Mimi Brodsky Kress and Michael Kress 2022 Gala Breslau Goldman Award Honorees
Tikkun Olam, Jewish community, and Israel are central components in Mimi and Michael’s lives, inspiring them to impact and empower countless individuals, families, and institutions through their leadership and advocacy.
A third generation Washingtonian, Mimi, like her father and brother, is a builder; she is the co-owner and Chief Operating Officer of Sandy Spring Builders, a custom home construction company. Her Jewish identity was heavily nurtured by her family, including her grandmother, who was honored for her service to the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington at the well-known annual Aunt Minnie luncheon. At age 15, during the Yom Kippur War, Mimi joined her father in volunteering for an emergency fundraising campaign for Israel Bonds. As an adult, Mimi founded the local Israel Bonds Young Leadership program and served on the Israel Bonds Board of Directors; to this day, she delivers most of the annual Israel Bonds appeal at her synagogue, Congregation B’nai Tzedek. Her support for Israel extended to her ten-year service on the board of the Jewish National Fund, where she co-chaired JNF’s Women for Israel campaign.
Mimi has also been a stalwart supporter of our local Jewish community. At the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, she participated in Young Leadership and is currently a Lion of Judah and a Trustee of the Tikkun Olam Women’s Foundation of Greater Washington. She served as co-chair of the regional B’nai Brith Youth Organization (BBYO) Advisory Board and currently serves on the national BBYO Wellness and Inclusion Advisory Board. She is a long-time leader at the Jewish Social Services Agency (JSSA), receiving JSSA’s 2015 Ottenstein Community Leadership Award. In 2017, Mimi was one of ten women honored by Jewish Women International (JWI) at the Women to Watch gala, receiving the Sondra D. Bender Community Leader award. She currently serves on the JWI board.
Mimi’s leadership extends beyond the Jewish community, benefiting all Montgomery County residents. She served for six years as the President of the Montgomery County chapter of the National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI), and remains on their board. She is also very involved with Habitat for Humanity – Metro Maryland, where her team, Hammer Chicks, raises funds and mobilizes female volunteers to help build homes for low-income individuals. Professionally, she has served on the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Commercial Builders Council and is a member of the Maryland Building Industry Association (MBIA) Custom Builders Council.
Michael is a professional photographer, known throughout our region for his lifecycle event and corporate work. He has donated hundreds of hours of pro bono photography services to local Jewish and non-Jewish non-profits. Early in his career he was asked by one of his clients to photograph a charity event and that changed his perspective on how he could make a difference with local non-profits. Not only could he provide photographic coverage of the event, but it helped in their efforts to raise needed money. From that first event for Jewish Foundation for Group Homes (now Makom) over 30 years ago, Michael has photographed most of the annual galas and major events for JFGH, JSSA, JWI, Hebrew Home for the Aged, and Friendship Circle. In 2015, Michael was honored by JSSA with their Corporate Volunteer Award. Together, Mimi and Michael have co-chaired missions to Israel for both Israel Bonds and BBYO and co-chaired the 2016 JSSA Gala.
Michael has also committed his time and skills to supporting many local non-Jewish organizations for decades through his photography for the Leukemia Association, Children’s Hospital, Main Street, and NAMI-MC to name a few. He was active in the local chapter of ISES (International Special Events Society) and supported their fundraising efforts for the USO. He has donated his services for various political events in our area and continues to give back to the community with his dedication to pro-bono photography.
They have two grown children and reside in Bethesda.