Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta is thrilled to announce our new Frances Bunzl Chief Philanthropy Officer, Rob Mann.
Rob grew-up in Highland Park, a suburb of Chicago. He comes from, as he describes it, a “Federation Family” – his grandparents were donors to Federation in Chicago, and his father was Campaign Chairman in the 80s.
Philanthropy and service are truly Rob’s passion. He has a long history of volunteering with Federation; in Chicago, he was a member and Campaign Chair of the Young Leadership Division of Jewish United Fund in Chicago, and then a member of the National Young Leadership Cabinet of which he was Campaign Chair and Chair of the Men’s Cabinet. He was also chair of the National Training Department for the United Jewish Communities—now known as the Jewish Federations of North America. Rob has spoken at or trained in more than 30 Federation communities throughout North America and has been on more than 15 Federation journeys to Israel, The Former Soviet Union, and Ethiopia—often as a chair or learning resource.
He earned his BSM from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University before moving to Atlanta to work in Macy’s Management Training Program. He transitioned into radio advertising sales with Emmis Broadcasting, a position which brought him to Indianapolis, and then home to Chicago. In 1990, he joined the family business, Henry-Lee and Company. His grandfather, the “Henry” in “Henry-Lee,” founded the company 65 years ago. Rob eventually became President, as well as 3rd generation owner, and successfully pivoted the brand from dressmakers to purveyors of premium denim. While at Henry-Lee and Company, he earned his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Rob is thrilled to have reached a point in his career where he can make the leap into this field full-time. “Working for Federation is what I’ve wanted to do for a long time.” It is important to him to see Federation succeed, and to usher in a new generation of philanthropists. He says, “My main drive is always harnessing on my own enthusiasm for a cause and then sharing and giving that excitement to others.” He has big dreams for Jewish Atlanta, including enhancing and growing our Young Leadership Division.
For the last ten years, Rob has split his time between Chicago and Atlanta. He and his wife, Dorsey Waldron Mann, are happy to finally be settled together in Sandy Springs. Rob has three adult children: Lila, and Ryan, who live in New York, and Henry, a rising senior at Tulane.
We are delighted to have him on board and cannot wait to see how Atlanta’s philanthropy blossoms under his tenure!
