Paul Lehman

Paul Lehman began his career as a social worker and director of Alternatives, Inc., a nonprofit Chicago youth service agency. In 1980, he joined his family’s business, Fel-Pro, Inc.—an automotive parts manufacturer known for its progressive human resources practices—which was consistently named one of the Top 10 Companies to Work for in the U.S. After its sale in 1998, Paul combined his passions for travel, the outdoors and physical activity and founded Austin-Lehman Adventures, which was named the Number One Tour Operator in the World in 2009 by the readers of Travel and Leisure Magazine. He officially retired in 2014.

Paul is engaged with his family’s foundation and was also founder of the Crossroads Fund, a public community foundation that supports social change and social justice activities in Chicago. He has served on non-profit boards for the past 45 years, including as President of two Chicago theaters, Pegasus Players and Northlight Theatre; and two foundations. He has served previously on the boards of Winning Workplaces, the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, and the New Israel Fund, and currently on the boards of YOU, a youth service agency in Evanston, IL; the Capital Campaign Committee of Northlight Theater; and AJWS.

Paul received his BA in History from Middlebury College in 1972, an MA in Social Work from the University of Chicago in 1975, and an MBA in 2008 from the Kellogg Executive Management Program at Northwestern University. Paul and his wife Ronna live in Evanston, IL and have 3 children in their mid- to late-30s.

Paul joined the AJWS Board of Trustees in 2019.