William Daroff
Encyclopedia
William Daroff is the Vice President for Public Policy and Director of the Washington Office of The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) formerly known as United Jewish Communities
.
, where his father, the acclaimed Neuro-ophthalmology
pioneer Robert B. Daroff, M.D. was a Professor
at the University of Miami
. He moved with his family to suburban Cleveland, Ohio
in 1980, when his father became the Chairman of the Department of Neurology
at Case Western Reserve University
.
in suburban Gates Mills, Ohio
in 1986. He received his Bachelor Degree (summa cum laude) in Political Science
& History
, Masters Degree in Political Science, and Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University
in Cleveland, Ohio
. He also studied at Kraków
, Poland
's Jagiellonian University
, where he received a certificate in the history of Eastern European Jewry and The Holocaust
.
in 1986-88, then-Vice President George H. W. Bush
in 1988, and Sen. Bob Dole
in 1996. He also managed campaigns for the United States House of Representatives
and for State Treasurer of Ohio. He served as a political appointee at the U.S. Department of Energy in the Administration of President George H. W. Bush, as Special Assistant to Ohio Governor George Voinovich
, and as Deputy Director of the Ohio Department of Liquor Control. When he practiced law, Daroff focused on “public law” – counseling corporations on their interactions with government and counseling governments on their legal needs.
In Cleveland, Ohio
, he served on the executive committee of the American Jewish Committee
, on the board of Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau, on the leadership cabinet for Israel Bonds, and on the board of Ohio Jewish Communities. He was also involved in the Jewish Community Federation of Greater Cleveland http://www.jewishcleveland.org/index.aspx?page=1, serving on the board of its Young Leadership Division, the community relations committee, the advocacy task force, the Young Adult Initiative board, and the public education initiative.
Upon moving to Washington, D.C.
in 2000, Daroff served as Director of Congressional Affairs (2000–2001) and then Deputy Executive Director (2001–2005) of the Republican Jewish Coalition
.
.
He advocates for the American Jewish community’s agenda with the United States government. As the chief lobbyist and principle spokesperson on public policy and international affairs for the 157 Jewish federations and 400 independent communities represented by JFNA, Daroff promotes the interests of Jewish federations on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch of the United States.
Daroff guides the American Jewish community’s advocacy efforts on the Jewish federation movement’s key domestic policy issues, principally on health and human services, such as Medicare (United States)
and Medicaid
, long-term care
, and policies affecting older Americans, as well as homeland security
programs and strengthening the capacity of the not-for-profit sector.
In addition to his focus on domestic policy, Daroff is a key player in foreign policy
circles – advising policy-makers and elected officials on Jewish communal concerns, principally those related to the US-Israel relationship, the Middle East conflict, vulnerable Jewish communities across the world, and the fight to combat State-sponsored terrorism
. He currently serves on the Iran
Working Group of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Additionally, President George W. Bush
appointed Daroff to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel in May 2008.
Daroff has testified before committees in both the United States House of Representatives
and the United States Senate
.
In September 2007, Daroff was appointed by President George W. Bush
to be a member of the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad
, which is charged with the oversight of the protection of properties in Europe associated with the heritage of U.S. citizens, including Jewish cemeteries, synagogues, and memorials.
Daroff was named one of the 50 most influential Jews in America by The Forward
newspaper. Slate Magazine stated "Daroff is also one of the country's better-connected Jewish operatives." He is widely quoted in newspapers, magazines, on the radio, and television across the world.
At JFNA, he also oversees the domestic social policy, the National Federation-Agency Alliance, and the emergency response & disaster preparedness functions.
Daroff is also a social networking pioneer and evangelist. In May 2009, Daroff was named by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
(JTA) as being among the top five most influential Jewish Twitter
ers in the world.
He is a member of the Board of the World Council of Jewish Communal Service http://www.wcjcs.org as well as the Board of the Jewish Communal Service Association of North America. He has also served in leadership positions with the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington http://shalomdc.org.
United Jewish Communities
The Jewish Federations of North America , is an American Jewish umbrella organization representing 157 Jewish Federations and the Network of Independent Communities, 400 smaller Jewish communities across North America. The JFNA was formed from the 1999 merger of the United Jewish Appeal, the...
.
Childhood
Daroff was born in Miami Beach, FloridaMiami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
, where his father, the acclaimed Neuro-ophthalmology
Neuro-ophthalmology
Neuro-ophthalmology is the subspecialty of both neurology and ophthalmology concerning visual problems that are related to the nervous system ....
pioneer Robert B. Daroff, M.D. was a Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
. He moved with his family to suburban Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
in 1980, when his father became the Chairman of the Department of Neurology
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
at Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
.
Education
Daroff graduated from Hawken SchoolHawken School
Hawken School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school in Northeast Ohio.Hawken currently has two main campuses, the Lower and Middle Schools in Lyndhurst and the Upper School in Gates Mills, plus a third, an urban campus in University Circle, The Sally & Bob Gries Center...
in suburban Gates Mills, Ohio
Gates Mills, Ohio
Gates Mills is a village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,270 at the 2010 census. Gates Mills is an affluent suburb of Cleveland...
in 1986. He received his Bachelor Degree (summa cum laude) in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
& History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Masters Degree in Political Science, and Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. He also studied at Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
's Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
, where he received a certificate in the history of Eastern European Jewry and The Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
.
Politics and government (through 2005)
Daroff’s political involvement began when he was seven years old. He worked on three presidential campaign staffs, Rep. Jack KempJack Kemp
Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
in 1986-88, then-Vice President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
in 1988, and Sen. Bob Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
in 1996. He also managed campaigns for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and for State Treasurer of Ohio. He served as a political appointee at the U.S. Department of Energy in the Administration of President George H. W. Bush, as Special Assistant to Ohio Governor George Voinovich
George Voinovich
George Victor Voinovich is a former United States Senator from the state of Ohio, and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served as the 65th Governor of Ohio from 1991 to 1998, and as the 54th mayor of Cleveland from 1980 to 1989.-Personal life:Born in Cleveland, Ohio, his father was...
, and as Deputy Director of the Ohio Department of Liquor Control. When he practiced law, Daroff focused on “public law” – counseling corporations on their interactions with government and counseling governments on their legal needs.
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, he served on the executive committee of the American Jewish Committee
American Jewish Committee
The American Jewish Committee was "founded in 1906 with the aim of rallying all sections of American Jewry to defend the rights of Jews all over the world...
, on the board of Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau, on the leadership cabinet for Israel Bonds, and on the board of Ohio Jewish Communities. He was also involved in the Jewish Community Federation of Greater Cleveland http://www.jewishcleveland.org/index.aspx?page=1, serving on the board of its Young Leadership Division, the community relations committee, the advocacy task force, the Young Adult Initiative board, and the public education initiative.
Upon moving to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 2000, Daroff served as Director of Congressional Affairs (2000–2001) and then Deputy Executive Director (2001–2005) of the Republican Jewish Coalition
Republican Jewish Coalition
The Republican Jewish Coalition , founded in 1985, is a political lobbying group in the United States that promotes Jewish Republicans. The RJC claims that it is the most important voice on conservative political issues for the Jewish-American community...
.
Current position (2005-present)
In October 2005, Daroff became the Vice President for Public Policy and Director of the Washington Office of The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) formerly known as United Jewish CommunitiesUnited Jewish Communities
The Jewish Federations of North America , is an American Jewish umbrella organization representing 157 Jewish Federations and the Network of Independent Communities, 400 smaller Jewish communities across North America. The JFNA was formed from the 1999 merger of the United Jewish Appeal, the...
.
He advocates for the American Jewish community’s agenda with the United States government. As the chief lobbyist and principle spokesperson on public policy and international affairs for the 157 Jewish federations and 400 independent communities represented by JFNA, Daroff promotes the interests of Jewish federations on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch of the United States.
Daroff guides the American Jewish community’s advocacy efforts on the Jewish federation movement’s key domestic policy issues, principally on health and human services, such as Medicare (United States)
Medicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
and Medicaid
Medicaid
Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
, long-term care
Long-term care
Long-term care is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical need of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods of time....
, and policies affecting older Americans, as well as homeland security
Homeland security
Homeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect states against terrorist activity. Specifically, is a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S., reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do...
programs and strengthening the capacity of the not-for-profit sector.
In addition to his focus on domestic policy, Daroff is a key player in foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
circles – advising policy-makers and elected officials on Jewish communal concerns, principally those related to the US-Israel relationship, the Middle East conflict, vulnerable Jewish communities across the world, and the fight to combat State-sponsored terrorism
State-sponsored terrorism
State-sponsored terrorism is a term used to describe terrorism sponsored by nation-states. As with terrorism, the precise definition, and the identification of particular examples, are subjects of heated political dispute...
. He currently serves on the Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
Working Group of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Additionally, President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
appointed Daroff to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel in May 2008.
Daroff has testified before committees in both the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
In September 2007, Daroff was appointed by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to be a member of the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad
U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad
The U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad is an independent agency of the Government of the United States of America. It was established by U.S. Public Law 99-83 . The law directs the Commission to -- identify and report on cemeteries, monuments, and historic buildings...
, which is charged with the oversight of the protection of properties in Europe associated with the heritage of U.S. citizens, including Jewish cemeteries, synagogues, and memorials.
Daroff was named one of the 50 most influential Jews in America by The Forward
The Forward
The Forward , commonly known as The Jewish Daily Forward, is a Jewish-American newspaper published in New York City. The publication began in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily issued by dissidents from the Socialist Labor Party of Daniel DeLeon...
newspaper. Slate Magazine stated "Daroff is also one of the country's better-connected Jewish operatives." He is widely quoted in newspapers, magazines, on the radio, and television across the world.
At JFNA, he also oversees the domestic social policy, the National Federation-Agency Alliance, and the emergency response & disaster preparedness functions.
Daroff is also a social networking pioneer and evangelist. In May 2009, Daroff was named by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency is an international news agency serving Jewish community newspapers and media around the world. The JTA was founded on February 6, 1917, by Jacob Landau as the Jewish Correspondence Bureau in The Hague with the mandate of collecting and disseminating news among and...
(JTA) as being among the top five most influential Jewish Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
ers in the world.
He is a member of the Board of the World Council of Jewish Communal Service http://www.wcjcs.org as well as the Board of the Jewish Communal Service Association of North America. He has also served in leadership positions with the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington http://shalomdc.org.
External links
- The Jewish Federations of North America http://JewishFederations.org
- The Jewish Federations of North America's Washington Office http://JewishFederations.org/Washington
- The U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad http://www.heritageabroad.gov/
- William Daroff's Twitter Feed http://www.Twitter.com/Daroff