New Vice President for Belonging, Inclusion & Community believes in fostering a culture where everyone can show up in their true authenticity and be embraced for the diversity of thought and experiences they will contribute to the ecosystem
NEW YORK, N.Y. (September 22, 2026) — American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the leading global Jewish organization working to end poverty and promote human rights, announced today that Yolanda Savage-Narva will serve as the organization’s Vice President for Belonging, Inclusion & Community.
In this newly created role, Savage-Narva will develop and implement programs aimed at deepening engagement with the diverse communities that support AJWS’s work. She will serve as a member of AJWS’s Executive Leadership Team and supervise community outreach initiatives.
“Yolanda commands significant gravitas in our community and has a track record of making meaningful impact through her work with the Jewish community as well as in the areas of education and nonprofit leadership,” said AJWS President and CEO Tawanda Mutasah. “She is joining us at an important juncture in AJWS’s history when we seek to elevate our commitment to our core values. I am confident that we will all benefit from Yolanda’s expertise in building spaces that welcome everyone.”
Savage-Narva joins AJWS after nearly six years as Vice President for Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), where she led efforts to build a more inclusive Jewish community. In her new role, she hopes to create conditions where belonging can “blossom and grow.”
“Belonging means that you can show up as your true and authentic self. You can come into a space and not feel like you have to leave a part of yourself at the door,” Savage-Narva said. “For something like that to grow and blossom, you need elements of gratitude, compassion and a justice mindset. All those things are already part of the foundation of how AJWS does its work and dovetail beautifully with its values. And so, I am looking forward to deepening that connection.”
Savage-Narva previously served as the Executive Director of Operation Understanding DC, a nonprofit working to eradicate racism, antisemitism, and all forms of discrimination. In that role, she brought together Black, Jewish, and Jewish teens of color to foster dialogue and build better understanding.
Through her work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Indian Health Services, she spent more than two decades collaborating with Tribal governments in the United States to strengthen public health systems, promote pedestrian safety, and advance health equity.
A longtime supporter of AJWS, Savage-Narva served as a member of the Board of Directors for three years. A recent visit with grantee-partners in Oaxaca, Mexico, proved pivotal in her understanding conditions on the ground for AJWS grantee partners and affirmed the importance of elevating belonging, equity and inclusion work among the broader AJWS community – from grantees to donors to staff.
“This work feels especially crucial now. People are carrying huge amounts of trauma with them. And sometimes, that trauma makes them feel isolated,” Savage-Narva said. “While there is an equity component to this work, belonging allows everyone to bring their story in; it allows for sharing, healing, and transformation. And those things are critical for everyone.”
Savage-Narva has her bachelor’s in sociology from Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS; a master’s in education from Jackson State University in Jackson, MS; and is a PhD candidate working on a degree in Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Gratz College in Philadelphia, PA. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her family. She is the author of a spiritual memoir coming out in spring 2027 and enjoys playing basketball and birdwatching.
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