November 30, 2009
Welcome back from Break!
Staff
Susan Kurtz - Executive Director
skurtz@vt.edu
540-951-2060
Susan graduated from Parsons School of Design, NYC with a BFA in illustration, drawing and design. She went on for a Masters in education at Adelphi University in LI, NY. She traveled throughout Europe, then lived and studied in Israel for one year.
She worked doing many creative jobs while living in NY. She worked as a Staff Development Trainer and began a program to train new employees at Selby Fifth Avenue. She developed programs, started customer mailing lists and provided a service oriented workforce to build record sales for the company. She worked doing artwork for NY Times newspaper, Readers Digest, and Sport Magazine. She developed an interest in drawing figures in action and became a sports illustrator and artist showing in galleries throughout the world.
After having her first child, she turned this creative energy and networking into a way to organize and develop programs at the JCC that her son attended.
Susan initiated and developed many new creative programs at the preschool and took the students from a small group of 18 to 100+ in a few short years. She developed after school programs for kindergartners and continued to help grow the Jewish Community. The JCC now resides in a multi-million dollar facility whose first concept and initial fundraising was started with the creative vision of Susan and the board 15 years ago.
She truly listens to people and develops cooperative development towards a win/win situation for all.
Since moving to Blacksburg, she has used many of these skills to develop programs for the town. As Director of The New River United Soccer Association, she worked with board, parents and players of varying levels of play and interests to build the infrastructure of the organization with strong communication, clerical and development skills. She was responsible to manage/support multiple tasks, projects and special events.
Susan has worked full time as the Executive Director of Hillel at Virginia Tech for 4 years. Susan's goal is to build sustaining, vibrant and meaningful interdisciplinary campus communities through strategic vision and leadership.
Marc Saltzman-
Director of Engagement/Initiatives
marcscottsaltzman@gmail.com
540-808-9243
A message from Marc:
I grew up East Lansing, MI but moved to Boca Raton, FL where I attended Florida Atlantic University. I graduated with a degree in Film. During my college career I was actively involved in the Jewish community through Hillel and Alpha Epsilon Pi. I enjoy sports especially basketball and baseball. I am very interested in music and obviously movies.
I am excited to be here working for Hillel at Virginia Tech because I think that there is a lot of potential in addition to the positive things already happening. I believe in Hillel's mission and purpose, to enrich Jewish students lives so that they may one day enrich the lives of others. I plan to help Virginia Tech's Jewish students by providing help whenever they need it, whether that help is guidance for a program they are planning or simply a friend to talk with. I am looking forward to this year and I am excited to meet everyone.
Hila Gur - Israeli Fellow 
Hila.gury@gmail.com
A message from Hila:
I am Hila Gur , I came to beautiful Blacksburg from Israel in July 2008, with my Husband and our 2 kids. We moved to Virginia due to my husband's post doctoral position in the Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Department at Virginia Tech. I am a clinical dietitian(B.Sci), in Israel and a fitness instructor (B.Ed).
We are having a great family time here in Blacksburg, we go hiking, camping and enjoy many other activities. Most of all we love to watch the breathtaking view of the mountains around us, which we didn’t have in Israel (since we lived in a big and crowded city).
I am very proud and excited to be the next Israeli program coordinator, and I am looking forward to working with students and maintaining a strong contact between Israel and the Jewish identity.
Tonya Huslak - Administrator 
isewtomuch@comcast.net
540-922-2477
Tonya Huslak came to Blacksburg in 2002 with her husband and two daughters after having lived in New York, Massachusetts and Tennessee. She spent many hours volunteering with the Bedford County Schools, helping to get a volunteer art program up and running after the schools cut the arts program. In Blacksburg, she worked for New River United Soccer Association for several years, getting volunteers to help set up and coach teams for the 1200 children who played. She also ran the day-to-day activities for the club, including all of the registrations, financial responsibilities and corresponding with the families involved in the club. Since May she has been doing the bookkeeping and data updating for Hillel.
Barbara Wright - Special Projects
wrightontheweb@gmail.com
540-808-7287
Barbara Wright has been a Montgomery County, Virginia resident for more than 30 years. Barbara attended Virginia Tech in the early 1980s. She has been raising two daughters who are now in college. From 2003-2003 she worked as Master Gardener Coordinator with Virginia Cooperative Extension. From 2003-2008 she worked for Cooperative Extension at the University level. Most of her experience is with educational outreach, program development, web media and publicity. Barbara started as part time Administrator for Hillel at Virginia Tech in April of 2006 and in 2008 began her roll as Special Projects coordinator.