Boards and Leadership

BOARD AND LEADERSHIP MEMBERS OF HMH
Updated Elyse Photo

Elyse Spector Kalmans, Board Chair

Elyse Spector Kalmans is the 20th board chair and the first third generation Holocaust Survivor to hold this position since the Museum opened its doors in 1996. Spector Kalmans is the granddaughter of Holocaust Survivor Naomi Warren. She has been a longtime member of HMH, served on the Museum’s Board as a Trustee and chaired HMH’s Guardian of the Human Spirit Luncheon and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Award Dinner.

Spector Kalmans earned a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University and her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. She began her career at Chase Manhattan Bank, later working in brand management for The Pillsbury Company and The Coca-Cola Company. Spector Kalmans held the position as a director at Enron before founding Kalmans & Loebl, LP, a public relations and marketing firm. She later worked for Jewish Family Service as an employment services manager.

Spector Kalmans is a board member of Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and the Anti-Defamation League. She has held numerous community and chair positions with Congregation Emanu El, Goldberg Montessori School, The Kinkaid School, Syracuse University, the Junior Leagues of Houston, Minneapolis and Evanston-North Shore and the National Charity League, Bayou Villages Chapter.

A distinguished volunteer, Elyse Spector Kalmans was named Congregant of the Year 2020 by Congregation Emanu El. She was also a recipient of the 2017 Faith and Humanity Award from National Council of Jewish Women, the 2010 Barbara Falik Young Leadership Award from Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and the 2003 Young Leadership Award from TORCH.

Elyse Spector Kalmans resides in Bellaire with her husband Lewis Kalmans. They have three adult daughters.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Board Chair

Elyse Spector Kalmans ^

Secretary

Luis Gomar

Treasurer

Josh Stein

Chair – Elect

Brian Caress

VICE CHAIRS

Board of Advisors

Susan Reasoner

Development

Barry Mandel

Engagement

Nancy Dinerstein

Facilities

Richard Deutsch

Learning and Interpretation

Cheryl Golub

Marketing

Amalia Stanton

Outreach

Nancy Li-Tarim

Survivor Services

Sandy Lessig #

Transition

Corey Powell

Outreach

Nancy Li-Tarim

TRUSTEES
  • Larry W. Buck
  • Debra Cohen
  • Wayne Dorris, PhD
  • Heidi Gerger #
  • Rick Kaplan
  • Richard Leibman
  • Khambrel Marshall
  • Ira Mitzner #
  • Hy Penn, MD #
  • Janet Pozmantier #
  • Susie Raizner
  • Harvey Rosenstock, MD
  • Gail Stalarow
  • Gary Stein
  • Philip Tenenbaum
  • Ellen Trachtenberg
  • Haya Varon #
  • Richard Wolf #
  • Rebekah Herman (Community Partner, PNC Bank)
BOARD OF ADVISORS
  • Margo Aaron ^
  • Sheila Aron
  • Michelle Barton
  • Debra Boniuk
  • Shannon Buggs
  • Peter Chang, MD, PhD
  • Leslie Contreras Schwartz
  • Tobi Cooper #
  • Abby Daniels
  • Kim Eagles, PhD
  • Steve Estrin
  • Deanne Falik
  • Sharyn Feller
  • Erin Finger Kaplan ^
  • Steve Finkelman #
  • Bari Fishel
  • Iris Fisherman
  • Charles Foster
  • fredi Bleeker Franks
  • Nancy Freed
  • Laura Freudenberger
  • Cyndy Garza Roberts
  • Rhoda Goldberg
  • Lynn Gordon
  • Ronald Grabois
  • Cindy Greenberg
  • Gary Grossman
  • Jeff Hajjar
  • Rabbi Oren Hayon
  • Punkin Hecht
  • Sandi Hedrick
  • Adrian Heid ^
  • Albert Hiller
  • Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman
  • Margaret Jelinek Lewis ^
  • Mady Kades
  • Mark Khorsandi, MD
  • Suzy Landa
  • Rebecca Luks ^
  • Maryanne Maldonado
  • Hans Mayer**
  • Julia McGowen
  • Edith Mincberg**
  • Wendy Morgan Cohen #
  • Rosa Ana Orlando
  • Eric Pulaski
  • Jerry Rochman
  • Lauren Rubenstein ^
  • Beverly Shapiro ^
  • John Sharemet
  • Ken Sheirr
  • Mitzi Shure
  • Adam Skorecki #
  • Erin Slosburg ^
  • Randi Sonenshein ^
  • Ruth Steinfeld**
  • Jake Totz ^
  • David Traub
  • Alfred Tribble
  • Donna Vallone
  • Chaja Verveer**
  • Ben Waserman**
  • Robin Wayne
  • Jeannie Wermuth #
  • Inna Wizig #
  • Cyvia Wolff
  • Dr. Mia Wright
  • Anat Kaufman Zeidman
  • Elaine Zhang
EX-OFFICIO
  • Gail Stalarow
  • Chair, Holocaust Museum Houston Foundation
HOLOCAUST MUSEUM FOUNDATION

Chair

  • Gail Stalarow
Secretary
  • Pepper Lieberman

Treasurer

  • Rob Teigman ^

HMH Board Chair

  • Elyse Spector Kalmans ^
HMH Treasurer
  • Josh Stein

Chair — Elect

  • Brian Caress

Board of Directors

  • Michael Doustan
  • Brian Gaister ^
  • Heidi Gerger #
  • Barry Goldblatt
  • Curtis Kantor
  • Stan Levy
  • Phil Pilibosian
  • Corey F. Powell
  • Elyn A. Rodriguez
  • David Zahn

Members of the Holocaust Museum Houston Board of Advisors can be reached by calling 713-942-8000, ext. 100, or by e-mailing info@hmh.org.

PAST CHAIRS CIRCLE
  • Martin J. Fein #, 1989-1990 (pre-Incorporation)
  • Martin J. Fein #, 1991-1994
  • Frank Goldberg, 1994-1996
  • William J. Morgan, z"l **, 1996-1998
  • E.D. Wulfe, z”l, 1998-2000
  • Roy W. Nichol, 2000-2001
  • R. Edwin Allday, 2001-2002
  • David Bell, Ed.D., 2002-2003
  • Joel Spira, 2003-2004
  • Eileen Weisman, 2004-2005
  • Hon. Peter N. Berkowitz, z”l, 2005-2007
  • Walter Hecht, 2007-2009
  • Michael S. Goldberg, 2009-2011
  • Tali Blumrosen #, 2011-2013
  • Mark S. Mucasey, 2013-2015
  • Gail Klein #, 2015-2016
  • Gary Markowitz #, 2016-2018
  • Benjamin Warren #, 2018-2020
  • Carl Josehart, 2020-2022
  • Barbara J. Herz, 2022-2024

** Holocaust Survivor

# 2nd Generation Survivor

^ 3rd Generation Survivor