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Congregation B'nai Israel of St.Petersburg

Eric Lynn:

Eric Lynn served as a Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense and as Special Advisor on the Middle East in the Policy Office of the Secretary of Defense. He advised three U.S. Secretaries of Defense at the Pentagon, as well as the Undersecretaries for Policy, focusing on National Security and a range of Middle East issues.  Eric served as Middle East Policy Advisor to President Barack Obama in 2007-2008.  Eric served as the Secretary’s lead on the Iron Dome counter rocket system since its inception in 2009. He was the Secretary of Defense's representative to the State Department's Israeli-Palestinian negotiations team. Eric studied International Relations, History and Business at Northwestern University, studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and holds a law degree from Georgetown University. 


Kerry Kriseman:

Kerry Kriseman is a St. Petersburg native. She is a graduate of the University of South Florida with a B.A. in Mass Communications/Broadcasting. She worked in print media for the St. Petersburg Times (now Tampa Bay Times) in various positions in the Newsroom and Marketing Departments. In 2008, Kerry joined Creative Clay as the public relations manager. Kerry is the author of Accidental First Lady: On the Front Lines and (Behind the Scenes) of Local Politics, which recounts her 22 years as a political spouse to her lawyer-turned-politician husband, Rick Kriseman, St. Petersburg Mayor from 2014-2022. Kerry is a prolific volunteer including raising guide dog puppies for Southeastern Guide Dog, mentoring with the “Take Stock in Children” program in Pinellas County schools, and volunteering at Tampa General Hospital in its pet therapy program.


Eric Pastman:

Eric Pastman retired 5 years ago after a 40-year career in the information technology industry. Upon retirement, he began following his passion for Israel, the Jewish people, and the environment. He manages CBI A-Team’s web page and presents programs highlighting recent innovations coming from Israel which impact the medical, environmental, agricultural, and consumer industries. Eric is president of CBI’s Mitzvah Men’s Club, and he volunteers at the Florida Holocaust Museum, Tampa Bay Discovery Center, Eco Boat Tour. 


Joan Epstein:

Joan Epstein is Prof. of Music at Eckerd College, now completing her 42nd (and last) year on the faculty.  She teaches a wide variety of music and interdisciplinary humanities courses, teaches trumpet, coaches a brass ensemble, and directs the concert band.  Outside of the classroom, she is a musicologist, composer, and` enthusiastic singer.  A St. Petersburg native with degrees from Smith College, the Yale School of Music, and USF-Tampa.


Dr. Robert H. Weisberg:

Robert Weisberg is a physical oceanographer engaged in ocean circulation and ocean-atmosphere interaction studies in the tropics, on continental shelves and in estuaries. His research presently emphasizes the West Florida Continental Shelf (WFS) and the interactions that occur between the shelf and the deep ocean between the shelf and the estuaries. He earned his B.S. in Material Sciences and Engineering from Cornell University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in physical oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. He is Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at the University of South Florida and has taught at the University of Rhode Island and North Carolina State University.  He was recently named a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union.


Dr. David LeVine

Dr. David LeVine is a board-certified geriatrician in private practice with MDVIP. He is also the chief medical officer of Menorah Life in St. Petersburg, Florida. He has been medical director at Menorah Life’s Marion and Joseph Samson 180 bed skilled nursing facility for the past 32 years. In 2016, he received the national AMDA Medical Director of the Year Award. On November 5, 2022, he received the Quality Champion Award from The Florida Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine for dedication, leadership, engagement, and innovation. Dr. LeVine has served as a geriatric preceptor for three separate residency programs in the St. Petersburg area. He is also a regular speaker for University at Sea.


Lynda Lippman-Lockhart:

Lynda Lippman-Lockhart graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in education.  She taught at Seminole High School for 28 years and community college in Columbus, NC.  Ms. Lippman-Lockhart has published three books: Oodles of Poodles of Dark Corner, The Laundry Room, and Nine Minutes to Kill.


Ellen S. Podgor:

Professor Ellen S. Podgor is the Gary R. Trombley Family White-Collar Crime Research Professor at Stetson University College of Law where she teaches classes in criminal law, criminal procedure adjudication, white collar crime, and white collar advocacy.  She received her B.S. from Syracuse University, J.D. from Indiana University in Indianapolis, LL.M from Temple University, and MBA from University of Chicago. She is a past president of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS).  She has authored and co-authored numerous books and articles including the Hornbook on White Collar Crime. She has been interviewed on National Public Radio and has been quoted in newspapers across the country.

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784