Our board is a self-funded entity whose primary purpose is to enhance patient care through seed funding of social services programs, volunteerism, and education.

Auxiliary Board Officers

• Joanna Sirulnick, President
• Leslie May Blauner, Vice President
• Lisa Lowenthal Pruzan, Vice President
• Brooke Effron, Secretary
• Malva Rabinowitz, Treasurer
• Holly Zimmerman, Assistant Treasurer

Past Presidents

• Gale Kroeger
• Jennifer Price
• Jephtha Tausig, PhD
• Maura Surnamer
• Sue K. Feld
• Jean C. Crystal
• Karen H. Freedberg

Committee Chairs

Nomination & Governance        
Lisa Pruzan                    

Project Funding and Review 
Eileen Soloman

Marketing & Communications   
Eileen Solomon 
Melissa Kudelka                                                                     

Membership Engagement
Hillary Beckman     
Deborah Ribner

Committees:

Executive Committee: Audrey Bedolis, Barbara Biben, Leslie May Blauner, Jean C. Crystal, Brooke Effron, Sue K. Feld, Karen Freedberg, Gale Kroeger, Jennifer Price, Lisa Pruzan, Malva Rabinowitz, Joanna Sirulnick, Roberta M. Smith, Eileen Solomon, Stephanie Steinberg, Maura Surnamer, Jephtha Tausig, PhD, Holly Zimmerman. Staff: Elisa Gordon, LMSW, Felice Zilberfein, PhD

Nominating & Governance: Barbara Biben, Leslie May Blauner, Melissa Komaroff, Ellen Lowey, Jennifer Price, Lisa Pruzan (Chair), Joanna Sirulnick, Eileen Solomon, Holly Zimmerman

Project Funding & Review Committee: Barbara Biben, Leslie Blauner, Amber Ju, Joanna Sirulnick, Roberta Smith, Eileen Solomon (Chair); Staff: Elisa Gordon, LMSW, Ayana Haynes

Program Committee: Wendy Forman-Myers, Vy Higginsen, Amber Ju, Lisa Licht, Joanna Sirulnick, Jodi Sussman; Staff: Elisa Gordon, LMSW

Member Engagement Committee: Hillary Beckman (Co-Chair), Karen Freedberg, Bonnie Gray, Miki Kagan, Deborah Ribner (Co-Chair), Hillary Sherman

Marketing & Communications: Melissa Kudelka and Eileen Solomon

Mount Sinai Hospital Administrative Staff/Representatives:

• Elisa Gordon, LMSW, Senior Director, Social Work Services, Consultant, Auxiliary Board
• Christine Hamilton, PhD., LCSW-R, MPH, Executive Director, Social Work Services
• Ayana A. Haynes, Administrative Coordinator, Auxiliary Board
• Shari Kaplan, LCSW-R, Senior Director, Volunteer Services, Mount Sinai Health System
• Sarah Koppel, LCSW, Supervisor, Training and Education, MSW Educational Coordinator, Department of Social Work Services (Assists with Auxiliary Board Meetings)
• Dana Kuefner, LCSW, Director of Volunteer Services, Mount Sinai Hospital (Does not attend AB Meetings)
• Felice Zilberfein, PhD., Senior Director, Social Work Services
• Brooke Wershaw – Office of Development Representative (Does not attend AB Meetings)

2026 Auxiliary Board Membership:

• Audrey Bedolis
• Hillary Beckman
• Barbara R. Biben
• Leslie May Blauner
• Jean C. Crystal
• Elizabeth Ganitsky
• Brooke Effron
• Karen C. Fang
• Sue K. Feld
• Anita R. Fields^
• Karen H. Freedberg
• Bonnie Gray
• Marlene A. Herring
• Anne Herrmann
• Elizabeth Feld Herzberg
• Vy Higginsen
• Ahmaya Knoelle Higginson-Wydro
• Aileen T. Janover
• Amber Ju
• Miki Kagan
• Ellen Klapper*
• Linda Klein
• Melissa Komaroff
• A. Gale Kroeger
• Audrey Kubie^
• Melissa Kudelka
• Valerie Levy
• Lisa Licht
• Jennifer Lipschultz
• Ellen Lowey
• Juliana May
• Wendy Forman Myers
• Donna L. Navarro
• Jane C. Novick
• Leslie Perkins
• Jennifer Price
• Helaine Pruzan
• Lisa Lowenthal Pruzan
• Malva Rabinowitz
• Deborah Ribner
• Jennifer S. Rich
• Marjorie Ross
• Sue Russell
• Bellanca Smigel Rutter
• Margie Schneidman
• Edie Schur*
• Aline Shapiro
• Hillary B. Sherman
• Radhika Shroff
• Joanna Sirulnick
• Roberta M. Smith
• Eileen Solomon
• Stephanie Steinberg
• Maura Surnamer
• Jodi L. Sussman
• Jephtha Tausig
• Amy Verschleiser
• Susan L. West
• Carol Zicklin
• Holly Zimmerman
• Jane Litwin Zimmerman

*Honorary Members
^Leave of Absence (LOA)