Our Board Members
Eric Komoroff…Founder of Community of Unity
Since 2001, over 30,000 youth around the world have been touched by COMMUNITY of UNITY programs. In North America, over 200 schools have engaged its professional development workshops, support services, and materials. A recognized leader in the fields of youth development, urban education, school culture, youth spirituality & empowerment, and relationship building, Eric is a collaborator/presenter/trainer to organizations including A Better Chance, BOOST Conference, The Institute for Student Achievement, Northside Center for Child Development, The New York City Department of Education, Union Seminary, Face2Face, Auburn Theological Seminary, The YMCA, The Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development, The Center for Mindfulness:The University of Massachusetts Medical School, Hoops 4 Hope (South Africa & Zimbabwe), The Genesis Society, and Big Brother Big Sister. He hosts a weekly internet radio show YOUTH EMPOWERED, and sits on the Educational Advisory Board of Newsday Newspaper, the Alumni Board Task Force at The Bank Street College of Education, the Advisory Boards of New Design High School & The Urban Assembly Academy of Law & Justice. Additionally, Eric has taught School Culture Development and Advisory Program Development at The Bank Street College of Education, and “Authenitic Parenting” at The A-HA! Learning Center.
Board Members
Christopher Oliver, Board Chair
Chris is the Director of Strategy & Business Development for HP Technology Consulting. In that role, Chris is tasked with defining near, mid and long-term strategies to accelerate the growth of HP’s consulting business. Those strategies focus on driving operational efficiencies, leveraging channel and alliance partners, new business opportunities, market development, M&A, etc. Additionally, Chris and team track business performance data and provide guidance to help the business achieve key financial objectives.
Prior to joining HP in 2011, Chris was the Vice President for Strategy and Business Development at Dimension Data where he was a member of the Executive Operating Committee. In that role he was responsible for M&A and post-merger integration activity across the Americas, as well as driving mid and long-term strategic growth initiatives for the organization. Earlier in his career with Dimension Data, Chris was Director of Operations for Latin America and Canada overseeing the daily business operations of Dimension Data Brazil, Dimension Data Canada, Dimension Data Chile and Dimension Data Mexico.
Oliver sits on the board of a small non-profit, Community of Unity, focused on youth development. He resides with his wife and two children in New York City where he was born.
Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from Brown University and a
Master’s in Business Administration from Yale University.
Marene Jennings, Treasurer
Marene is a Vice President in the Investment Management Division of a major Wall Street firm where she works as a Product Manager. Her team provides external long-only investment strategies to high net worth and institutional clients. Prior to this role, she was a member of the corporate strategy and business development team at Fidelity Investments and a management consultant at The Boston Consulting Group. Marene holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Latin American Studies from Dartmouth College and a Master’s in Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Marene has previously been on the Boards of two other non-profit organizations and is currently an officer for her Dartmouth class. A native of The Bronx, Marene now resides in Brooklyn, NY.
Holly Rudnick Kurtzberg
Holly a practicing physical therapist for the last 18 years, Holly received her degree in physical therapy from SUNY Syracuse Upstate Medical Center in 1991. She received her advanced specialization in mechanical diagnosis and treatment of spinal disorders in 2000 through the McKenzie Institute in New Zealand. She has practiced in multiple settings throughout the tri-state area including Kessler Institute, St. Barnabas Medical Center and presently at the Hospital for Special Surgery in the Sports Rehabilitation Department. In 2005, Holly edited the spine section and co-authored a chapter in the Post Operative Rehabilitation Guidelines text-book by Elsevier Publishing. She has also taught classes in the physical therapy programs at both Hunter College and Columbia University. Holly is also an accomplished musician and mother of two girls.
Clifford Cohen
Cliff is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Since 2002, he has worked for the NYC Department of Education as a Related Services Counselor and currently provides counseling services at four Manhattan high schools. In addition, he is an Adjunct Lecturer at Hunter College, CUNY, in the graduate counseling program which includes school, rehabilitation and mental health counseling. He is also an Adjunct Instructor at the Steinhardt School at NYU as part of a team teaching panel on the Social Responsibilities of Educators addressing drug and alcohol education, child abuse identification, school violence prevention and AIDS/HIV education.
Advisory Board Members
Neil Samen
Aliza Cohen
Carole Hallac
Ocean Macadams
Rya Backer
Carl Navarro
David Reichsfeld