Lay Leadership
Anne Nemetz - President
Anne lives in Basking Ridge with her two sons, Paul and Jonathan. Paul will be a sophomore at George Washington University this year (2016) and Jonathan will be a freshman at Ridge High School.They have been members of Congregation B'nai Israel for more than15 years, where the boys have gone from Tot Shabbat through Bar Mitzvah. Anne works for Chubb Group of Insurance Companies in their Personal Lines division.
Robert F. Simon - First Vice President
Rob and his wife, Jane, moved to Gladstone in 1997 and reside there with their children, Alex, Lily and Oliver. Rob is a Director at Herold Law, P.A., a full-service law firm located in Warren. He focuses his practice on a broad range of real estate matters, including commercial and residential transactions and litigation, land use regulation, leasing, financing, property tax appeals, title disputes, and condemnation matters. He also represents clients in a variety of associated business transactions, including asset and stock transfers. Prior to joining Herold Law, P.A., he was a partner with Marcus, Dubrow and Simon, PC, in Maplewood, New Jersey. He has served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable R. Benjamin Cohen, former Presiding Judge, Chancery Division, Essex County, New Jersey; as Chairman of the Zoning/Planning Boards of the Borough of Peapack and Gladstone; and through the Office of Attorney Ethics as a Panel Chair on the District V-B Fee Arbitration Committee. Rob has been appointed on numerous occasions by the Superior Court to serve in Guardianship and Special Medical Guardianship proceedings; as an attorney trustee for disbarment matters; and as a Condemnation Commissioner. He has been qualified by the New Jersey State and Federal Courts as an expert witness in real estate matters. He is also a member of the rock band Not Enough Jeffs.
Nancy Frank Cook - Vice President
Nancy Cook and her husband Rich moved to Basking Ridge in 1991. They have two daughters: Stephanie, a 2014 graduate of Northeastern University, and Jenny, who is entering her junior year at Vanderbilt University. Jenny also served as the 2013-14 president of our local BBYO chapter with Nancy serving as the parent liaison. The Cooks joined CBI in 1999. Nancy served as president of CBI's Sisterhood for seven years, and served on the Membership and Fundraising Committees. She currently co-chairs our Membership Committee and serves, with Ellen Marks, as the liaison to our clergy. She has served on CBI's Board of Trustees and been an officer for more than three years. She is also a recipient of CBI's Hillel Award for volunteering. Nancy received her BS in Management from Syracuse University, and she and Rich own and manage Laser Solutions, Inc. In her spare time, Nancy can be found on the tennis court, or enjoying her family and their dog Lily. Nancy enjoys working hard and playing hard!
David Braunstein - Treasurer
David and his wife Nancy have been members of CBi since its founding in 1990. They first moved to Basking Ridge in 1986, and then to Warren in 1994. They have two sons, Andrew, 25, and Seth, 22, who many congregants have seen blowing the Shofar with David at High Holy Day services. David previously served on the CBI Board during its first 15 years in various positions, including Trustee-at-Large, Assistant Treasurer, and Vice President. David returned to the Board in 2013 as a Trustee-at-Large and became Treasurer in July 2015. CBI is very pleased to have David back as an officer of the congregation!
Craig Lipset - Secretary
Craig and his wife Shani live in Basking Ridge with their children, Rebecca and Ethan, and their golden retriever. They have been members of Congregational B'nai Israel for nearly ten years. Craig works in R&D at Pfizer, and serves on the board for several patient advocacy, health technology and healthcare boards. While they were both raised in the NY area, Shani and Craig moved to Basking Ridge from Massachusetts a decade ago (which explains their affinity for Boston sports teams).
Gale Braunstein - Assistant Secretary
Gale lives in Basking Ridge, is a sister of Board Members Michael and David Braunstein, and has been an active and involved member of CBI since 2012. She is the Vice President of Management Services for Taylor Management Company, a group that manages housing developments, and also serves as President of the Board of Trustees at the Cedars at Basking Ridge Condominium Association. This is Gale's first term on CBI's Board of Trustees. She also chairs the Building Committee, overseeing the maintenance and repairs of CBI's physical plant.
Sun, April 21 2019 16 Nisan 5779