SAN JOSE, California (Press Release)–Sharon Scott Gustafson of the United States becomes the 19th President of the International Council of Jewish Women for a four-year term, commencing May 2010.
Gustafson, a Vassar College graduate, worked as Director of Personnel for the Planned Parenthood organization in Rochester, New York, and later as Director of Corporate Services for Deltanet Inc. in San Francisco. She has served on the Boards of Directors of the Bureau of Jewish Education, the Jewish Community Federation and the Home for Jewish Aged in Rochester, New York, and as Vice-President of the Women’s Division of the Jewish Community Federation of San José, CA, where she now lives.
Gustafson serves on the San José Airport Commission, chaired the San José Ballet and Arts Commission, and was the first honoree of the local “Women Making a Mark” award, in recognition of her significant leadership commitments to community organizations. She has always been actively involved with the issues of civil and human rights, especially those which affect women and families. She served as President of the Rochester Section of the National Council of Jewish Women and later on NCJW-USA’s National Executive Committee and Board of Directors. This led her into its global umbrella organization, the International Council of Jewish Women, where she became Assistant Treasurer in 1999, and Treasurer from 2002 until today. As President of ICJW, Gustafson intends to reinforce ICJW’s focus on the status of women, the worldwide fight against human trafficking and domestic violence, and campaign for religious equality for women.
The new president explains: “As our organization approaches its centenary, it is shocking to see that many of the causes for which we are campaigning today have been on the ICJW agenda for almost 100 years: the white slave trade, known today as human trafficking; equal pay for men and women; the scarcity of women in public life; and protecting women and children from all forms of violence. Today, more than ever before, globalization and modern technology can empower women to combine their influence in order to make real changes, in their own communities and worldwide.”
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Preceding provided by the International Council of Jewish Women