Mark Shapiro

Mark Shapiro is President and CEO of the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center (JCC), a non-profit social services agency serving Southeastern Wisconsin. In this role, Shapiro leads a team of over 250 professionals in a Jewish setting, with institutional expertise in wellness, education, cultural programming, and camping services across six state-wide sites. As President and CEO, Shapiro works alongside the Board of Directors to develop the vision and strategy to ensure mission, membership, and financial success.

Shapiro joined the JCC in 2005 as Associate Executive Director, where he directly managed the operations and success of many of the agency’s core businesses – including health, recreation & fitness, early childhood education, adult and youth services, and camping (resident overnight and summer day camp.) He was named Executive Director in 2009 and named to his current position in 2014. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Shapiro studied Psychology at Indiana University and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Nonprofit Management program. Before joining the Jewish communal movement, Shapiro was part owner of Cool Runnings, a transportation brokerage firm with national operations. In 1993, Shapiro, a lifelong camper and counselor, joined JCC Camp Chi – an industry-leading program of the JCC of Chicago – as Assistant Director. In 2002, he was named Director of the Perlstein Resort and Conference Center.

As Chief Executive Officer, Shapiro has led the JCC through significant challenges, opportunities, and inflection points. Over the course of his career, he has navigated the agency through the Great Recession of the late 2000s, a rash of security threats in the mid-2010s, and has been an instrumental public leader in the response to health challenges in 2020 and beyond. His empathetic and innovative leadership approach has resulted in historic growth, sustainable recovery, and collaborative community success.

An active community leader and participant, Shapiro has served on the campaign team for the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and currently serves on the campaign cabinet for the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County. He is a past member of the board of directors for JCC Association of North America, a co-chair for JCCA’s 2018 Biennial conference, and a member of the MKE United steering committee.

In 2018, Shapiro was presented with the Director’s Community Leadership Award by FBI Director Christopher Wray. He is a regular and accomplished guest speaker and spokesperson on topics of fundraising, community partnership, social entrepreneurism, and executive management.