Deborah Engel Kollin is an educator and parent of a teen in JQ’s Teen JQSA program. Her passion for JQ lies in her desire to make the most inclusive Jewish community possible to ensure her child is embraced as an LGBTQ+ Jew. Her dedication to JQ’s mission comes both from her family and from her own desire to empower teens through education and safe space. Deb was the Admissions and Outreach Coordinator at Westside Waldorf School and was the Director of Operations of the Rabbi Jacob Pressman Academy of Temple Beth Am for 12 years.

Neil Spears serves as Executive Director of the Silverlake Independent Jewish Community Center after eight years as Regional and Executive Director at Power MyLearning, a nonprofit technology education service focused on serving lower income families. A longtime JQ community member, Neil has a BA from University of California San Diego and a Master of Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Meir Kojman is a Building Performance Engineer, working for a multi-national, multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy firm. He works on  international projects using the application of thermo-fluid dynamics in building design, with expertise in Stadium and Arena. Meir gained a Master of Engineering degree in Architectural Engineering from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he lived for five years. On making Los Angeles his home in early 2018, Meir began attending JQ events, and is passionately involved in the organisation. 

Todd Shotz, a long-time member of JQ and JQ’s current Board Chair. He is a film producer and the creator of Hebrew Helpers a national B’nai Mitzvah education service. Todd has served on many start-up and second tier non profit boards.

Max Landwirth is an independent film producer based in Los Angeles. He is the founder of Landwirth Legacy Productions – an entertainment company that specializes in edgy, socially conscious media. Max has produced feature films, award-winning short films, viral public service announcements, commercials for multinational corporations, and educational videos for cities and school districts throughout Los Angeles County. Max was born into a family of philanthropists. Nearly everyone in Max’s family has either founded their own non profit organization, or has been actively involved on the boards of some incredible organizations. Max hopes to continue his grandfather’s philanthropic legacy infusing service and social-awareness in everything he does, both personally and professionally. 

Max is thrilled to have the opportunity to be a member of JQ’s board, and is excited to see how he can make the biggest impact within this special and meaningful organization.