Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation names interim executive director
Former Alcoa vice president will oversee day-to-day operations.
William (Bill) J. O’Rourke, an experienced local business executive, will become Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation’s interim executive director, according to a press release. In this position, O’Rourke will manage day-to-day business operations of Tree of Life and serve the congregation during and through the period that includes finalizing the search and selection for a permanent executive director, a process that is already underway by Nonprofit Talent of Pittsburgh.
O’Rourke is a former vice president at Alcoa and worked at U.S. Steel Corporation and Joy Manufacturing Company. He serves on the Ethics Advisory Board and teaches ethics at Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Business, and has been an active board member of numerous civic, charitable and religious organizations.
Sam Schachner, TOL*OLS’s president, praised O’Rourke’s background and demeanor as qualities that will help the congregation in the days ahead.
“He is a tremendous individual and will really help us put ourselves in the right position where our board is doing what a board should do and we will have an administrative staff in place to move forward,” said Schachner. “I really think he’s going to help us help not only our own congregation but deal with our felt sense of responsibility to the other congregations who leased space from us as well as the community as a whole.”
O’Rourke will be “serving a congregation that is grateful for all of the support we have received from far and wide in the aftermath of the Oct. 27 tragedy, and will be a welcomed addition throughout our recovery and our return to vibrancy, currently underway,” added Schachner.
Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation is temporarily conducting services and business operations at Rodef Shalom Congregation. PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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