The Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) Board of Directors announced today that current CEO Michael Hopkins, who has been at the helm for 13 years, will retire at the end of June 2025. The board has selected Dana Toppel to become the new CEO when Hopkins retires. Toppel is currently the COO and has been an integral part of the organization for over 15 years.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Jewish Family Service, I am writing to share the bittersweet news that after 13 years at the helm of JFS, Michael Hopkins will be retiring a year from now, on June 30, 2025. Over the last several months, the Board has been fully engaged and working diligently to design a seamless transition, while we prepare to announce the Board’s selection of our next CEO at the end of this month.

JFS recognizes the anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and applauds President Biden’s executive order as a significant step to help keep families together and provide stability for many immigrant families who contribute to our local community.

Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) has named Tanya Hackel the organization’s new chief advancement officer. In her new role, Hackel works closely with JFS’s development, marketing, and volunteer engagement departments to enhance relationships with supporters, stakeholders, and the community in support of JFS’ vision and mission. In addition, she will provide fundraising leadership, strategy, and support to JFS’ CEO and board of directors and work closely with JFS’s COO to align institutional giving and individual giving with program needs.

Whereas in its heyday, the College Avenue Senior Center drew between 80 and 120 people for a full day of programming, including lectures, exercise, movies, and an inexpensive lunch, since its resumption after the COVID pandemic, the center’s attendance has averaged only 15 people, and even fewer for the lunch program, according to JFS CEO Designate Dana Toppel. JFS remains committed to helping older adults in our community stay healthy, active, and independent in their own homes through dignified aging care services that include nutritional support, On the Go transportation, the JFS Fix-It Service, and more.

After two months negotiating with a potential contractor to run a migrant center, San Diego County is going back to the drawing board to select an operator for a transfer center and respite shelter to help recently arrived migrants. The county and Jewish Family Service of San Diego couldn’t develop a sustainable plan and agreed to end contract talks for the nonprofit to operate the center, they announced Friday. “Despite best faith efforts, the two parties have been unable to develop a plan to meet the scope of work required to address the needs of migrants in the region based on federal funding criteria and have mutually agreed to end negotiations,” county spokesperson Michael Workman said in a joint statement with the organization.

Jewish Family Service of San Diego’s On the Go program currently helps more than 2,000 seniors in need with transportation. Volunteers assist local seniors by driving them in their own cars to the grocery store, the doctor’s office or other essential destinations. “As we know, the population here in San Diego is definitely trending upwards with older adults in our community. So we see a great need for folks who want to stay living independently in their homes but maybe who can no longer drive,” said Sunni Robertson, Director of Volunteer Engagement, Jewish Family Service of San Diego.

Volunteer driver Betty Carroll shares stories from her work helping seniors maintain independence with Jewish Family Service of San Diego’s “On the Go” program.