Renee Howard, B’nai B’rith International’s program manager and young leadership outreach coordinator, was selected as the winner of the fourth annual Sidney H. Closter Outstanding New Staff Member Award at the organization’s Board of Governors meeting on June 14. The honor was created in order to annually recognize individuals who embody “creativity, personal initiative, a commitment to hard work, and a desire to grow in his or her career.”
“From the time she came to B’nai B’rith, I knew that Renee was someone I wanted as part of our organization,” B’nai B’rith International Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin said. “We are both proud of what she has accomplished thus far and hopeful for what lies ahead in the future.”
The award was created in 2006 in memory of Closter, who served B’nai B’rith International for 48 years, two-thirds of which were spent as the director of the B’nai B’rith Foundation of the U.S. and as director of development. Past recipients of the award include Rachel Goldberg, director of aging policy and healthcare policy; Simeon Montesa, Art and Graphics Design director; and David Michaels, director of United Nations and Intercommunal affairs.
As both a program manager and young leadership outreach coordinator, Howard has spearheaded innovative initiatives, including a partnership between B’nai B’rith and Alpha Epsilon Pi, the national Jewish fraternity. Howard has also co-organized a monthly trivia night in Washington, D.C., for young professionals – which is held in conjunction with the historic Sixth & I Synagogue.
At the award ceremony in Washington, D.C., Howard was presented with a plaque in addition to a monetary acknowledgment.
