Fingerhut named Hillel president

WASHINGTON—Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life announced that Eric Fingerhut will serve as its president and CEO. The appointment was approved unanimously on Sunday by the Hillel Board of Directors, who met in New York.

“Eric is an ideal fit for Hillel at this important time in our history,” said Sidney Pertnoy, Chairman of Hillel’s Board of Directors. “He has a passion for Hillel’s mission and a proven innovative record of successes in both the public and private arena. We are confident Eric will be an excellent leader so we can better engage the Jewish world’s most precious resource—over 400,000 Jewish students on college campuses in North America and the hundreds of thousands of Jewish students and young adults in communities around the globe.”

Hillel, with more than 550 locations at colleges, universities and in communities in North America, Israel, the former Soviet Union, Europe and Latin America, is entering its 90th year. Its goal is to enrich the lives of Jewish students, connect them to opportunities for social action and service, inspire them to lead and promote activities which help them engage with, learn about and support Israel.

“I am honored to be joining such an esteemed and important organization,” said Fingerhut. “Everything in my life has led to this moment—my public service, my work on campuses and research centers across Ohio, and my lifelong devotion to Israel and the Jewish people. And so I couldn’t be more thrilled.”

Fingerhut will assume daily leadership responsibilities later this summer.

Randall Kaplan, Chairman of Hillel’s International Board of Governors adds; “We believe that Eric’s public service and history of leadership in higher education as well as his entrepreneurial spirit and creative energy, uniquely qualify him for the role. We are confident Eric will help strengthen Jewish life on campus in countless ways.”

Fingerhut’s career in education and public service spans more than three decades. As Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents from early 2007 to 2011, Fingerhut led Ohio’s system of public universities and colleges. In that role, Chancellor Fingerhut earned a reputation as an innovative leader and ardent advocate of the value of higher education.

Most recently, he was corporate vice president of Education and STEM Learning business at Battelle. Battelle, based in Columbus, is the world’s largest independent research and development organization.

From 1997 to 2006, Fingerhut served as an Ohio state senator, where he worked on initiatives ranging from higher education to human services and economic development. From 1993 to 1994, he represented Ohio’s 19th congressional district in the U.S. Congress and in 2004, he was the Democratic Party’s candidate for U.S. Senate. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and received a law degree from Stanford University.