After decades of community service, Sharleen joined the Jewish Community Foundation (JCF) in 2009. As Executive Vice President and Chief Impact Officer, she leads teams that educate and inspire both donors and grantees across the Foundation’s most impactful programs.

A visionary leader and national expert in legacy planning, Sharleen designed and expanded JCF’s Create a Jewish Legacy initiative, now an international model adopted as Life & Legacy by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. This work has helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars in current and future endowments for the San Diego Jewish community.

Sharleen also directs the Governance Leadership Institute (GLI), guiding nonprofits in strengthening board governance, infrastructure, and management practices. Known for her skill in attracting and inspiring volunteers, she empowers individuals to take on meaningful leadership roles.

She further launched the Trusted Charitable Advisor Program, equipping professional advisors to incorporate philanthropy into their conversations and planning with clients. Her deep knowledge of charitable strategies and talent for aligning donor interests with community needs help advance JCF’s mission to mobilize effective philanthropy in San Diego, Israel, and beyond.

Her knowledge of creative philanthropic strategies coupled with her acute sense of matching donors with their special interests positions her to achieve the goals of the Jewish Community Foundation. Sharleen’s energetic leadership and passion continue to shape a vibrant future for the community.