Leadership
School Leadership
Board of Trustees
Abby Rapoport
President
Abby Rapoport is the parent of an AJA third grader and fifth grader and the current chair of the Austin Jewish Academy Board. She is executive director of Media Impact Funders, a nonprofit focused on convening grantmakers in journalism and documentary film, and previously worked in journalism first as a reporter and later as a publisher. She served as board chair at Shalom Austin and at the Texas Democracy Foundation, and sits on the board of the Jerusalem Foundation.
Hila Tal Avitan
Hila Tal‑Avitan is a mother of two, including an AJA sixth-grader. She currently co-chairs AJA’s Head of School Search Committee and chairs the Recruitment Committee. She is active in the Jewish community and serves on Shalom Austin’s Board.
Hila holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and is a public policy strategist. She previously served as a senior strategist in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and has lectured in the Department of Political Science at Bar-Ilan University.
Alana Dugandzic
Alana Dugandzic is the proud mother of an AJA 2nd grader and AJA 4th grader, and serves as the school’s PTO Chair. With a background in sales and as the owner of Opa’s Vintage Gal, she brings energy, creativity, and an entrepreneurial spirit to everything she does. Alana is passionate about fostering strong connections between parents, teachers, and the school, believing that engaged families and educators create the most vibrant and thriving community for our children. She is also active in Women’s Philanthropy and a graduate of Shalom Austin’s YESOD leadership program.
Greg Jacobson
Greg Jacobson is the parent of an AJA graduate. He chairs AJA’s marketing and development committees and serves on the finance committee. Greg is an emergency physician and the co-founder and CEO of KaiNexus, an operational excellence software company. Greg is passionate about Jewish education and community, and deeply values the role AJA has played in his daughter’s academic development and strong Jewish identity.
Renee Lafair
Renee Lafair is the proud mother of three AJA alumni and a longtime community leader. She served for nine years as the Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League in Austin and was an AJA board member from 2001 to 2010, including terms as Board Chair and Fundraising Chair. She currently serves on the board of St. Stephen’s Episcopal School and previously on the board of Rawson Saunders School. Renee is recognized for her strategic leadership and her deep commitment to building strong, connected communities.
Michelle Riskind
Michelle Riskind the proud mother of an AJA third grader and 6th grader. She is the co-chair of AJA’s Head of School Search Committee and chairs the Governance Committee. Michelle brings deep legal expertise to the Board, serving as in‑house commercial and privacy counsel with a focus on technology transactions, compliance, cross‑border deals, fintech, and AI.
Gary Susswein
Gary Susswein is the parent of two AJA alumni and an expert in communications and crisis strategy. He is the principal at BandOne, a communications consulting firm, and has served in numerous leadership roles in the Austin Jewish community, including as a past president of Congregation Agudas Achim, and serving on the board of Camp Young Judaea-Texas and the Austin Eruv Committee.
AJ Wagner
AJ Wagner is AJA’s treasurer and chairs its Finance Committee. In his work life, he is Partner and Director of Financial Planning at Austin Private Wealth, an investment advisory firm based in Austin that he joined in 2007.
Rick Rosenberg
Rick Rosenberg is a real estate and finance executive with over 46 years of experience in investment analysis, acquisitions, deal structuring, and public-private partnerships. He is currently Managing Principal for DPFG, Inc. Rick serves on AJA’s Finance Committee. He is the former chair of Shalom Austin and also currently serves on the board of Temple Beth Shalom.