“There are volunteer leaders and then there are volunteer leaders; those who go above and beyond, are willing to do whatever it takes and provide incredible guidance and mentorship,” Jewish Federation of Greater Portland President and CEO Marc Blattner said at the organization’s annual meeting yesterday at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center.

When he described the latter set of volunteer leaders, he had someone particular in mind. Someone who’s name will henceforth be associated with celebrating just that kind of leadership.

The First Annual Jack Birnbach Volunteer Service Award was presented to its namesake by Blattner at yesterday’s meeting as Jack Birnbach marked the end of his service on the Federation’s board.

Birnbach has continuously served in volunteer leadership with the Federation since he joined the Finance Committee in 2011. He went on to serve on and chair the nominating committee, chair the allocations committee and the annual campaign and served as the organization’s treasurer at various points. In each role, he applied the same intelligence, care and enthusiasm to the task at hand.

“He helps. He does not just show up. He prepares. He builds tools, and then he shares them,” Blattner said.

Birnbach, an accountant by trade, quickly made his mark – first by reading “The Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Handbook” – an 800-plus-page tome as complex as any tractate of the Talmud – and breaking its recommended practices down piece by piece as a tool to evaluate JFGP’s systems against.

“Week after week, we worked through that questionnaire together,” Federation Chief Financial Officer Ben Winkleblack said in an email to The Jewish Review. “The knowledge and insight I gained from those sessions have stayed with me ever since. Jack is one of the finest mentors I have had in my professional life, generous with his time, rigorous in his thinking, and genuinely invested in the people around him.”

That commitment extended beyond the financial side of the operation. Caron Blau Rothstein, the Federation’s Chief Planning and Engagement Officer, worked closely with Birnbach during his service leading the nominating and allocations committees.

“His humble leadership, his commitment to partnering with us professionals and his willingness to ask questions, try new roles and always strive to do what’s in the best interest of our community are what make him so special,” she said. “And he does it all with a smile and always with a hot cup of coffee by his side.”

Indeed, Birnbach’s passion for coffee is as well-known as his passion for every facet of Jewish community building.

“He is the ultimate mensch, with a selfless capacity to give for the greater good,” Federation Associate Campaign and Engagement Officer Laura Jeser said. “I had the distinct privilege of ‘coaching’ Jack through his campaign presentation preparations, where I saw firsthand that he isn’t just deeply committed, he is also incredibly witty, bringing a brilliant sense of humor, profound humility, and genuine compassion to every single thing he does.”

“His service extended to the Board, where he brought that same rigor and genuine care for the organization’s mission,” Winkleblack continued. “He has championed professional development in every budget, believing that a stronger professional team makes for a stronger community.”

“Every board needs to have someone on it whose first question is always ‘Are we doing enough for the professional team? Should we set aside more money for professional development? Are we providing appropriate compensation and raises? Are we doing enough to keep the best people here for the long term?’” Blattner said at Wednesday’s annual meeting. “Jack genuinely believes that a strong professional team makes for a strong community.”

He continued to explain that the Birnbach Award will be presented annually “to honor outstanding volunteers for their selfless dedication and tireless efforts on behalf of the Greater Portland Jewish community” after handing a a commemorative crystal trophy to the man himself; a monument to a monumental run of volunteer service.

“The truth is you simply cannot tell the story of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland over the past fifteen years without Jack Birnbach,” Blattner said. “Portland’s Jewish community is stronger, smarter, and more professionally grounded because of him, and that is a legacy worth celebrating.”