Jewish Federation next-generation leader profile

“With each new opportunity I think to myself, is this an area where I can have an impact?”

That’s the key question Dana Schwartz asks herself in deciding whether to volunteer and why she’s excited about co-chairing Shalom Baby with Kelly Shapiro. Shalom Baby is a new program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, supported by the Women’s Division and The PJ Library program.

Shalom Baby will welcome parents and their newborns or newly-adopted children into the Kansas City Jewish community. Starting Jan. 1, volunteers will begin delivering Shalom Baby gift baskets filled with goodies for new babies and their families. The baskets also include useful resource guides to the Kansas City Jewish community.

“Studies show that the birth of a child is a key moment when many couples begin to think about their Jewish identity and the community,” said Schwartz. “Shalom Baby is a no-pressure way to say, ‘We care and here’s some information about how you can build connections to the Jewish community.’ ”

A graduate of Indiana University with a master’s degree in human resource management from Loyola University in Chicago, Schwartz and her husband, Neal, moved back to her hometown of Kansas City in 2000. Their daughter, Lydia, was born in 2003. Schwartz was a manager of training and development at DST Systems until January 2004 when she made the decision to stay at home with Lydia. In 2005, their second daughter, Melanie, was born.

“The business perspective and people skills I utilized in my career are transferable to my volunteer work,” she says. As a relatively new mom herself, Dana also brings understanding of the challenges faced by young families such as work/life balance; meeting other Jewish parents and establishing Jewish customs in their homes. With this understanding, she hopes to have an impact on helping others strengthen their connections to the Jewish community. She also feels it is important to be a role model to her children, showing them the importance of identifying their personal connection to the Jewish faith and pursuing these passions.

Schwartz began volunteering for Women’s Division before her children were born. After participating in the B’not Kehillah leadership program and the B’not Kehillah La’atid giving circle, she served on the board of the Federation’s Young Adults Division and two years as a Super Sunday co-chair.

Besides her parents, who instilled a love for Judaism and giving back to the community, Schwartz cites two other major influences in her life. The first was studying piano and performing in competitions throughout her childhood, which she says helped cultivate discipline and self-confidence. The second was her high school experience as a foreign exchange student in Belgium. By immersing herself in another culture, she not only learned and adapted to another culture, but also discovered the benefits of a more peaceful world by accepting our differences and focusing on our commonalities. It may come as no surprise that she now also volunteers for the American Field Service (AFS), an international youth exchange program, as well as Indiana University recruiting, Family Farm Fest at Deanna Rose, Congregation Beth Shalom and her childrens’ schools.

Still, her main focus is spending time with her kids, husband and dog, Maggie. Explains Schwartz, “Maggie’s a Malamute-Husky-German mix. We consider her our firstborn.”

Dana Schwartz
• Born in Kansas City, Mo., 1970
• Shawnee Mission South High School, 1988
• B.A. in psychology with business concentration, Indiana University/Bloomington, 1992;
M.A. in human resources, Loyola University, 1996
• Former manager of training and development for DST Systems Inc.
• Resides in Overland Park, Kan.
• Married to Neal Schwartz; vice president, Cerner Corporation
• Children: Lydia, 6, and Melanie, 4
• Recent Reading: “The Last Lecture,” by Randy Pausch
• Favorite Jewish Food: Mom’s carrot mold
• Trips to Israel: 1

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