Who's on the JCCSLO Board
A mix of Jewish community leaders from throughout the county:
Executive Board
President: Jan Durocher
Jan serves as the JCCSLO’s President, after her term as Vice President and Secretary. She runs our Program Committee, where she recruits program leaders and helps to develop programs. Jan is a former board member of Congregation Beth David. Jan is a retired architect from the construction management industry and relocated here from Seattle.
Executive Director: Lauren Bandari
As Executive Director, Lauren is leading the non‐profit organization in establishing its community presence and growing to serve the community at large. She coordinates its programs and services, and works to collaborate with other community organizations. She runs fundraising activities, as well as researches and writes grant proposals, and works to cultivate individual donors. Lauren currently serves on the Boards of Central Coast Hadassah and the Anti-Defamation League of San Luis Obispo. She is also active in the local arts scene with the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art.
Vice-President and Treasurer: Jon-Erik Storm
Jon-Erik is an attorney with his own practice and serves as an arbitrator for the State Bar of California. Jon-Erik resides with his wife, Lara, son Asher, and their three dogs, in Los Osos. In addition to his law practice, Jon-Erik is working on his M.A. in Jewish Studies from Hebrew College. Jon-Erik is a member of Congregation Beth David, where he also serves on the board and teaches Hebrew, and Temple Ner Shalom. Jon-Erik has served on the board of the San Luis Obispo Symphony.
Secretary: Wendy Kim
Wendy is an active member of Congregation Ohr Tzafon and teaches Sunday Hebrew classes there. Wendy also runs a micro-farm from her own backyard, raising goats, chickens, and beautiful fruit/vegetables. Her agriculture and handyman skills are better than anyone else we know!
Past President: Jody Belsher
Jody served as JCCSLO president for two years, and for many years ran its fundraising, programming and marketing efforts. She is also a founding member of the JCCSLO. She is active at Temple Ner Shalom where she has served on the board in addition to other volunteer positions. Jody runs a graphic design business and personal management company in SLO.
Members at Large
North County: Leah Moore
Leah is a real estate agent based in Paso Robles and a member of Congregation Ohr Tzafon in Atascadero. Leah has served on the Hadassah board for a number of years and is passionate about developing the Jewish organizations in SLO County.
South County - Leo Tendrih
Leo is an active member at Temple Ner Shalom. Leo hails from Brazil by way of New York City, and has much passion about building a vibrant Jewish community in SLO County, as he begins to raise his family here. He resides in Arroyo Grande with his wife, Dafna.
South County - Dvora Braunstein
Dvora is a dynamic Israeli living in Nipomo at Trilogy, having relocated here from the Los Angeles area. From her home she runs her Ma Belle fashion line, hosts parties, and enjoys time with her husband, Zvi. Dvora enjoys participating in JCCSLO's Jewish News Junkies group, and heads our Fundraising Committee.
Liaisons & Committee Members
Interfaith Liaison: Rabbi Janice Mehring
Rabbi Mehring is the rabbi at Congregation Ohr Tzafon ("Northern Light") in Atascadero. She has been an active member of the Central Coast Jewish community for over twenty years. Rabbi Mehring is a member of the San Luis Obispo Ministerial Association, an interfaith council of local religious leaders and is a board member of the San Luis Obispo chapter of the ADL, Anti Defamation League.
Membership Committee Chair: Marty Meltz
Marty has taken the reins of our Membership Committee and is spearheading our efforts to increase membership. He is a retired Radiation Biologist who recently moved to the Central Coast from Texas, where he was a Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Marty is a community volunteer and advocate for the homeless across SLO County.
Membership Committee members: Susan Stern Pearl, Lynn Chenen
Susan taught Sunday school for many years at Temple Ner Shalom, as well as was its Membership chair and Sunshine person. She retired from nursing in 2000 and recently sold her wholesale distribution company. Along with her late husband, she was one of the founding members of the JCCSLO.
Lynn recently relocated to Shell Beach from the Los Angeles area. Lynn is looking forward to meeting new friends through the JCCSLO!
Fundraising Committee member: John Belsher
John is a charter member of JCCSLO and part of its Fundraising Committee. John helped to establish the organization, having secured its land and led its first capital campaign. John runs a local law practice, Belsher, Becker, & Roberts, and is the Past President of Temple Ner Shalom.
Program Committee member: Jack Pearl
Jack was on the original JCCSLO Board, and has served on the Board for Congregation Beth David. Jack is retired from his successful career as a principal, and is enjoying this new chapter in his life.
Visit the Committees page to see who is on this year's Jewish Film Festival committee, Speakers Bureau Committee, and Steering Committee for a social services division.
President: Jan Durocher
Jan serves as the JCCSLO’s President, after her term as Vice President and Secretary. She runs our Program Committee, where she recruits program leaders and helps to develop programs. Jan is a former board member of Congregation Beth David. Jan is a retired architect from the construction management industry and relocated here from Seattle.
Executive Director: Lauren Bandari
As Executive Director, Lauren is leading the non‐profit organization in establishing its community presence and growing to serve the community at large. She coordinates its programs and services, and works to collaborate with other community organizations. She runs fundraising activities, as well as researches and writes grant proposals, and works to cultivate individual donors. Lauren currently serves on the Boards of Central Coast Hadassah and the Anti-Defamation League of San Luis Obispo. She is also active in the local arts scene with the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art.
Vice-President and Treasurer: Jon-Erik Storm
Jon-Erik is an attorney with his own practice and serves as an arbitrator for the State Bar of California. Jon-Erik resides with his wife, Lara, son Asher, and their three dogs, in Los Osos. In addition to his law practice, Jon-Erik is working on his M.A. in Jewish Studies from Hebrew College. Jon-Erik is a member of Congregation Beth David, where he also serves on the board and teaches Hebrew, and Temple Ner Shalom. Jon-Erik has served on the board of the San Luis Obispo Symphony.
Secretary: Wendy Kim
Wendy is an active member of Congregation Ohr Tzafon and teaches Sunday Hebrew classes there. Wendy also runs a micro-farm from her own backyard, raising goats, chickens, and beautiful fruit/vegetables. Her agriculture and handyman skills are better than anyone else we know!
Past President: Jody Belsher
Jody served as JCCSLO president for two years, and for many years ran its fundraising, programming and marketing efforts. She is also a founding member of the JCCSLO. She is active at Temple Ner Shalom where she has served on the board in addition to other volunteer positions. Jody runs a graphic design business and personal management company in SLO.
Members at Large
North County: Leah Moore
Leah is a real estate agent based in Paso Robles and a member of Congregation Ohr Tzafon in Atascadero. Leah has served on the Hadassah board for a number of years and is passionate about developing the Jewish organizations in SLO County.
South County - Leo Tendrih
Leo is an active member at Temple Ner Shalom. Leo hails from Brazil by way of New York City, and has much passion about building a vibrant Jewish community in SLO County, as he begins to raise his family here. He resides in Arroyo Grande with his wife, Dafna.
South County - Dvora Braunstein
Dvora is a dynamic Israeli living in Nipomo at Trilogy, having relocated here from the Los Angeles area. From her home she runs her Ma Belle fashion line, hosts parties, and enjoys time with her husband, Zvi. Dvora enjoys participating in JCCSLO's Jewish News Junkies group, and heads our Fundraising Committee.
Liaisons & Committee Members
Interfaith Liaison: Rabbi Janice Mehring
Rabbi Mehring is the rabbi at Congregation Ohr Tzafon ("Northern Light") in Atascadero. She has been an active member of the Central Coast Jewish community for over twenty years. Rabbi Mehring is a member of the San Luis Obispo Ministerial Association, an interfaith council of local religious leaders and is a board member of the San Luis Obispo chapter of the ADL, Anti Defamation League.
Membership Committee Chair: Marty Meltz
Marty has taken the reins of our Membership Committee and is spearheading our efforts to increase membership. He is a retired Radiation Biologist who recently moved to the Central Coast from Texas, where he was a Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Marty is a community volunteer and advocate for the homeless across SLO County.
Membership Committee members: Susan Stern Pearl, Lynn Chenen
Susan taught Sunday school for many years at Temple Ner Shalom, as well as was its Membership chair and Sunshine person. She retired from nursing in 2000 and recently sold her wholesale distribution company. Along with her late husband, she was one of the founding members of the JCCSLO.
Lynn recently relocated to Shell Beach from the Los Angeles area. Lynn is looking forward to meeting new friends through the JCCSLO!
Fundraising Committee member: John Belsher
John is a charter member of JCCSLO and part of its Fundraising Committee. John helped to establish the organization, having secured its land and led its first capital campaign. John runs a local law practice, Belsher, Becker, & Roberts, and is the Past President of Temple Ner Shalom.
Program Committee member: Jack Pearl
Jack was on the original JCCSLO Board, and has served on the Board for Congregation Beth David. Jack is retired from his successful career as a principal, and is enjoying this new chapter in his life.
Visit the Committees page to see who is on this year's Jewish Film Festival committee, Speakers Bureau Committee, and Steering Committee for a social services division.
JCCSLO's Executive Director - Who is she?
Lauren originally hails from Chicago, IL, where she grew up in one of its northern suburbs, Highland Park. Lauren was raised in a Conservative shul, and went to a Bnai Brith Jewish overnight camp in Wisconsin. Her personal connection to Judaism started to take root during a summer travelling around the country with other Jewish teenagers. That summer she found herself leading services, and experiencing her Judaism in profound ways at moments like sunrise at the Grand Canyon. Lauren very much feels the power of community and is passionate about connecting us here in San Luis Obispo county.
Lauren has her Masters in Public Administration from the University of Illinois-Chicago, and focused on Nonprofit Management. Her undergraduate degree is in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before moving to San Luis Obispo, Lauren was a retail analyst for the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, helping dealers improve their business strategies. She has an extensive background in the arts, having served as a Site and Publicity Manager for a grassroots public art organization in Milwaukee, WI. She was the Fine Arts Administrator for Sotheby's in Chicago, IL, and worked in scholarly publishing at University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Lauren lives in San Luis Obispo with her husband Armin, twin boys Arie and Isaac, and their chihuahua, Poncho. Feel free to contact her at any time by email or telephone.
Lauren has her Masters in Public Administration from the University of Illinois-Chicago, and focused on Nonprofit Management. Her undergraduate degree is in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before moving to San Luis Obispo, Lauren was a retail analyst for the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, helping dealers improve their business strategies. She has an extensive background in the arts, having served as a Site and Publicity Manager for a grassroots public art organization in Milwaukee, WI. She was the Fine Arts Administrator for Sotheby's in Chicago, IL, and worked in scholarly publishing at University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Lauren lives in San Luis Obispo with her husband Armin, twin boys Arie and Isaac, and their chihuahua, Poncho. Feel free to contact her at any time by email or telephone.
Land Donors Circle
A special thank you to these individuals that have financially contributed and began the dream of creating a Jewish Community Center for San Luis Obispo:
Dr. Boris Pilch, Steven Saldo, John and Jody Belsher, Chuck and Sophie Fishman, Adele Stern, David and Susan Stern
A special thank you to these individuals that have financially contributed and began the dream of creating a Jewish Community Center for San Luis Obispo:
Dr. Boris Pilch, Steven Saldo, John and Jody Belsher, Chuck and Sophie Fishman, Adele Stern, David and Susan Stern
