Joan Schaeffer

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Joan grew up in Syosset, Long Island and attended Syracuse University.  She received her Masters degree in Social Work Administration from Florida State University.  She moved to Miami in 1977 and has lived here ever since.

She has worked as an administrator of Employment and Training Programs for Miami Dade County, she was the Director of Grants at Miami-Dade College’s Wolfson Campus and she worked as Assistant Administrator of the HIV/ AIDS Program at Jackson Memorial Hospital.  She also worked as Coordinator of programs for Developmentally Disabled infants at the Mailman Center and then at South Miami Hospital.  Most recently, she worked as a Mortgage Broker in South Miami.

She has served in leadership positions on many local Boards including Miami Behavioral Health Center where she was President for two terms, Health Crisis Network, Dade Human Rights Foundation, SAVE Dade, Tigertail Productions and, of course, Temple Israel of Greater Miami where she was one of the founders of Ru’ach: the Gay and Lesbian Havurah. She has served on many Temple Committees and has been a long-standing member and Vice-Chair of the Social Justice Committee. Joan is the recipient of the 2008 Eddy McIntyre Community Service Award from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force honoring her for her work in the community.