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The summer 2007 issue of the Journal of Jewish Communal Service pays tribute to Ron Coun, the longtime executive director of the Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest who died at his Livingston home last Dec. 25 at the age of 68. The issue includes articles on the role and future of Jewish vocational agencies, international perspectives on the profession, and the tribute to Ron excerpted below.

To honor Ron's career, the JVS Board of Trustees established the Ronald I. Coun Center for Creative Maturity, Redefining Life's Potential. The center was dedicated at a ceremony on Dec. 4, 2006, with Ron and his family joined by more than 150 guests from across the state. For more information about the Ronald I. Coun Center for Creative Maturity Fund or to make a contribution, e-mail Caren Ford, director of development.

Dr. Leonard C. Schneider
executive director of the Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest.

As an underachiever in public school, Ron Coun adopted the role of “class clown“ to survive the academic environment in which he struggled. It was not until graduate school that a caring professor believed in him and changed Ron's life, an act that benefited all who were privileged to know and work with him during his 41-year career at JVS MetroWest.

I was one of the privileged, and perhaps the most privileged, because as his professional partner for 17 years in what I have described as the “perfect marriage,“ Leonard C. Schneider

I was able to observe and interact with one of the most beloved, respected, and knowledgeable leaders in Jewish communal service. Described by one of his closest JVS colleagues as the “moral compass“ of our field, Ron pursued an unwavering social justice agenda to restore dignity and self-sufficiency to the unemployed and most needy of our community — from people with disabilities, to inner-city public assistance recipients, to newly arrived emigres, to the middle-income Jewish unemployed. The embodiment of Maimonides' highest degree of charity, Ron's personal and professional mission was to restore the downtrodden to independence. He was immersed in Jewish values and practiced tikun olam each and every day, helping repair the world one person at a time.

Ron was a teacher who led by example; a mentor whose political, interpersonal, and professional insights helped his colleagues navigate the ever-churning waters of government, the organized Jewish community, and the world of philanthropy. He was a professional who was confident enough in himself to not only accept but welcome diverse opinion; an inspiration whose zest for living and positive spirit were not only contagious but also enabled him to cope with the harsh realities of life; and a friend — always there and always ready to help.

In addition to being an exemplary individual, Ron was also a highly skilled executive. To be a successful JVS executive director or CEO requires an extraordinarily wide variety of talents and competencies. One has to be decisive, yet compassionate; analytical, yet perceptive; ego involved, yet selfless…while at the same time being an effective leader, businessperson, counselor and coach, marketing expert, cheerleader, manager, catalyst and facilitator, salesperson, negotiator and mediator, innovator, fund-raiser, director, and reactor.