At the JCC of Central New Jersey, Robin Brous, has been appointed assistant executive director, to serve alongside executive director Barak Hermann.
Photo by Elaine Durbach
June 5, 2008
Robin Brous, the director of early childhood services at the Jewish Community Center of Central New Jersey, has been appointed its assistant executive director in addition to her existing role.
In the past, at the Scotch Plains JCC, the number two person was key in its functioning. When Richard Corman — the center’s head for 21 years — wasn’t available, members and staffers alike turned to Lois Altschul and after her to Michele Vernon to answer queries or handle crises. With Vernon’s departure and then Corman’s last year, and the appointment of Barak Hermann as the new chief, that slot stayed vacant — until now.
At first glance, Brous and Hermann seem to have very different styles. Where Hermann comes forward with a ready friendliness, Brous has a more reserved air. But both say they form an excellent team.
Hermann said, “When you’ve got the right person in front of you, why would you want to bring in anyone from outside? This was a no-brainer. Given her track record and her achievements and her skill set, Robin was clearly the right person. With the vision we have and our objectives, it’s important that we have the necessary infrastructure. She’ll be my partner in overseeing the day-to-day running of the center, helping to ensure that everything is done professionally and that our objectives are realized.”
Brous said, “We have similar backgrounds, and because of the way we mesh, we really complement each other. And because I’ve been around longer, I can be his point person on the things I’m more familiar with.”
Working with JCC president Mindy Goldberger and the board, Hermann and Brous say they want to make the facility a center of Jewish life for the community. They want to improve membership services, enhance the fitness programs and facilities, and introduce new programs. Brous cited, by way of example, the expansion of the cafe, which has just started, and a summer “pool club” with new activities for children on Tuesday evenings and Sundays.
As she walks through the hallways, Brous’ ease in her expanded role is clearly in evidence. A teacher calls her attention to a sad-eyed child who bumped her head on a sink. Brous crouches down to comfort the child and checks that someone has gone to get ice to put on the sore spot. In her office, she sits down to talk with early childhood program coordinator Robin Wander, but then also takes calls from other staff members.
“We’ve created a team where each person is responsible for a piece of the puzzle,” she said. “We communicate frequently. For me that’s the only way that this works. And it’s made everything seem easier, and that’s opened up time for extra projects.”
According to staff members, rather than the dislocation that might have come with an outsider being appointed, there has been a click of something falling into place. As public relations director Gale Miller said, “It’s exciting because it feels so right. Robin’s someone we all know, and we all know how terrifically capable she is.”
Invested in the future
First hired in 1993 as a preschool teacher, Brous moved up quickly — and then stayed put for a long time. In 1995 she was made director of Camp Yachad, a position she held for 13 years. She also took on supervising youth and teen services and the aquatics, athletics, and fitness programs. Last year, she was appointed director of early childhood services, with Jodi Baxter Hotra and Mike Goldstein taking over as camp codirectors.
Brous also took on another role: In the hiatus between Corman’s leaving in June and Hermann’s coming on board in October, she shared the leadership responsibilities with special events director Barbara Weisbart and chief financial officer Jay Culang.
Given her long tenure at the JCC, Brous acknowledged, it could have been tough working with a new boss with a radically different vision of how things should be run. Hermann, she said, has made the transition easy. “He manages to be totally open and unassuming, and at the same time provide really inspiring leadership,” she said.
She had just finished up her principal certification at Fairleigh Dickinson University when Hermann came to Scotch Plains. “Our professor taught us to lead by sharing our vision of what we want to achieve,” she said. “That’s how I like to work and that’s Barak’s approach, too. Everyone here is invested in the changes we want to make and the future of the center.”
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