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
• 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        
Ellen Lowey          

Project Funding and Review 
Eileen Solomon 

Marketing & Communications 
Melissa Kudelka                                                                     

Membership Engagement
Hillary Beckman     
Deborah Ribner

Committees:

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

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

Project Funding & Review Committee: Audrey Bedolis, Leslie Blauner, Amber Ju, Miki Kagan, Joanna Sirulnick, Roberta Smith, Elieen 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

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)
• 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
• Brooke Effron
• Karen C. Fang
• Sue K. Feld
• Karen H. Freedberg
• Elizabeth Ganitsky
• Rachel Graham
• Bonnie Gray
• Marlene A. Herring
• Anne Herrmann
• Elizabeth Feld Herzberg
• Vy Higginsen
• Ahmaya Knoelle Higginson-Wydro
• Aileen T. Janover
• Amber Ju
• Miki Kagan
• Melissa Komaroff
• A. Gale Kroeger
• 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
• Nancy Schulman
• 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