The Lowdown: Renee Kutner
I Bet You Didn’t Know That … Renee is an expert hula hooper.
After 37 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now with the AJT, , Jaffe’s focus is lifestyle, art, dining, fashion, and community events with emphasis on Jewish movers and shakers.
Atlanta is chock full of interesting “movers and shakers” – some bent on creativity, empire building, activism, the sciences, and/or just plain having fun and living the good life. Lean in to hear some of the “off the cuff” remarks as to what makes our spotlight, Renee Safra Kutner, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, tick.
Kutner was a graduate of the inaugural cohort of the Mandel Executive Leadership Program for the development of rising Federation and JCC leaders. Before joining the Federation, Renée ran Peace by Piece Organizing for six years. In this professional organizing business, she helped bring order to chaos and peace to her clients’ otherwise hectic lives. Previously, Renée spent almost 10 years in advertising and marketing, taking a short break to receive her MBA from UCLA. She received her B.A. in economics from the University of Michigan. Renée is also very active in multiple community organizations, including Congregation Ohr HaTorah, and most notably has co-chaired the merger committee that led to the development of Atlanta Jewish Academy. She is married to Davi Kutner and is a mom to three. Two of her children attend Atlanta Jewish Academy, and her eldest has recently moved to Israel to join the IDF.
Read on to see what hoop Kutner spins to avoid yoga.
The most difficult thing about being a CEO is …
Wanting to do it all but knowing that’s ultimately not best for the organization or the community.
I’m streaming and reading …
I usually love digging into a good novel, especially historical or psychological fiction, but right now I have a tall stack of non-fiction that I am dying to get through. I’m currently fascinated by “The AI Driven Leader” by Geoff Woods.
If they made a movie of my life … would portray me.
I’m admittedly not a real movie buff, but my colleagues tell me Gal Gadot, Rachel Weisz or Natalie Portman. That’s quite a list, and I’m sensing a theme!
My kids would say I’m too …
Organized! They never seem to mind it when everything is planned, the food is stocked, and I can find anything they are looking for … but they don’t really like being asked to clean their rooms!
You will not find me …
In a yoga class, or at any gym for that matter, but I do enjoy running and working out at home.
One fun thing people don’t know about me is …
I’m excellent at hula hooping!
I would look back and tell a 21-year-old Renee …
Be open to wherever life may take you. It might be very different than what you’re planning.
Most exotic vacation?
I haven’t taken it yet! We’re hoping to go on a safari for my husband’s 50th. I’ve been to Iceland and Croatia, but there’s nowhere I like traveling more than Israel.
Best advice you received?
My mother had two: “Your lack of planning does not constitute my emergency,” and a sign in my house – “A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove, but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”
My last fashion disaster was …
It probably involved showing up with dog hair on my clothes thanks to our Brittany spaniel, Champ.
The thing you liked most about growing up in Atlanta?
I really love the suburban lifestyle. To be honest, though, I liked raising my kids in Atlanta more than I liked growing up in Atlanta because the city has a lot more to offer now than it did when I was a kid.
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