Florina Newcomb’s journey to becoming the Birmingham Jewish Federation’s CEO is as unconventional as it is inspiring.

 

Born in Kishinev, Moldova, Florina and her family – including her parents, infant brother, and four grandparents - were resettled by the Birmingham Jewish Federation in 1990, where she would go on to attend N.E. Miles Jewish Day School and Birmingham-Southern College. Growing up in Birmingham shaped who Florina is, and when she moved back to the area to raise her family, the very first place she called was the Federation. Since then, she has served in various roles since 2015.

 

Prior to being named CEO, Florina oversaw the Annual Campaign, Women’s Philanthropy, PJ Library, the Israel-World Jewry Bureau, and community programming. Her participation in Federation initiatives such as the General Assembly, Young Leadership Trip to Israel, the March for Israel in Washington, D.C., and the mission to Moldova have also molded Florina’s leadership.

 

Florina’s dedication to the Birmingham Federation led to a feature in a Jewish Federations of North America professional talent video, where her story “immediately struck” Rebecca Ruberg, Senior Director of Executive Recruitment.

 

“Several months later we began developing an early vision for the Executive Accelerator and who the ‘right’ candidate would be,” Ruberg says. “Florina was a key voice in our earliest focus groups, helping us shape and develop the program into what it has become. Through that process and her subsequent leadership growth as a participant of the Executive Accelerator, it was evident that she had developed and possessed the capacities for an elevated leadership role in her community.”

 

Florina says the Executive Accelerator, a program of Jewish Federations of North America made possible by the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Foundation, was the necessary bridge between her already-deep experience in the community and taking on the responsibilities of being a Federations CEO.

 

“My years at the Birmingham Jewish Federation gave me a deep understanding of our community’s needs and the power of collaboration,” Florina says. “The Executive Accelerator was invaluable. It opened a whole world for me by providing the tools, mentorship, and perspective to grow as a leader and to approach challenges with both confidence and creativity. Just as importantly, it gave me a cohort of colleagues to learn from and lean on. Stepping into the role of CEO feels like a natural continuation of that journey, and I’m grateful to carry forward this work alongside so many dedicated partners.”

 

Before taking on the role of the Birmingham Jewish Federation’s CEO, Florina’s strong sense of belonging and responsibility made an impact on her colleagues, including immediate past CEO Danny Cohn: “Florina was a true partner during my time in Birmingham. She helped shape our response to COVID, the war in Ukraine, and our approach to the Israel Emergency Campaign. There is no one in the system that is more qualified to lead Birmingham into the future. They are immensely lucky to have her in the position.”

 

From the very beginning, the Birmingham Jewish community embraced Florina Newcomb with open arms and tangible support: bringing her family to the area from Moldova and helping them settle in; fostering her Jewish identity at school and the Levite Jewish Community Center; welcoming her home after several years away; and giving her opportunities to grow as a Federations professional. The next chapter of Florina’s journey, serving as CEO of the Birmingham Jewish Federation, is a natural fit.

 

“Our search committee did a very thorough job. After really studying her, we knew we had the best person,” said Sheryl Kimerling, President of the Birmingham Jewish Federation. “Everyone is so excited about her. She is the Federation story.”