Leadership

Executive Board

Jonathan Schwartzbard, President
Jonathan grew up in New Jersey and moved to Overland Park in 2012 with his wife Kaley Wajcman, a Kansas native and longtime BIAV member. He earned his Bachelors of Business Administration with a focus on Finance & Accounting from Queens College. He currently works as the Director of Sales & Strategic Partnerships at ASE Group, a corporate meeting & event planning firm. Jonathan is very invested in the growth and success of BIAV and the Kansas City Jewish Community. He and Kaley are the proud parents of Eliana, Noah and Danielle. Prior to his role as President, Jonathan served for 2 years as the VP of Finance and 2 years as the Recording Secretary on the BIAV Executive Board. Additionally, he is actively involved with various other Jewish organizations including HBHA and the JCC.

Adam Kaye, VP Finance

Adam was originally a New Yorker, but he has called Kansas home for the past 10 years. He moved to Overland Park with his wife Alison and their daughter Abby. Since then the Kayes have added Asa, Amelia, Asher, Avery, and Ava to their family. Adam currently works at Overland Park Regional Medical Center as a trauma surgeon. He volunteers on many boards for both Jewish and secular entities. He is very active on the Friends of Infant Toddler Services board, as well as the KC Kollel board. Adam and Alison were the first recipients of the Young Leadership award bestowed upon them by BIAV in 2019. Adam hopes to promote well organized fundraising activities to help BIAV continue to grow.

Ryan Hoffman, VP House
Ryan Hoffman moved to Overland Park in 2011 and has served in a number of community roles, including as co-chair of the Federation’s former “young-adult” engagement committee. He is presently responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of our facilities, as well as the oversight of BIAV’s security committee.

Katie White, VP Programming

Katie White and her husband Chaim originally came to Kansas City for work in 2000 but chose to stay because of the warm BIAV Community, the cohesiveness of the greater Kansas City Jewish community, and the Midwest culture. Katie is an active volunteer in several community organizations. She provides catering and personal chef services to the community, and Chaim and Katie founded and run KC Kosher Co-op. Most importantly, though, Katie acts as CEO of her household of six active kids, husband, and of course, a dog.

Rachel Malamud-Heching, VP Membership

Rachel moved to Overland Park in 2015 after learning about BIAV at the Orthodox Union Communities Fair. Appreciative of the warm welcome her family received and impressed by the dynamic, growing nature of the shul, Rachel felt galvanized to get involved. Prior to joining the executive board in 2017 as Recording Secretary, Rachel spearheaded the BIAV “Halachic Post Nup Party” and scholar-in-residence weekend and organized volunteer events for the community. She also served and continues to serve on the “new baby meals” committee. Rachel is originally from New Jersey but lived in New York for many years. She holds a BA in English from Cornell University and an MA in the Teaching of English from Teachers College, Columbia University. She has taught middle school and high school English and Social Studies for nearly a decade. She is the proud mother of three young children who constantly keep her on her toes.

Adam Rich, Treasurer

Adam was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska along with his two younger brothers. He moved a bit south on I-29 to attend the University of Kansas School of Architecture and meet his amazing wife, Jessica. Jessica and Adam were married in 2004 and are active members of BIAV and the Kansas City Jewish Community. Adam regularly volunteers his time to maintain operation of the community Mikvah. Jessica and Adam have four remarkable children that keep them both very busy chauffeuring them to different activities. When Adam is not working on the BIAV budget, he designs commercial kitchens for TriMark Hockenbergs, a local commercial kitchen equipment dealer. In fact, you can see his design work in person when you visit BIAV.

Michael Heiligman, Recording Secretary

Michael was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota but moved to Kansas City with his family when he was in second grade. He is a graduate of the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Michael lived in Israel for several years, where he worked in the diamond industry before returning to Kansas City in 2004. He is the proud father of Yaron, a seventh grade student at HBHA, and looks forward to celebrating his son’s upcoming Bar Mitzvah at the Kotel!