The JEWISH FEDERATION OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA has hired CLAUDIA LOPEZDIAZ as the new office assistant. LopezDiaz will have a variety of administrative duties in addition to serving as receptionist. She earned a Bachelor of Science in physiotherapy at the University of Cape Town and is currently completing her dissertation for her master’s degree in public health through the University of Liverpool. Born in Cape Town, South Africa, she moved in 2012 to Bahrain to work as a cardiac physiotherapist at the BDF Hospital. She moved to Tucson in 2016 with her husband, a U.S. Navy recruiter.
The JEWISH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA has hired HOLLY FLETCHER as executive assistant. Fletcher worked previously with Habitat for Humanity Tucson, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and The Aspen Institute Berlin. Fletcher, who was born in India to parents in the Foreign Service, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and religious studies from the University of Arizona.
JENNIFER SELCO has been named director of Jewish life and learning at the TUCSON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, a new position. She will also oversee arts and cultural programming with Barbara Fenig, who was hired several months ago as arts and culture director. Selco grew up in the Los Angeles area and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Jewish studies from UCLA and a Master of Arts in education and a Master of Business Administration from American Jewish University. She moved from L.A. to Tulsa, Okla., where she was director of education and programming at Temple Israel.
COREY CRAVENS joined the TUCSON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER’s children, youth and camping services department as associate director. Cravens has 15 years of experience in youth development. He received his bachelor’s degree in recreation from Missouri State and started his career with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City as director of Sports and Aquatics, a position he held for five years. Relocating to Tucson, he opened the Jim and Vicki Click Clubhouse with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson and served as clubhouse director, and then worked with the Southern AZ YMCA’s. Most recently, he worked with homeless and runaway teens at Our Family Services.
JENNIFER FELIX is the new assistant director of aquatics at the TUCSON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, where she’ll help coordinate swim lessons for the J-Rays Swim School and serve as assistant coach of the Stingrays swim team. Felix, who earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Arizona swam competitively throughout her youth and started lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons when she was 15.
ELIZABETH PARSONS, a partner at FARHANG & MEDCOFF, was named one of the top 100 attorneys in Arizona by AZ Business magazine. Parsons joined the firm in 2013 and was named a partner in March 2016. In addition to her professional duties she has been active as a board member for organizations serving youth, women, education, community leadership and economic development. She received her law degree from Georgetown University and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from James Madison University.
HOTEL CONGRESS, which has supported local nonprofits through in-kind giving and cash donations for many years, has added a $10,000 annual grant program to its philanthropic program. The deadline for the first round of grants is Sept. 30; see hotelcongress.com/giving for more information.
