ALLMEP welcomes new Board Chair, Anne Spar, after six years of incredible service and leadership from outgoing Board Chair, Josh Thomas
As 2022 comes toward a close, ALLMEP is delighted to announce new developments and changes in our lay leadership as our network continues to grow and evolve. This week saw the election of our new Board Chair, Annie Spar. Annie has served on the ALLMEP board for seven years and has been a mentor, friend, and inspiration to so many in our community– having previously served on the board of our member OneVoice– and leading ALLMEP’s growing presence on the West Coast.
Annie is succeeding outgoing Board Chair, Josh Thomas, who helmed ALLMEP’s lay leadership for the past six years, marking perhaps our most transformational period. From the exponential growth of ALLMEP’s membership– now over 160 organizations– to the passage of the $250m MEPPA through Congress, Josh has been a force for positive transformation in the field.
ALLMEP Executive Director John Lyndon remarked, “I know I speak for the whole team when I say how excited we are to enter this next phase under Annie, who’s been so deeply invested in this community for many years, and who has already done so much to help institutionalize and grow ALLMEP. We are also deeply indebted to Josh Thomas for his service and leadership as ALLMEP’s Chair over the past six years, and for the way in which he has guided us through a period of growth and innovation that will allow us to better meet the challenges presented in this moment.”
In a post on LinkedIn, Josh wrote, “Yesterday I completed six amazing years as Board Chair of the Alliance for Middle East Peace – ALLMEP. Together with committed staff, board colleagues, member orgs, visionary founder Avi Meyerstein and dynamo Executive Directors John Lyndon and Joel Braunold, we’ve built the field, grown our reach, secured the largest ever investment in civil-society peacebuilding between Israelis and Palestinians, and positioned ALLMEP as the authoritative leader in a long-term strategy for a more just and peaceful future. As we look to the next chapter, and navigate these challenging days, ALLMEP is in awesome hands with our new Board Chair Anne Spar.” Josh will continue to serve on the ALLMEP board and in his role as Executive Director of founding ALLMEP Member, Seeds of Peace. And he is joined by new ALLMEP board member Lisa Greer, who was also elected to ALLMEP’s board this week. Lisa brings with her a deep expertise in strategic philanthropy as well as many years of experience working with organizations in the region who are working for peace and equality.
