March 20, 2011 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Previous jobs: Before she joined the Y, a community and cultural center in New York founded on Jewish principles, Ms. Reed spent 14 years at Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, also in New York, most recently as national director of development.
How she got into fund raising: Early in her career Ms. Reed planned to become a social scientist. But one of her first jobs, at the Russian Research Center at Harvard University, introduced her to fund raising. “I don’t think people realize what a wonderful profession it is,” says Ms. Reed, 52. “You help bring together great programming with people who make it possible.”
Education: She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston, a master’s degree with a concentration in the politics and economics of Russia and Eastern Europe from Harvard, and a master’s in business administration from New York University.
Why she took the job: At Hadassah, Ms. Reed raised money for a hospital in Jerusalem, but at the 92nd Street Y she can walk down a few corridors and drop in on its programs at any time. “I can see firsthand what I am helping to make possible,” she says.
Why she was hired: Sol Adler, the group’s executive director, says he hopes Ms. Reed will help the institution, which offers some programs via satellite, to expand its pool of donors beyond the New York metropolitan area. Ms. Reed’s international and eclectic background appealed to him. “She fit perfectly into my vision for the Y,” he says.
Salary: She declined to reveal it. The group’s annual budget is $52.6-million.
Other languages spoken: Russian.
Recent reading: Italics Are Mine, by Nina Berberova.
