Jen Leemis

Jen Leemis is a leader.   

Just check out her resume of Jewish philanthropy: She served as JUF’s Young Leadership Division board member and executive member, culminating with acting as YLD President from 2010-11; she’s the current campaign chair for the JUF’s Young Women’s City Council; she sits on the Communications and Marketing Committee; and she’s entering her first year on the cabinet. 

As if that weren’t impressive enough, Jen will be honored in September at the JUF Annual Meeting as one of the two 2013 recipients of the Davis, Gidwitz & Glasser Young Leadership Award, given to young volunteers who have demonstrated exemplary dedication and contributions to the Chicago Jewish community.  

A lover of both her adopted home of Chicago and her native Detroit, Jen advocates passionately for the Jewish community. She understands the meaning behind tzedakah and is determined to make a difference for the many young Jewish Chicagoans and the broader Jewish population too.

“A natural leader, Jen knows when to lead, where to follow, and how to get out of the way,” said Lindsey Markus, Jen’s friend and fellow YLD board member. “She is not afraid to roll up her sleeves and to get the job done and is a true team player in every sense…she is incredibly bright, can crystalize complex financial challenges in the community, and presents them with her captivating communications skills. Her passion to make our community a better place is contagious.”

In her downtime—what little there is!—Jen loves ice hockey, traveling the globe, and hanging with her dog, Brewster.

Name:
Jen Leemis

Age:
34

Pays the bills:
Senior Manager, Brand Marketing at Cars.com

On the side:
Travel, ice hockey, hanging out with my dog Brewster, enjoying Chicago summer outdoors

Relationship status:
Taken

Describe yourself in 10 words or less:
Strong convictions, supportive friend, Detroiter, strategic, enjoys laughing, fun.

Celebrity doppelganger:
Lisa Edelstein

How do you Jew in Chicago?
Anyone who meets me can pretty quickly figure out that I am Jewish. It’s very much a part of my identity and while I am not very religious, and consider myself more of a cultural Jew, I find my own important ways to live Jewishly: through Tikkun Olam, avoiding pork, celebrating the major holidays with family traditions, and feeling a connection to Israel.

Passions:
My passion is to help build a stronger link to the familial examples I am following from the generations before me. I believe strongly in the cause of helping our community both locally and abroad and I love how Federation allows me to reach so many people and address so many needs—planned and unanticipated, of both Jews and non-Jews—through Jewish values. Professionally, I am very driven and my time with JUF helps provide the balance and perspective I need to put everything else in the right context. I know that each person is motivated by something different, and as I expand my knowledge and experience of all the things that JUF has to offer, I love finding ways to take high-level action and programs and make them connected and relevant to individuals so they too can be moved by the work of JUF.

How do you give back?
While I support other organizations and attend many other events, I have chosen JUF as the nucleus for my Jewish communal involvement; it is where I have spent the most time cultivating my Jewish philanthropic experiences given the broad range of services offered. I am currently involved through JUF’s Young Women’s City Council as a Leadership Development Co-Chair for 2013-2014. and was the Campaign Chair in 2012-2013. I am also a member of JUF’s Communications Committee (2011-2013), a member of the Yitchazek-Strategy Group (2012-2013), 2^nd installment of the Jewish Leaders Institute (2013-2014), and a member of National Young Leadership Cabinet. I started my time with JUF through the Young Leadership Division and was a Past President and Past Campaign VP.

Fill in the blank: If time and money were limitless, I would:
Travel the world spending time really immersing myself in different cultures.

Chicago's Jewish community in 10 years:
A stronger community with engagement spanning all ages and levels of Jewish identification, from religious to cultural. The leadership will be comprised of many people from the “next gen” community and will have representation from established Chicago families as well as new transplants. The community will see the unaffiliated numbers falling dramatically as everyone finds options to be connected to in their own meaningful way.

Me in 10 years:
Fully living my life in Chicago. Continuing to do work I love, both professionally and philanthropically. Supported by my young family, my future husband and I are creating a Jewish home that works for us.