for many years. Jessica also worked as a tutor and volunteer for the Latino population in Washtenaw County. She brings her expertise in second language learning to JFS' Employment and Immigration Services clients. She speaks Russian, Spanish, and a bit of French. Jessica received her B.A. in Linguistics and Russian Language from the University of Michigan and her M.A. and A.B.D. in the Slavic Languages and Literature Department. She lives in Ann Arbor and enjoys traveling, mountain hiking, camping, and skiing.
Tywanda Williams - Case Management Coordinator
Tywanda Williams is the Community Development Specialist for the JFS Caregiving Academy. She earned her MSW from Eastern Michigan University with an emphasis on mental health and substance abuse. She also holds a BBA from Lemoyne Owen College (TN). Before joining JFS, she worked for St. Joseph Mercy Hospital for ten years as a clinical therapist, substance abuse counselor, case manager, and intake specialist. Tywanda is a licensed clinical social worker who has had extensive training and experience in effective communications, family systems, psychology, and behavioral therapy. She also has experience working as a private practice therapist and life coach. Tywanda lives in Ypsilanti with her husband and three sons.
Andre Yastchenko - International and Transportation Services Director
Andre has been working as an English Language instructor at Jewish Family Services since 1999. He received a Bachelor's degree in Near Eastern languages at the University of St. Petersburg, Russia, and M.A. in History at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Growing up with his parents speaking one language, Russian, while his grandparents spoke another, Ukrainian, Andre often had a difficult time determining which language was his native tongue. At the age of 8 he began learning English with a tutor. Since then, languages came to occupy a prominent place in Andre's life and professional career. Later, he studied Persian and Arabic languages at the University of St. Petersburg, also taking courses in German and Pushtu. This seemingly exotic experience proved extremely useful during Andre's work at Jewish Family Services where during the past five years he has worked with students from over fifteen different nations. Andre lives in Ann Arbor with his wife.
Elina Zilberberg - Associate Director
Elina Zilberberg was the first employee hired by Anya Abramzon in October 1997 and currently serves as the Associate Director of JFS> She received a B.S. in Business Administration, with a specialization in Marketing, from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. She spent most of her professional career working for Jewish Family Services of Metro Detroit as a resettlement case worker and later as a Program Manager in the Volunteer Services Department, prior to coming to JFS in Ann Arbor. Elina was born in the former Soviet Union and immigrated to the Detroit area with her parents in 1979. That experience shaped her future and professional interests. She is bilingual, and has many years of experience as a direct-service provider. She also has extensive administration experience working in nonprofit social services agencies supervising Career Services, English as a Second Language, Migrant Workers Assistance, Transportation Programs and HR functions.
