| William Daroff | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1968 Miami Beach, Florida, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Vice President for Public Policy & Director of the Washington Office, The Jewish Federations of North America |
| Known for | American Jewish Communal Leader |
William Daroff (born 1968) is the Vice President for Public Policy and Director of the Washington Office of The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) formerly known as United Jewish Communities.
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Daroff was born in Miami Beach, Florida, where his father, the acclaimed Neuro-ophthalmology pioneer [1] Robert B. Daroff, M.D. was a Professor at the University of Miami.[2] He moved with his family to suburban Cleveland, Ohio in 1980, when his father became the Chairman of the Department of Neurology at Case Western Reserve University.[2]
Daroff graduated from Hawken School in suburban Gates Mills, Ohio in 1986.[3] He received his Bachelor Degree (summa cum laude) in Political Science & History, Masters Degree in Political Science, and Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He also studied at Kraków, Poland's Jagiellonian University, where he received a certificate in the history of Eastern European Jewry and The Holocaust.[4][5]
Daroff’s political involvement began when he was seven years old. He worked on three presidential campaign staffs, Rep. Jack Kemp in 1986-88, then-Vice President George H. W. Bush in 1988, and Sen. Bob Dole in 1996.[4] He also managed campaigns for the United States House of Representatives and for State Treasurer of Ohio. He served as a political appointee at the U.S. Department of Energy in the Administration of President George H. W. Bush, as Special Assistant to Ohio Governor George Voinovich, and as Deputy Director of the Ohio Department of Liquor Control.[4] When he practiced law, Daroff focused on “public law” – counseling corporations on their interactions with government and counseling governments on their legal needs.[3][4][5]
In Cleveland, Ohio, he served on the executive committee of the American Jewish Committee, on the board of Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau,[6] on the leadership cabinet for Israel Bonds, and on the board of Ohio Jewish Communities. He was also involved in the Jewish Community Federation of Greater Cleveland [1], serving on the board of its Young Leadership Division, the community relations committee, the advocacy task force, the Young Adult Initiative board, and the public education initiative.[7]
Upon moving to Washington, D.C. in 2000, Daroff served as Director of Congressional Affairs (2000–2001) and then Deputy Executive Director (2001–2005) of the Republican Jewish Coalition.[4][8]
In October 2005, Daroff became the Vice President for Public Policy and Director of the Washington Office of The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) formerly known as United Jewish Communities.[4]
He advocates for the American Jewish community’s agenda with the United States government. As the chief lobbyist and principle spokesperson on public policy and international affairs for the 157 Jewish federations and 400 independent communities represented by JFNA, Daroff promotes the interests of Jewish federations on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch of the United States.[4]
Daroff guides the American Jewish community’s advocacy efforts on the Jewish federation movement’s key domestic policy issues, principally on health and human services, such as Medicare (United States) and Medicaid, long-term care, and policies affecting older Americans, as well as homeland security programs and strengthening the capacity of the not-for-profit sector.[4][9]
In addition to his focus on domestic policy, Daroff is a key player in foreign policy circles – advising policy-makers and elected officials on Jewish communal concerns, principally those related to the US-Israel relationship, the Middle East conflict, vulnerable Jewish communities across the world, and the fight to combat State-sponsored terrorism. He currently serves on the Iran Working Group of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.[7] Additionally, President George W. Bush appointed Daroff to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel in May 2008.[10][11]
Daroff has testified before committees in both the United States House of Representatives[12] and the United States Senate.[13]
In September 2007, Daroff was appointed [14] by President George W. Bush to be a member of the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad, which is charged with the oversight of the protection of properties in Europe associated with the heritage of U.S. citizens, including Jewish cemeteries, synagogues, and memorials.
Daroff was named one of the 50 most influential Jews in America by The Forward newspaper.[15] Slate Magazine stated "Daroff is also one of the country's better-connected Jewish operatives."[16] He is widely quoted in newspapers, magazines, on the radio, and television across the world.[17]
At JFNA, he also oversees the domestic social policy,[18] the National Federation-Agency Alliance,[19] and the emergency response & disaster preparedness functions.
Daroff is also a social networking pioneer and evangelist. In May 2009, Daroff was named by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) as being among the top five most influential Jewish Twitterers in the world.[20]
He is a member of the Board[21] of the World Council of Jewish Communal Service [2] as well as the Board[22] of the Jewish Communal Service Association of North America.[23] He has also served in leadership positions with the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington [3].