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Meet Our Senior Management Staff
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Our professionals bring outstanding training, experience, and sensitivity to their work, providing the highest quality of service to the individuals and families they serve. We maintain absolute confidentiality and respect for each individual’s right to complete privacy. Our staff is composed of licensed clinical social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, vocational counselors, addictions counselors, residential and supported living counselors, professional consultants, and support staff. Over 400 dedicated volunteers provide vital help to enhance the work of the agency’s staff.
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Barbara Levy Gradet
Executive Director
Barbara Levy Gradet, LCSW, Executive Director of Jewish Community Services, carries out the agency’s commitment to providing essential human services to the entire community.
Barbara served as Executive Director of Jewish Family Services from summer 2004 until July 1, 2008. She was appointed Executive Director of Jewish Community Services in October 2007. Her leadership has been vital in the planning and creation of Jewish Community Services.
Prior to joining Jewish Family Services, Barbara was Director of the Baltimore County Department of Social Services, and also served in the cabinet of the Baltimore County Executive and as an advisor to the State Secretary of the Department of Human Resources. Previously, Barbara served as the director of the Baltimore County Department of Aging, the director of operations for Almost Family Adult Day Care, and the director of Volunteer Services for Saint Joseph Medical Center. She has taught graduate courses at the University of Maryland School of Social Work.
Barbara is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, where she received a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She received a master of social work degree from the University of Maryland School of Social Work. She has held leadership positions in many organizations, is a frequent presenter at national and local conferences and has been published in various journals.
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 Joan Roth
Chief Administrative Officer, Budget and Administration
Joan Roth, MBA, is responsible for Jewish Community Services’ fiscal and administrative policies and procedures, including budgeting, compensation and human resources management, and the development and maintenance of statistical systems. In addition, she is responsible for coordinating various administrative services for the agency, including risk management, physical facilities and management information systems. Joan continues at JCS after being employed with Jewish Family Services for 27 years; she has been in an executive position for about 20 years. She played a central role in creating the administrative systems which enabled the organization to grow from an agency with limited programming and a budget of just over $3 million to the diverse, $12 million agency it is today. Joan received a BA from Clark University and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. Before coming to JCS, Joan worked as a retail accountant in Boston and as an assistant business manager for an ambulatory health care facility in Michigan.
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 Ruth Klein
Director, Mental Health Services
Ruth Klein, Ph.D., directs therapy services for children, adults, and seniors; addictions treatment; hospice chaplaincy; foster care and adoption; and psychiatric services and psychiatric rehabilitation. Her responsibilities also include counseling and residential and community based services for adults with special needs. Ruth served as Director of Clinical Services for Jewish Family Services from 2006 to 2008. A licensed psychologist with many years of experience in the mental health field, Ruth holds a Ph.D. in Clinical and Social/Personality Psychology from New York University. Prior to joining JFS, she was Director of Behavioral Health for Peoples Community Health Center, Inc.; Clinical Director of Young Adult Institute, a clinic and psychiatric rehabilitation program; and Program Director for Granite House, Inc., an outpatient mental health center. She taught Psychology at McDaniel College, and provided psychotherapy and counseling services to adults, children and adolescents at the Carroll County and Howard County Community Mental Health Centers.
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 Karen Nettler
Director, Community Connections
Karen Nettler, MSW, is Director of Community Connections, which encompasses Access and Volunteer Services, and Prevention Education activities. Programs and services of JCS Community Connections are designed to help individuals and families feel supported by and connected to the Jewish community in ways that are meaningful to them. Karen served as Associate Executive Director of Jewish Family Services from 1989 through June 2008. Before coming to JFS, Karen was Special Assistant to the Director in the Governor’s Office for Children and Youth. She received her undergraduate degree from Lafayette College and her Masters in Social Work degree from the University of Maryland School of Social Work and Community Planning.
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 Tracey Cohen Paliath
Director, Economic Services
Tracey Cohen Paliath, Esq., oversees the agency's provision of Career Services, Financial Assistance, and Service Coordination. Before joining JCS, she was Assistant Director of the Baltimore City Department of Social Services, and Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for SB & Company. LLC, in Hunt Valley, MD. A recipient of a “Maryland’s Top 100 Women Award” from “The Daily Record,” Paliath served on THE ASSOCIATED’s Young Leadership Council and Young Business Roundtable, as well as on boards of other community organizations. A graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, Tracey received her J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law and is a past president of the University of Maryland School of Law Alumni Association.
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 Jacki Post Ashkin
Senior Manager, Marketing and Development
Jacki Post Ashkin, LCSW-C, is Senior Manager of Marketing and Development for Jewish Community Services. Prior to the formation of JCS, Jacki was Manager of Resource Development and Manager of Jewish Family Life Outreach for Jewish Family Services. Jacki co-founded the innovative Shleimut program in which mental health and physical health professionals work with clergy as an on-site interdisciplinary team attending to the mental, physical, and spiritual health and healing needs of a congregational community. She also serves on the Jewish Community Critical Incident Response Team. Before joining JFS in 1991, Jacki was on staff at the Harford-Belair Community Mental Health Center. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from The Pennsylvania State University and received her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Maryland School of Social Work.
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Joan Grayson Cohen
Senior Manager, Access Services
Joan Grayson Cohen, Esq., LCSW-C, is Senior Manager of JCS Access Services, which includes triage/intake, consultation, teen outreach, and support groups. Before the creation of JCS, Joan was Associate Department Director in the Resource Services Division and Manager of Outreach at Jewish Family Services. She supervises JCS programs for schools and camps, teen programs, and the Psychological and Educational Resources and Testing (P.E.R.T.) Center for Children and Adolescents. Joan coordinated the JFS Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Project of JFS beginning in 1993. She is the author of “Playing it Safe with Your Child: Eli and Ellie Learn about Safety”. Joan previously worked in the sexual abuse treatment unit of Family and Children’s Services of Central Maryland, and in Protective Services at the Baltimore County Department of Social Services. She holds a Masters in Social Work from the University of Maryland School of Social Work and Community Planning, and the Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maryland School of Law.
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 Beth Land Hecht
Senior Manager, Volunteer Services
Beth Land Hecht, LCSW-C, is Senior Manager of Volunteer Services, a program of JCS Community Connections. Over 400 volunteers perform functions critical to meeting the diverse needs of JCS clients as an adjunct to the professional services they receive. Volunteers’ responsibilities range from Big Brother/Big Sister mentors, tutors, drivers, friendly visitors, office assistants, creators of centerpieces to support the Jewish Community Food Fund, to attorneys providing pro-bono consultation and volunteers who visit prisoners. Beth was Program Director for the Jewish Big Brother/Big Sister League from December 1998 through June 2008. Prior to her position with JBB/BSL, she was on the staff of Jewish Family Services for seven years, serving as Coordinator of the Jewish Outreach Network and Manager of Community Outreach. Beth received her master’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland School of Social Work and Community Planning in 1983 and her B.A. from the University of Maryland.
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 Joseph Honsberger
Senior Manager, Therapy Services
Joseph Honsberger, LCSW-C, oversees therapy and counseling services for children, adults and seniors, as well as addictions treatment, hospice chaplaincy, foster care and adoption, psychiatric services, and psychiatric rehabilitation. Previously Joe was Director of Family Services at JFS, providing services for children, adolescents, adults, and individuals with disabilities. Joe was also responsible for intake services. Joe was Director of the JFS Outpatient Mental Health Clinic and Psychiatric Rehabilitation Programs from 1999-2001.
Joe has been at JFS for 22 years, having begun as a social work intern. He received his Masters of Social Work degree from The University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Social Work, and his LCSW-C in 1988, focusing on working with individuals, couples and families.
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David Humes
Senior Manager, Career Services
David Humes is Senior Manager of JCS Career Services, which include employment services and business development. JCS Career Services help members of the Baltimore Jewish community achieve and maintain economic independence by finding meaningful and substantive employment, and realize success in their businesses. David started his career with Jewish Vocational Service in 1991 managing workforce development programs for individuals with disabilities. He also has provided direct vocational rehabilitation services to clients and managed a wide variety of career programs. David is a past president of the Maryland Rehabilitation Association and is an appointee to the Baltimore County Commission on Disabilities. He holds a Master of Education degree from Coppin State University.
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 Elaine Kitt
Senior Manager, Service Coordination
Elaine Kitt, LCSW-C, heads the Service Coordination division of JCS, which arranges, coordinates, monitors and advocates for the full array of concrete and supportive services necessary to meet clients’ needs. Elaine served as Director of Older Adult Services at JFS until the formation of JCS. She previously served as Associate Director of Access and Family Services. A graduate of the University of Maryland School of Social Work, Elaine has worked primarily with older adults and their families since joining the staff of JFS in 1975. She helped to develop and coordinated the GAP (Geriatric Assessment Program) with Sinai Hospital and Levindale.
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 Howard Reznick
Senior Manager, Prevention Education Services
Howard Reznick, LCSW-C, manages JCS Prevention Education Services, which provides educational programs for youth and adults that increase knowledge and awareness of risky behaviors and their consequences, while encouraging people in making healthy choices. Outreach programs aimed at prevention and education include the Steven Kaufman AIDS Outreach Project and The Girls Project, as well as programs for children, teens, parents, and staff of congregations, schools, and camps.
Howard has over thirty years of experience in the field of mental health and training. He pioneered work in the Baltimore Jewish community promoting early awareness and efforts to respond to a growing chemical dependency problem. He headed a consultation service at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and was involved in physician training at the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Baltimore. More recently he was Senior Trainer for the Sidran Institute on Trauma Recovery, where he trained rabbis and youth workers on responding to the needs of community members who had been abused as children.
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Ann Skinner
Senior Manager, Special Needs Services
Ann Skinner manages JCS programs and services designed to enable individuals with physical and/or developmental disabilities to live as fully and independently in the community as possible. JCS Special Needs Services include residential services provided in Alternative Living Units for adults with developmental disabilities; supportive living services to individuals in their own homes; and counseling and case management services to people with developmental disabilities and their family members.
Before joining JCS, Ann was Project Director of Mid-Atlantic Human Services Corporation, where she oversaw residential facilities providing health and behavioral services to people with developmental disabilities. From 1992 to 1998, she held several positions at Kennedy Krieger Institute, most recently Program Case Manager in the Adult/Pediatric Residential Program. Skinner attended Towson State University and has an Associate Degree from Villa Julie College.
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