Homegrown Leader: LJCC names Mountain Brook’s Dubrinsky-Clayton new executive director

The Levite Jewish Community Center’s new executive director is already well-acquainted with her surroundings. Samantha Dubrinsky-Clayton grew up in Mountain Brook and has been going to “The J” since she was a child.

Within its comfortable confines, the former Brookwood Forest Elementary student remembers swimming in the pool, going to the snack bar and feeling as independent as an 8-year-old can imagine.

“The cool thing to do was come swim with your friends on a hot summer day, and it really was the center of Jewish life but also the Birmingham community in general, and I still see it serving that purpose today,” she said.

Dubrinsky-Clayton took over as the LJCC’s permanent executive director at the start of the year. She had held the position in an interim capacity since October 2018 and worked under the guidance of Richard Friedman, former Birmingham Jewish Federation executive director and LJCC CEO.

When Friedman retired from both roles at the end of 2019, Dubrinksy-Clayton dropped “interim” from her title. That she has attained such a lofty position at only 30 years old is a reality to which she’s still adapting.

“I feel like it’s such a privilege. I feel really lucky to do this work, so it’s kind of like a pinch-me moment when I hear that,” she said. “Even when I introduce myself as the executive director of the JCC — this is going to sound so lame — but it really fills me with gratitude.”

According to Allison Weil, president of the LJCC’s board of directors from January 2017 to January 2020, Dubrinsky-Clayton is just The J’s third executive director since 1994. Her selection was far from arbitrary.

Weil said the LJCC board, which oversaw Dubrinsky-Clayton’s hiring, invited a senior consultant from the JCC Association of North America to come and meet with her. The board thought highly of Dubrinksy-Clayton but wanted external feedback before making a decision.

The consultant, Janet Elam, validated the board’s opinion. She told the group it could conduct a national search and not find anybody as qualified for the job as its homegrown candidate.

“She actually used the words, ‘She’s a rockstar,’” Weil said.

The glowing review gave the board a green light to move forward with Dubrinsky-Clayton. Weil said she and other board members were impressed with her job performance as the interim director, noting her composure amid transition.

Friedman only became LJCC CEO after former executive director Betzy Lynch left in August 2017. Friedman then appointed Dubrinsky-Clayton, whom he worked with at the Birmingham Jewish Federation, to her role at the LJCC.

The job change also coincided with Dubrinsky-Clayton’s pregnancy. She and her, husband, Jamil, had their first child, Max, in 2019.

“What really impressed me was that she had an unflappable will that didn’t shake,” Weil said. “I didn’t see her crack under the pressure. I didn’t see her lose her mind under uncertainty. She just knew where she needed to be and was calm in the middle of all of this.”

Dubrinsky-Clayton never thought she would work at the LJCC. She studied history at Birmingham-Southern College after graduating from Mountain Brook High School in 2007. Then, she began working for the Birmingham Jewish Federation, which she described as a fundraising organization for the Jewish community.

“But I never saw myself at a JCC,” she said. “I saw myself really focused on fundraising and Israel, and I’m really grateful that I ended up here because it’s been such an amazing experience.”

Dubrinsky-Clayton’s job responsibilities haven’t shifted too much since becoming the permanent executive director. She still manages staff and fundraising while seeking to drive the LJCC’s vision forward.

Tina Weldon, The J’s youth and camp director, said Dubrinsky-Clayton has been a great a leader.

“She’s amazing. She’s very approachable, very open to ideas, always wanting opinions. I feel like she’s fair across the board,” Weldon said.

In Dubrinksy-Clayton’s first-floor office, a whiteboard dotted with green marker hangs on the wall across from her desk. The word “vision” sits atop her to-do list. That’s a broad term that can encompass many goals, but Dubrinsky-Clayton already has a clear idea of where she’d like to take The J.

She said she wants it to become the “kitchen table” of the community.

“All the important, meaningful conversations and interactions happen around a kitchen table, so that’s what I want us to be, the kitchen table of the community where we offer our community — the Jewish community and the broader community — the opportunity to come and be part of something that’s bigger than themselves,” Dubrinsky-Clayton said. “I think there’s a misconception that you have to be Jewish to be a member of the JCC, and that is not true. We are open to everyone.”

The LJCC’s new leader plans to spread that message in the coming months and years as she seeks to strengthen the center’s fundraising muscle. The nonprofit currently receives funding from the United Way, Birmingham Jewish Federation and Birmingham Jewish Foundation.

Dubrinsky-Clayton believes opportunities for new partnerships exist.

“I think fundraising is all about relationships, so I’ll be having those one-on-one conversations, talking to people about The J, their perceptions, what the reality is, correcting any misconceptions and making sure people understand the full impact of what we’re doing, because we do so much it can get lost,” she said.

The LJCC has more than 5,000 members, Dubrinsky-Clayton said, but is looking to add more. It recently unveiled a new membership model that makes joining more affordable and allows anyone who walks through the doors to become a “community member.”

“You can come to any of our programs. You can come and use the outdoor track and the trails that we have behind the JCC. You won’t have access to the fitness facility unless you pay, but you are a part of the JCC,” Dubrinsky-Clayton said.

The LJCC is home to a fitness center, indoor and outdoor track, swimming pools, basketball and tennis courts, soccer field and outdoor trails, among other amenities. It also operates a preschool and offers various programming, leagues and camps throughout the year, some of which are subsidized through scholarships.

“A lot of people just think of us as a fitness facility, but we’re really a wellness facility,” Dubrinsky-Clayton said. “Wellness doesn’t just mean getting on the treadmill and making sure your heart rate gets to a certain point...it means taking care of your whole self, and we offer opportunities for all of that.”

The LJCC is at 3960 Montclair Road. Visit bhamjcc.org or call 205-879-0411 for more information.