JERRY WITKOVSKY (MSW, University of Illinois) is a beloved mentor to thousands of individuals and generations of families, thanks to forty- seven years of professional leadership, eighteen of them as General Director of the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago. In 1995 he was named one of the city’s “Most Effective Non-Profit CEOs” by Crain’s Chicago Business. Since his 1997 retirement, Jerry has focused his considerable energies on grandparenting facilitation—helping multigenerational families work (and play) together to create a rich family life. He has partnered with JCC and YMCA to create a writing prompt program serving over four hundred grandparents on three continents as well as a virtual improv program with UK’s Nursery Theatre. He currently spearheads a growing number of school-based programs designed to strengthen connections between grandparents and their teenagers.
DEANNA SHOSS (MA, DePaul University) is a marketer, writer, and interculturalist based in Chicago. As Founder and CEO of Intercultural Talk, Inc., Deanna inspires people to learn, create, and contribute across the lifespan. She works with non-digital natives to help them promote their mission-driven businesses or life projects with digital, intercultural, and real-life marketing. She takes an intergenerational approach that combines online communication platforms such as websites/blogs, social media, and video with tried and true practices such as partnership building, email marketing, and in-person events. Previously, Deanna enjoyed eleven years in city government (she personally got the dinosaur at O’Hare International Airport through security), being past President of the League of Chicago Theatres (where she was recognized in 2005 among “Who’s Who in Chicago Business” by Crain’s Chicago Business), leading Public Relations for McDonald’s Owner/Operators of Eastern New England, and directing marketing for Jewish Child & Family Services and JVS Chicago. Deanna writes for the National Diversity Council and is the Tech Columnist for Grand Magazine. She speaks Portuguese, Spanish, and French, and is a certified group fitness instructor. Learn more at interculturaltalk.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/skstradio/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/skstradio/support