Laura Cherner

Chief Community Relations Officer, JCRC Bay Area

Laura joined JCRC Bay Area in 2026 as its inaugural Chief Community Relations Officer, and brought with her a decade of experience working in the Jewish community. Prior to joining JCRC, she spent nine years at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, serving for the past five as Director of Community Relations. In that role, she guided her community through complex challenges and worked with communal, civic, and interfaith partners to strengthen relationships and advance shared priorities. A native Pittsburgher, she is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied Political Science and Jewish Studies. Laura currently serves as President of the National Association of JCRC Directors.