Greensboro, N.C., businessman and community leader Randall Kaplan has been elected chairman of the Board of Directors of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. Kaplan, the owner and CEO of Capsule Group, LLC, has served as chairman-elect for the last year. He succeeds Neil Moss of Columbus, Ohio.
"I am excited to begin my term as chairman of the Board," Kaplan said. "Working with fellow lay leaders, students and professionals, I look forward to taking Hillel to new heights of excellence."
Speaking to Hillel's International Lay Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., Kaplan outlined six objectives for his term of office: to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for the organization; to increase the number of students engaged by Hillel and to deepen the impact Hillel makes; to strengthen the financial condition of Hillel at the local and international level; to enhance Hillel's marketing and branding; to build Hillel's human resources department; and to ensure that local Hillels receive the resources they need to serve students.
Kaplan and his father Leonard are both members of Hillel's International Board of Governors, Hillel's highest consultative body. The Kaplan family provides transformation grants to help local Hillels reach their full potential. In addition, Randall serves on the Board of Governors of North Carolina Hillel, Brown University Hillel, and Duke University Hillel.
Kaplan is actively involved in the Greensboro Jewish Community, and currently serves on the boards of the Greensboro Jewish Foundation (current chairman) and Greensboro Jewish Federation (past campaign chair); and is a prior board member of B'nai Shalom Day School (past treasurer) and Beth David Synagogue. On a national level, in addition to his Hillel chairmanship, he is also a member of Board of Directors of AIPAC.
Kaplan is a graduate of Brown University and the University of Michigan Law School. He began his legal career in 1981, serving as a judicial clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, after which he practiced corporate and banking law at the firm of Caplin & Drysdale in Washington, D.C.
In 1987, Kaplan returned to Greensboro and entered the family business, Kay Chemical Company, a leading supplier of cleaning chemical programs to the fast-food industry. Kay was acquired by Ecolab, Inc. in 1995. Kaplan remained as president of Kay until 1999 when he left to pursue new business ventures and greater public service.
Kaplan serves on the boards of many local and state non-profit organizations, including the United Way of Greater Greensboro, Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, Action Greensboro, the University of North Carolina - Greensboro Excellence Foundation (current chair), National Conference for Community and Justice, North Carolina Economic Development Board, and North Carolina Progress Board.
Randall and his wife, Kathy Manning, share a heartfelt commitment to community service. Manning, a lawyer, is a leader in the Greensboro Jewish community and serves as the national treasurer of the United Jewish Communities. They reside in Greensboro with their three children, ages 18, 14 and 12.
The largest Jewish campus organization in the world, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, is committed to creatively empowering and engaging Jewish students through its network of over 500 campus Foundations, Program Centers and affiliates. Its long-standing dedication to building Jewish identity, while nurturing intellectual and spiritual growth in a pluralistic community, positions Hillel as a leader in building a stronger Jewish people and stronger Jewish future.