Board of Directors
2021-2022
King David High School is a community of individuals working together to create an exceptional educational environment. At King David, students, administration and staff, parents and families, donors and community members all strive to achieve excellence in Jewish high school education in Vancouver.
The Board of Directors provides strategic oversight and serves to give a voice to all of our stakeholders. The Board works with the School Leadership Team to set and implement the strategic vision of the school, to support fundraising and ensure long-term financial sustainability. A primary responsibility of the Board is to hire and support the Head of School. The Board is organized along portfolio lines to deal with the complexities of governing a high school, and to involve more stakeholders in setting the strategic focus of the school.
Portfolio chairs typically oversee a committee that meets regularly and works with administration and staff to provide risk oversight, help define goals and implement strategies. The committee chair solicits board input, makes recommendations to the board and provides a report at board meetings which occur 6-7 times per year with additional meetings added as needed.
We are privileged to have a first-rate Board of committed, hard-working volunteers who are dedicated to improving every area of the school. We invite you to get know these individuals through the snapshot bios below.
We are always looking for new committee members. If you are interested in joining a committee, please contact the committee chair directly.
The Board of Directors provides strategic oversight and serves to give a voice to all of our stakeholders. The Board works with the School Leadership Team to set and implement the strategic vision of the school, to support fundraising and ensure long-term financial sustainability. A primary responsibility of the Board is to hire and support the Head of School. The Board is organized along portfolio lines to deal with the complexities of governing a high school, and to involve more stakeholders in setting the strategic focus of the school.
Portfolio chairs typically oversee a committee that meets regularly and works with administration and staff to provide risk oversight, help define goals and implement strategies. The committee chair solicits board input, makes recommendations to the board and provides a report at board meetings which occur 6-7 times per year with additional meetings added as needed.
We are privileged to have a first-rate Board of committed, hard-working volunteers who are dedicated to improving every area of the school. We invite you to get know these individuals through the snapshot bios below.
We are always looking for new committee members. If you are interested in joining a committee, please contact the committee chair directly.
– Diane Friedman and Alain Guez, Co-Presidents
Ronit Berger
Head of School Support and Evaluation Portfolio
Ronit spent much of her childhood growing up in Vancouver. After graduating from VTT in 1987, her family moved to the United States, where she continued her Jewish education and later received a BA from The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York in Modern Jewish Studies alongside a BA in English from Barnard College of Columbia University. She met her husband, Tadd, while working at Camp Solomon Schechter, and the two finally returned to the lower mainland in 2007, after Ronit completed her PhD in English from Rice University in Houston, TX. Ronit currently works for Pearson Education as an online writing consultant, working with both writing instructors and post-secondary students globally to improve their writing and teaching skills. Ronit has worked remotely since 2007, allowing her the time and energy to raise her three children and work within the Richmond Jewish community as PAC Chair and later Board Chair at RJDS as well as Religious School Educator at Beth Tikvah Congregation. Ronit and Tadd currently have one child at King David, and she is excited to get more involved with the school and continue to work on supporting and improving Jewish educational opportunities in Greater Vancouver.
Chana Charach
Chair: Development Committee
Chana has been a licensed mortgage broker since 1997 and is president of Synergy Mortgage Inc. For the past 20 years, she has volunteered in various roles in the Jewish community. Currently, she serves as the Co-Agency Liaison for the Jewish Federation working cabinet and is also a canvasser. For over 8 years, she has been a volunteer director for the Hebrew Free Loan Association, which provides interest-free loans to Jewish people that need a “hand up,” not a “hand‐out,” in difficult circumstances. For 7 years, Chana was a member of the planning committee for Night of 100 Dinners, a major innovative Jewish fundraiser and she also co-chaired the event. Chana and her husband Randy have strong ties to King David High School. They have two graduates, Shira and Kyla. Shira was in the King David Class of 2019 and is at McGill studying for her BSc in Kinesiology. Kyla graduated from King David in 2021 and is working towards her BFA majoring in Studio Arts at Concordia University. Their youngest daughter, Talia is currently a student at King David High School.
Yaron David
Member: Finance Committee
Member: Risk Management Committee
Yaron is the owner of Fourth Wind Properties, a privately held affordable housing acquisitions and management firm which has owned and operated mobile home parks and apartment buildings within Florida’s Tampa Bay area for nearly 20 years. Yaron grew up in Vancouver, completed his undergraduate degree from UBC, and then traveled south, where he and his wife Meirav completed their MBAs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Upon graduation, Yaron joined BSR Projects in Florida, as lead Managing Director for the Israeli-based, publicly-traded real estate development company, while working as an adjunct faculty member at St. Petersburg’s Eckerd College teaching undergraduate Business Management courses. Yaron and Meirav returned to Vancouver 10 years ago and have four children, Aviv, King David Class of 2021, Amit and Ziv who are currently at King David, and Itay, a student at VTT.
Ron Ezekiel
Secretary
Chair: Governance Committee
Ron is a graduate of Vancouver Talmud Torah and received his LLB degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto. He is a partner with Fasken Martineau, practicing business law.
Ron’s goal is to maintain and reinforce the good governance practices already in place at King David, and to assist the executive with the proper and efficient functioning of the Board and the school.
Ron and his wife Shelley live in Vancouver and have three children.
Diane Friedman
Co-President
Diane is a corporate director and business advisor. She is the Board Chair at the Land Title and Survey Authority of BC where she previously chaired both the Audit & Finance and Governance & HR committees. Diane spent five years as a corporate director with Community Living BC, a Crown corporation.
Diane has nearly 30 years experience in finance including corporate finance, subordinated debt, mezzanine finance and commercial credit. As a business and finance consultant, Diane works with First Nations, private companies, and not-for-profits, advising on Corporate Finance matters including business and succession planning, acquisitions and divestitures, and financing to support growth, acquisitions and management buyouts.
Diane has been an active volunteer in the Jewish community. She spent 18 years on the Board of the Hebrew Free Loan Association, where she was the Board President for 9 years, and she is a past President of Jewish Family Services. Diane and her husband are proud parents of a King David graduate, Isaac, Class of 2021.
Roni Greif
Treasurer
Chair: Finance Committee
Roni was born and raised in Israel. She graduated from Tel Aviv University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Statistics and an MBA with a specialization in Finance and Accounting. After graduation she spent a few years in Canada and in California and in 2002 she settled in Vancouver. Roni works for Kodak as a Finance Director. She has been an active volunteer in the Jewish Community; she serves as a director on the Congregation Beth Israel Board, she is the Vice President of Hebrew Free Loan Association, an organization that provides interest-free loans to help Jewish individuals overcome financial challenges, and prior to joining the King David Board, she was a member of the Finance Committee at VTT. Roni and her husband Chen have three children – two who currently attend UBC and a daughter at King David.
Alain Guez
Co-President
Alain Guez was born and raised in Paris and came to Vancouver in 2011 with his wife, Michelle, and their three children. He received a Computer Engineering degree from the Universite de Technologie de Compiegne, and as of April 2015, he is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems.
Alain is a computer science engineer who became a sales and business development specialist. He has spent the 20 last years in both large publicly-traded and smaller private equity companies, where he succeeded in bringing to market some new and innovative technologies. After 15 years in the Telecommunications industry, he moved to health care, where he used his enthusiasm and leadership skills to promote new and innovative solutions.
Alain was always involved in his community in France and was a member of the Board of his Jewish congregation in Paris. Alain is excited to bring his multiculturalism, his professional experience, and his enthusiasm for Jewish education to the King David Board. Alain has three children: Nathan, King David Class of 2019, Ilana, King David Class of 2021, and Eva, a student at King David.
Neville Israel
Past-President
Neville is a native of Cape Town, where he received a Bachelor of Commerce and postgraduate accounting degree with honours from the University of Cape Town. As a CPA with a strategic mindset and a strong track record in effectively managing enterprise risk in complex environments, Neville brings strong business and organizational expertise and experience to the King David Board. Neville hopes to share the leadership skills he has developed as CEO and CFO of various companies that he has been a part of as both an executive and business owner. Neville has served on several community Boards and spends his free time with his wife, Michal, and sons Simon, King David Class of 2015, and Gabe, King David Class of 2019, and on the courts and greens where he pursues his dual passions for pickleball and golf.
Joel Kallner
Member: Risk Management Committee
Member: Finance Committee
Joel was born in South Africa, and has grown up in Richmond. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in History from UBC, and then his Chartered Accountant designation. He is a Vice President, Finance, with Univar, a global wholesale chemical distribution company listed on the NYSE. Joel has been actively involved in the Vancouver Jewish community for over a decade, including serving on the Boards of Camp Hatikvah (Finance Chair), Temple Shalom, and Louis Brier Home and Hospital (Finance Committee), and is now on the King David Finance Committee. Joel and his wife Tara have three children – Noah, King David Class of 2016, Maya, King David Class of 2019, and Shayna, a student at King David.
Joe Khalifa
Chair: House Committee
Joe has lived in Vancouver his whole life. He has a background in business and works in real estate development.
He has been an active and interested member of the Jewish community, with previous Board portfolios with Congregation Schara Tzedeck, Vancouver Talmud Torah, and Congregation Beth Hamidrash.
The House Committee will guide the expansion process for King David. Joe is currently on the Board of the Jewish Community Centre and serves as liaison between King David and the JCC. He has three children, all of whom have graduated from King David: Sam, Class of 2014, Izzy, Class of 2016, and Solly, Class of 2019.
Megan Laskin
Member: Development Committee
Co-Chair: Fill the Space Campaign
After moving from Winnipeg to BC as a young girl, Megan has called Vancouver home ever since. She graduated from UBC Arts and then from UBC Law School and practiced criminal law as a prosecutor for more than 10 years. She retired to raise her two young children and increase her volunteer involvement in the Jewish community. Megan has served as a director on the Beth Israel Synagogue Board and the VTT School Board, where she helped initiate the PAC, has co-chaired Choices, was a director on the Federation Board, and recently completed her role as Women’s Philanthropy Chair for the Federation Annual Campaign. Megan’s daughter Rebecca, King David Class of 2019, and her son Max, King David Class of 2021, are both proud graduates. She is so grateful for the amazing community, education, and experiences offered at King David and is very excited to be able to contribute and give back to the school as a member of the Board.
Jonathon Leipsic
Member: Development Committee
Co-Chair: Fill the Space Campaign
Dr. Jonathon A. Leipsic is the Chairman of the Department of Radiology VCH/PHC. He is Professor of Radiology and Cardiology with the University of British Columbia. Dr. Leipsic is also a Canada Research Chair in Advanced Cardiopulmonary Imaging, and Past President of the Society of Cardiovascular CT. Jonathan has two children at King David: Isabella and Carsyn.
Tamar Lipton
Member: Development Committee
Alumni Portfolio
Tamar was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and immigrated to Vancouver in 1994. A proud alumna of Vancouver Talmud Torah and King David, she graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Kinetics. She is excited to help contribute to the sustainability and future successes of King David, so that her two children can one day follow in her footsteps. A strong Jewish education is very important to Tamar, and she is eager to give back to the school and community that helped shape her Jewish identity. Tamar is especially keen to draw on her experience as an alumna of King David, and help encourage other alumni of the school to become involved in supporting King David to ensure it continues to be a strong pillar of the Vancouver Jewish community.
Jackie Cristall Morris
Past President
Member: Development Committee
Jackie is a native Vancouverite. She spent 20 years in Toronto, where she met her husband, Gary, and started a family before returning home in 2006. They have two children: Ashley, King David Class of 2016, and Justin, King David Class of 2018.
Since her return to Vancouver, Jackie has been actively involved in the Jewish community, where she volunteers her time at the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. She previously served on the Board for Camp Hatikvah and the Jewish Family Services Agency.
Jackie is gratified to be contributing to the ongoing success of the school, building its reputation in the community, and strengthening its financial security.
Brett Sandler
Member: Development Committee
Member: Finance Committee
Member: House Committee
Brett is a Canadian and South African chartered accountant with 25 years of experience in the real estate and financial industries. He has been the group chief financial officer of Bosa Properties for the past 16 years. Brett has been involved with the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver for the past 10 years in a variety of capacities, including Director of the Board, member of the Executive Committee, member of the Building Development Committee, and Treasurer, and he is a past Sports Dinner Chair. Brett and his wife Jacci have a daughter who graduated from King David in 2021 and a son at King David.
Lori Satov
Chair: Risk Management Committee
Member: Finance Committee
Investment Portfolio
Lori is an actuary with more than 15 years of consulting experience. She joined Connor, Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. in May 2011 as a member of the Client Solutions Team. She became a CFA Charter holder in 2013, and in 2015 became a partner of the firm. Her clients include large pension funds, mutual funds, insurance companies, and foundations. In 2014, she and her husband moved their older son, Benjy, to VTT, and were so thrilled with the experience that they also moved their younger son, Oliver. With one King David graduate, Benjy, Class of 2021, and one current King David student, Lori is keen to be a part of the strategic direction that the school undertakes in the next years. She is a graduate of the Montreal Jewish day school system, and believes that she can make a valuable contribution to King David’s educational and strategic initiatives.
Tracey Scher
Member: Governance Committee
Member: Risk Management Committee
Tracey was born and raised in London, UK. With a degree in Law and Business Studies, she spent the first decade of her career as a corporate lawyer. In 2004, she moved to France with her South African husband Stuart and their four children where they built and ran a boutique holiday resort for families for many wonderful years. In 2011, the family moved to Vancouver to continue their adventures, and to enable the children to experience Jewish community in a way that was not possible in the French countryside. Tracey is now the Vancouver General Manager for Gowling WLG, an international law firm where she has responsibility for all non-legal operations including business management, accounting and finance, HR, marketing, facilities and systems. With over 25 years of legal and operations experience, Tracey is looking forward to giving back to KDHS via participation on the board. Tracey and Stuart are proud parents of two King David alumni, Nicole and Alex, Class of 2021.
