About Us
Benjamin Ferdinand
Founder and Executive Director
Benjamin is a retired law enforcement officer with nearly three decades of local and Federal law enforcement experience. His work focused on emergency preparedness, physical security, crisis management, aviation security, counterterrorism, criminal investigations, threat assessments, patrol tactics, firearms instruction, policy development and regulatory compliance. Benjamin founded Protect Israel Fund shortly after returning from volunteer work in Israel at the height of the Israel-Hamas war in 2024.
Jeff
Director of Community Engagement
Jeff is one of our founding Board Members and serves as our Director of Community Engagement. Jeff is an award-winning media production manager with nearly thirty years of global impact-driven experience. In addition to his volunteer work with us, Jeff is the media production executive for a prestigous international law firm based in the Chicago area.
Dale
Director of Donor Engagement
Dale was recruited by Protect Israel Fund as our founding Director of Donor Engagement. He has over thirty-five years in publishing, project management and business administration. In addition to his role in donor support, Dale also volunteers as our office manager and information technology specialist.
Drew
Director of Finance
Drew is Protect Israel Fund’s Finance Director. With a track record of transforming business and finance operations maximizing results in professional service, nonprofit, and corporate environments, he brings nearly 30 years of executive-level experience to PIF. Drew has domestic and international experience including many Jewish organizations. He has a broad knowledge base gained from leading finance and accounting teams supplemented by operational management of IT, HR, and Cybersecurity. He currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of a large nonprofit.
Joan
Director of Mental Health and Awareness
Joan is our founding Director of Mental Health and Awareness. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with a robust private practice. Recognizing the need for mental health awareness before, during and after times of conflict and trauma, Joan serves a key role to keep our volunteers and our Israeli partners safe and healthy. Joan previously worked in the political arena, building community relationships and working in strategic positions for national-level political campaigns and organzations.
