William Daroff became the Chief Executive Officer of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on February 1, 2020.  In that capacity, he is the senior professional guiding the Conference’s agenda on behalf of the 53 national member organizations, which represent the wide mosaic of American Jewish life.

Previously, he was the Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Director of the Washington Office of The Jewish Federations of North America, where for 15 years he was the chief lobbyist and principal spokesperson on public policy and international affairs for the 146 Jewish Federations and more than 300 independent communities represented by JFNA, and ensured that the voice of Jewish Federations is a prominent force in the Nation’s Capital.

Named by The Jerusalem Post as being among the fifty most influential Jews worldwide, The Forward newspaper as one of the fifty most influential Jews in America, and The Algemeiner as among the top 100 individuals positively influencing Jewish life, Daroff is a key player in foreign policy circles – advising policymakers and elected officials on Jewish communal concerns, namely those related to the US-Israel relationship, the Middle East conflict, and efforts to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.  He is also a leader in the worldwide fight to combat the assault on Israel’s legitimacy.

Daroff testified before committees in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.  He is widely quoted in leading news outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, The International Herald-Tribune, Slate, The Jerusalem Post, Ha’aretz, JTA, The Forward, Politico, CBS News, Jewish Insider, and newspapers around the world.

He served both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations as a presidential appointee in the U.S. Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, which is charged with the oversight of the protection of properties in Europe associated with the heritage of U.S. citizens, including Jewish cemeteries, synagogues, and memorials.

Daroff is also a social networking pioneer and evangelist.  In 2016, the JTA News Service named him the most influential person on “Jewish Twitter” in the world (Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu followed in the second slot.)  In 2020, JNS included him in its list of the top forty global advocates for Israel online.  Follow him at www.Twitter.com/Daroff.

Daroff’s political involvement began when he was seven years old.  Since that time he has worked or volunteered on over 100 campaigns at the local, state, congressional, and presidential levels.  He has worked on three presidential campaign staffs, as well as managing campaigns for the United States House of Representatives and for State Treasurer of Ohio.

Earlier in his career, he served as a political appointee at the U.S. Department of Energy, as Special Assistant to Ohio Governor George Voinovich, and as Deputy Director of the Ohio Department of Liquor Control.  As an attorney, Daroff focused on “public law” – counseling corporations on their interactions with government and counseling governments on their legal needs. He was Deputy Executive Director of the Republican Jewish Coalition during President George W. Bush’s first term.

Daroff is a judge of the National Jewish Book Awards and for the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature, and is a member of the Board of the Jewish Book Council.  He is also on the selection committee for Nefesh B’Nefesh’s Bonei Zion award, which is presented annually to immigrants to Israel whose contributions to Israel society “encapsulate the spirit of modern-day Zionism.”  He served as a member of the Board of the World Council of Jewish Communal Service as well as an officer of JPRO (formerly Jewish Communal Service Association of North America).  Daroff was also in leadership positions with the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Jewish Community Federation of Greater Cleveland, and the Cleveland Chapter of the American Jewish Committee.  He was also a member of the International Advisory Board of the Herzylia Conference and the International Board of Governors of the March of the Living.  In 2017, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs honored him with its Tikkun Olam Award and in 2014 the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington selected him for its Distinguished Service Award.

Daroff received his Bachelor’s Degree (summa cum laude) in Political Science & History, Master’s Degree in Political Science, and Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.  He is an adjunct Professor at George Washington University.

He and his wife, Heidi Krizer Daroff are the proud parents of two children.  The couple met in Krakow, Poland, while studying at Jagiellonian University, from which they both received certificates in the history of Eastern European Jewry and the Holocaust.

On Twitter: www.twitter.com/daroff