Marc Lazarus is president and CEO of R&L Healthcare Advisors, a consulting firm with a track record of success helping managed care providers implement and improve their performance. Prior to that, he served as the president and CEO of Sarasota Palms Hospital and as the CEO for Nu-Med Northwestern Institute in Fort Washington, PA, and Nu-Med Hampton Hospital in Willingboro, NJ. Marc holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration and has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including United Way Suncoast, Federation of American Healthcare Systems, and as past president of YANA Foundation.

He was the Senior Vice President Business Development at Sarasota Memorial Hospital from 1995 to 2005.

Mel Taub was the corporate technology officer for Citigroup until his retirement in 2003. He chaired the Citigroup Information Technology Leadership Council, through which he addressed technology planning and cross-business technology initiatives. Prior to September 2000, when he joined Citigroup Corporate, he was a senior executive vice president of Solomon Smith Barney and the chief information officer of the Citigroup Global Corporate and Investment Bank. Mel directed operations and technology at Solomon Smith Barney and its predecessor companies since 1991. He has also held senior management positions at Merrill Lynch, E.F. Hutton, and Shearson Lehman Brothers. He has served as a technology advisor to the FBI and the National Counter-Terrorism Center and as a member of the Hewlett Packard Board of Advisors.

Eric retired as National Account VP after working 28 years for Compass Group, the world’s largest food service provider for hospitals, corporations, airports, schools and sporting arenas. His expertise is in topline growth, cost control, training and development and client retention. After his first retirement, he built a successful team as real estate broker in Indianapolis, working primarily with property investors. Eric holds a BS from Pratt Institute and attended MBA courses at UMass. Having lived and worked in NY, NJ, Kansas, Chicago, Indianapolis and Tampa, he chose to retire in Sarasota, Florida in 2018. His familiarity with the community goes back 30 years, as his father-in-law Jack Weintraub was the Executive Director of the Jewish Federation and Jewish Housing Council. His wife Judy serves on the Federation’s Board and chairs their Life and Legacy Committee.

Gordon Metsky’s lengthy career in the world of finance is a true asset to the Aviva community. As an MBA graduate of Fairleigh Dickenson University Gordon has served in both the private and public finance sectors. Most recently, Gordon led a team at the Large & Business International Division of the Internal Revenue Service conducting large-scale investigations into energy, shipping, and commodity companies. His personal background as both an accountant and controller provide him a unique perspective for the team.

Kenneth Stock is a past president of the Aviva Jewish Housing Council Operating Board where he has served as a member 2000. He also served several terms as president of the Jewish Housing Council Foundation Board. He was vice president and chief financial officer with Liberty House Department Stores in California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and Texas. He was the controller of F and R Lazarus and owned a chain of retail stores. Ken has served on the boards of Jewish Federation, Jewish Family and Children’s Services, and All Faiths Food Bank. Ken is a Business Administration graduate of Rutgers University and is a veteran of the US Army.

Sheila Birnbaum has served as an advocate, educator, and change agent in the healthcare field. At Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton, New Jersey, she established a patient-centered culture of service throughout the hospital. While there, she also initiated, developed, and implemented the Arts & Healing program, the Service Recovery program, and several employee programs that led to dramatic improvements in employee satisfaction. The programs Sheila developed have won numerous industry awards. Sheila’s columns on health and patient advocacy have been published by several journals in New Jersey.

Fran Braverman brings her background in social work to Aviva’s Board of Directors. After earning her bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College and her master’s in social work from the University of Connecticut, Fran worked as a geriatric social worker and clinician at Family Services Woodfield in Bridgeport, and as executive director of the Women’s Employment Resource Center in New Haven. Once she moved to Sarasota, she became involved at JFCS, volunteering with a weekly lunch group for adults with dementia, and at Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee as a board director and serving on numerous committees and helping with various events, including co-chairing the Jewish Film Festival.

Deborah Breslof is no stranger to the inner workings of non-profit organizations. Before relocating to Sarasota, Deborah was an active member of the Pittsburg United Way and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburg while also serving on the board of the Jewish Association on Aging. In addition to her extensive non-profit work, Deborah is an expert in financial planning and wealth management currently serving as a Senior Vice President and Senior Banking Advisor with PNC.

A New Yorker by heart, Meredith is an expert in all things marketing and public relations. After earning her degree from Syracuse University, she started her career as a reporter for Sports Illustrated. In the years following, Meredith has expanded her impressive repertoire to include dynamic public relations efforts on behalf of organizations like Verizon Wireless, FAO Schwarz, ADT Security Services, Inc, and Olympus USA. After relocating to Sarasota, Meredith joined Grapevine Communications as their Director of Public Relations, where she specializes in PR strategies for Suncoast businesses and not-for-profit organizations.

Marc Kanoff is a Financial Advisor with Raymond James & Associates Inc. Marc has extensive corporate experience in Human Resources and Tax Specialties. Having been VP HR, Pharmaceuticals Europe, VP HR Worldwide Consumer Medicines, ED, International Compensation and Benefits for Bristol-Myers Squibb Inc. Marc also worked for PepsiCo Inc. and Cooper & Lybrand (Price Waterhouse Coopers). He received his JD, Ohio Northern University School of Law and BA, Muhlenberg College, Economics/Accounting. Marc has served on the Bird Key Yacht Club Board & Foundation and JFCS Board, as Treasurer. He is married and has 3 adult children.

Professor Jerry Lazar has quickly become a leading expert on medical ethics both in Sarasota and across the country. As a professor of ethics, Jerry has served as a teacher for some of the greatest minds in medicine including classes at Michigan State University, University of Detroit Mercy, and the Southern Illinois University of Medicine. His unique approach to medical ethics combines medical law, human behavior, and psychology to create the best possible patient environments for the communities he serves.

Henry Mason is a New York native and holds an M.B.A. in International Marketing and Finance from Columbia University. Henry is the founder of Precision Plastic Ind. Inc., a specialty packaging manufacturing company based on a Patent I obtained for film packaging. In 2001, Henry purchased Sanders Laboratories, Inc., an Environmental Test Laboratory with labs in Nokomis and Fort Myers FL. After thirty successful years, Henry sold Precision Plastic Ind. Inc., in 2002. He continues to serve as president of Sanders Laboratories, Inc. Henry and his wife Ellen have called the Sarasota community home since 1998.

Michael is a retired import dealer and financial planner. He has served on Boards since High School. Since 2006 he has been on the Temple Emanuel board, serving as Trustee, VP, President and Philanthropy Chair., From 2014 — 2020 he was a Trustee at JFCS, from 2019 -2020 he served as Trustee, Finance committee for the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness and 2010 — Present GRASP — Managing Director (President).

Dr. Seth I. Rosenberg is an internationally recognized otologist/neurotologist and surgeon at the Silverstein Institute in Sarasota. A native of Poughkeepsie, NY, he graduated cum laude from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and received his M.D. from State University of New York Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. He is a member of the prestigious Triological Society, having received its Mosher Award for his thesis, “The Natural History of Acoustic Neuromas” and was one of the youngest members ever invited to join the exclusive American Otological Society. Dr. Rosenberg also currently serves as vice president and education director for the Ear Research Foundation.