May 5, 2022 — The Woodruff Arts Center
American Jewish Committee (AJC) is proud to present our 2022 Distinguished Advocate Award to Elise Eplan and A.J. Robinson. Please join us and help celebrate their incredible contributions to AJC and the greater Atlanta community!
5:30 p.m. Reception
6:45 Program
Dessert reception to follow program
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Dinner Leadership |
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Honorary Chairs Host Committee Elaine & Miles Alexander • Phylis & Eliot Arnovitz •Amy & Robert Arogeti • Beth & Joel Arogeti • Spring & Tom Asher • Greg & Dana Averbuch • Robyn & Tom Barkin • Marcy Bass & Scott Fisher • Debbie & Andy Bauman • Nancy & Kenny Blank • Terri Bonoff & Matthew Knopf • Lynne Borsuk & Rob Smulian • Lisa & Ron Brill • Janet & Richard Brody • Kathe & Morris Brown • Jane & Scott Butler • Jean & Jerry Cooper • Jennifer Denbo & Harlan Eplan • Sari & Olen Earl • Janice & Richard Ellin • Jana Eplan & Craig Frankel • Lois & Larry Frank • Sherry Frank • Nancy & Randy Gorod • Lauren & Jim Grien • Lynne & Jack Halpern • Meg Heyer • Beth & Tommy Holder • Emily & Rabbi Ari Kaiman • Hope & Craig Kaufman • Lori & Jim Kilberg • Natalie & Jeff Kirsh • Ray Ann Kremer & George Shapiro • Susan Kupferberg & Richard Mitchell • Sheri & Steve Labovitz • Randi & Sid Levy • Faith & Howard Levy • Brenda & Mark Lichtenstein • Pat Lummus • Jodi & Ross Mansbach • Karen & Andy Much • Debbie & Lon Neese • Melanie & Allan Nelkin • Michelle Nunn & Ron Martin • Beth & Gregg Paradies • Sherry & Jerry Perchik • Alison Rand & Allan Zachariah • Shelli Bank & Michael Rosenzweig • Linda & Abe Schear • Daniel Shoy, Jr. • Toby & Arnie Sidman • Lenny Silverstein • Gabby & Mark Spatt • Anita & Jeff Stein • Sara & Paul Steinfeld • Anne Sterchi • Judy & Gary Stolovitz • Jenny Streeterc • Judith & Mark Taylor • David Weitnauer |
About Elise and A.J.
Elise Eplan
Elise is the founder and principal of The Eplan Group, a consulting firm that specializes in advising philanthropic organizations and nonprofit organizations. The Eplan Group focuses on family and private foundations that are seeking to develop and deepen their strategic visions.
Prior to her founding The Eplan Group, Elise was vice president for Special Initiatives at The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. The Foundation has granted more than $800 million since it was launched in 1995. As one of the Foundation’s first two staff members, Elise led the trustees in developing the vision, direction and processes for the Foundation. Over a period of 11 years, she oversaw over $100 million of discretionary grant making for the trustees. Prior to this, Elise was the director of The America Project, an urban anti-poverty initiative undertaken by The Carter Center in the 1990s.
Elise was the founding president of Hands On Atlanta, a community service organization, which places over 30,000 volunteers annually. She now serves on its Advisory Board. Elise also serves as an Associate Director of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, is a trustee of Paideia School and a board member of the Jewish Home Foundation. She serves on the Board of Visitors at Agnes Scott College and the Advisory Board for Repair the World Atlanta. Elise was president of the Atlanta chapter of The American Jewish Committee from 2003 to 2005 and has been an active board member with the organization.
Elise received her undergraduate degree in American Studies from Brandeis University and her Master’s degree in Public and Private Management from Yale University. She and her husband, Bob Marcovitch, live in Morningside and have two grown children.
A.J. Robinson
A.J. is President of Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID). He manages the overall strategic functions of CAP and ADID, two groups committed to making the “product” of the Atlanta community and specifically Downtown, more livable, vital, and diverse.
Over the past fifteen years, A.J. has consistently been recognized as one of Georgia Trend’s 100 Most Influential Georgians, as well as one of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 100 Most Influential Atlantans. Before joining CAP, Robinson was President of Portman Holdings, where he managed all aspects of the firm’s real estate development and property management processes, including assets such as SunTrust Plaza, AmericasMart, Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, Westin Charlotte, Westin Warsaw and Shanghai Centre.
Prior to his 22-year career at Portman Holdings, Robinson participated in the U.S. Department of Commerce's historic creation of China's first business school in 1980 under a protocol signed by President Jimmy Carter and the Chinese Department of Education. During that time, Robinson researched, wrote, and taught case studies in Dalian, China, and traveled extensively throughout China and Asia.
Robinson received his MBA from Harvard School of Business and his BBA degree from Emory University. He has traveled extensively in the U.S. and internationally, and his special interests include American history and sports. He currently serves on the boards of The University Financing Foundation, Atlanta Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (currently Vice Chairman), the College Football Hall of Fame (currently serving as Chairman), the West Side Future Fund, GeorgiaForward (currently serving as Chairman), First Step Staffing, Partners for Home, the Emory Center for Ethics Advisory Board, and he serves as a Regional Council member for the New Israel Fund.
Over the past four decades in Atlanta, he has been a member of AIPAC, American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta Board, the Atlanta Jewish Academy Board and is a past Chairman of the American Israel Chamber of Commerce (now Conexx), as well as a congregant of Congregation Beth T’fillah. A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, he is married to Dr. Nicole Ellerine, a pediatrician, and they have three children, Micaela, Ethan, and Nathaniel.
