Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Ressler.
Hi Vanessa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am a Midwestern-born, California-raised only child. I went to a performing arts high school and then went to college in LA on a scholarship for theatre, though I decided to study French. After spending a semester in the South of France, I knew I wanted to build a career in International Marketing. Within a few years, and some additional classes and certifications in marketing, it was happening.
In 2004, I was managing a strategic partnership program for a tech company in the Silicon Valley, traveling internationally several months out of the year, and getting back into community theatre. Life was good. I was approaching the end of my 30s, single and strong…and then the younger brother of my college sweetheart passed away suddenly. Everything changed. After flying out to Miami to check on him (that’s where he had settled and built a life for himself), we both realized what was missing in our lives, that we were both ready for love and family, and knew we had to give it a go.
By the spring of 2006 I had become a Miamian, and in January of 2007 we were married. I continued to work in marketing for a few years as a consultant and looked for ways to connect with my new community in a meaningful way and fall in love with it. After our first child was born in 2008, I started to work less, and then by 2010 when our second was born, I knew I wanted to take time off to be with them and focus on volunteer work. By the time girl #3 came along, it felt impossible to think about going back to working the way I used to.
I have given time and energy to many organizations over the past 14+ years – Temple Beth Sholom, Jewish Community Services of South Florida (JCS), The Tribe, The City of Miami Beach Committee for the Homeless, The Green Room Society (the original young professionals group that supported the Carnival Center, now the Arsht Center), New World Symphony, and many others. I also spent several years as a Music Together(R) and Parent Child Teacher, which afforded me the perfect part-time schedule that worked around my kids.
At this moment in time I am focused on my work with Beth Sholom and JCS, where I am the incoming President and member of the Executive Committee/Chair of External Relations respectively. I also sing at our larger services and founded and direct the Sholom Rockers Children’s Choir. It is so much fun. I love to work collaboratively with others and have had the great honor of chairing a plethora of different types of projects, including the hiring of our senior clergy, Executive Director, annual events, membership & engagement, and more. If I had to point to what I really love to do, it is in working strategically and creating processes and effective ways to measure the success of our collective efforts.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Honestly, the biggest struggles have been the ones I have created in my own mind in the form of self-doubt. Before moving to Miami, I felt my life was on a certain career path. I was on my own, making great money, traveling the globe, and had paid off all of my student loans.
When my husband and I married and started growing our family, I felt lost for a while. Who was I without my work? As much as I was thrilled to be a mommy and was so grateful to be able to dedicate myself to them, I felt like I wasn’t contributing enough. I knew that my purpose in life couldn’t be singularly tied to motherhood.
Another challenge I have had to overcome is giving my time without burning myself out – volunteering as many hours as I do and balancing the rest of the ‘life stuff’ is no small feat. But I have discovered that as long as I focus on organizations that I truly believe in, I feel a sense of purpose and can tap into an internally renewable source of energy. I have had to learn to say no sometimes, and that can also be tough.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Volunteer & Lifelong Learner
I believe, in my core, that we were all put here in order to leave this planet a little better than we found it. I know how beautiful our community is when we care for each other. I want my girls to feel this same sense of gratitude and responsibility.
I have led many, many initiatives over the years (particularly for our synagogue), but I feel like I always do best when working in partnership with others. I like to ask questions and thoroughly vet ideas, and do not shrink from awkward conversations. This leads to the development of solid processes and consensus and, ultimately, success.
In terms of what I am most proud of…I think it is actually something I haven’t touched upon yet. Being Jewish. I converted to Judaism before marrying my husband, and it felt right from the very first intro class I took. I have continued to study and learn pretty much continuously since the conversion, even having a bat mitzvah as an adult and participating in the Wexner Heritage Program (a 2-year intensive program for Jewish leaders). For me, it is not about G-d but rather about how we live our lives with meaning, gratitude and purpose. And now, I am being honored with the most incredible opportunity – to lead our Congregation as President alongside our Executive Director and Senior Rabbi. As a Jew-by-choice woman, passionate volunteer and mother of three, I am thrilled. It seems even more resonant that I undertake this work now, in the face of staggering anti-semitism in our community and our world.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Find organizations that are doing work that inspires you and lights you up, and get in there! Doing good is contagious. I would be very open to finding connections between the organizations that I love and that others love so we can do even more together.
Image Credits
Catalina Ayubi
