Stacy Gordon-Funk will be joining the Jewish Federation of Louisville as vice president of philanthropy. Jewish Community of Louisville President and CEO Sara Klein Wagner announced that in this capacity, Gordon-Funk will be leading the Annual Federation Campaign, the Jewish Foundation of Louisville and directing fundraising efforts of the Jewish Community Center.
“Stacy grew up in our community and at our JCC,” Wagner said. “We are pleased to welcome her to the JCL team. She brings over 30 years of fundraising expertise and will be a real asset for our local community.”
Professionally, Gordon-Funk has been involved with fundraising for many years. She served as president of the Kentucky/Southeast Indiana Chapter of the National MS Society for the last seven years and previously as director of development and marketing for the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana.
In each position, she led successful fundraising efforts that included special events, annual campaigns and capital projects. Gordon-Funk is strongly committed to volunteer engagement and is driven to enhance organizational mission. She’s eager to put her talents to work for the JCL and her Jewish community.
“I was born and raised here,” Gordon-Funk said. “My parents are Marsha and Don Gordon, and my aunt and uncle are Janet and Sonny Meyer. Many in the community know us”
She grew up participating in Jewish activities that included a lot of time spent at the JCC. When she came to the JCC to talk about a potential position, she told Wagner, “I feel like I came home. It just seemed like those were the halls I just walked yesterday.” When she talked with Community for this interview, she noted that she had probably sat in a Hebrew School class in that same second floor classroom in which we were talking.”
“I loved the activities here as a young person,” she added. She was a member of Amitie, attended socials, played tennis, swam, was an assistant camp counselor and in general just hung out at the JCC for many years.
Gordon-Funk earned a BA in psychology with a minor in communications from Stephens College in Columbia, MO. She lived in Yuma, AZ, for a short while, which she described as “the hottest place in the United States.” There she worked for a community-based nonprofit organization that served abused and neglected children. She married her high school sweetheart, Don Funk, who has been in management at UPS’s World Port for close to 30 years.
The couple moved back to Louisville and married in the late 1980’s. Their daughter, Brittany, was born in the early 1990’s, is now 24 and is an assistant brand manager at Thornton’s. Brittany recently married her college beau Daniel Wenig. Daniel is a second year law student at University of Louisville.
She and her husband are members of Keneseth Israel and the JCC.
Gordon-Funk has lots of plans for her new position. “With the help of many volunteers I have raised millions of dollars for other organizations,” she said. “I’m certain when our community comes together the same will happen here.” She expects to “have a high impact meeting the expanding needs of our Jewish community, the Center and the Federation.”
“I’m looking forward to high level involvement in the Jewish community and our Jewish culture,” she said.
“Today, when I was walking in … it felt very uplifting walking through the playground area,” she observed. “The children were outside playing and I saw elderly people sitting on the bench talking to each other and … it had a good community feel. … I feel like I’m coming home.”
Jewish heritage is important to Gordon-Funk, and the mission of the JCL resonates with her. “My grandfather, Abe Lyon was a very pious man. He would be so proud that I am carrying on his belief in tzedakah and our traditions. It’s going to be very rewarding that my work will ensure a Jewish future for my daughter and other young adults.”
For many years Gordon-Funk has been providing support for BBYO through the Stacy Marks Nisenbaum Camp Fund. This fund was created for Nisenbaum after her passing by Stacy Gordon-Funk and her friends, Wendy Snow and Sally Weinberg, who established a scholarship fund in her name. Scholarship recipients often attend BBYO leadership training institutes where they acquire skills that benefit their chapters.
When she’s not working, Gordon-Funk enjoys hot yoga, clocking her steps and time with family and friends.
