Nonprofit Growth, Philanthropy, and Organizational Management Leader Rebecca Benghiat Joins The Jed Foundation as President and COO

Benghiat will lead the continued expansion of JED’s programs to protect the mental health of millions of high school and higher education students.

NEW YORK, NY — The Jed Foundation (JED) announced today the appointment of its new president and chief operating officer, Rebecca Benghiat, effective November 8, 2021. Benghiat will lead efforts to further expand JED’s work in higher education, rooted in JED’s Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention for Colleges and Universities, to further push systemic change for mental health and suicide prevention systems change across higher education. She will also oversee work to scale JED’s new Comprehensive Approach for High Schools, while creating broad awareness across secondary education that emotional preparation for life after high school is an essential undertaking during the high school years. In this role, Benghiat will also lead efforts to strengthen the mental health attitudes and behaviors of young adults, their families, and community members.

“We are excited to welcome Rebecca to The Jed Foundation. Her leadership in organizational and growth management will be invaluable during this critical time when JED’s work in colleges, universities, and high schools is needed more than ever,” said JED CEO John MacPhee. “She brings decades of experience in the nonprofit sector and a proven commitment to supporting the mental health of our nation’s young people.”

Benghiat comes to JED having served as the chief operating and advancement officer at The Quad Preparatory School, a nationally recognized K-12 independent school in New York City that integrates an academically rigorous curriculum with evidence-based social emotional learning, specifically designed to support gifted children with learning differences. Benghiat holds a juris doctor from the Cardozo School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in public policy, with a focus on organizational analysis, from The University of Chicago.

“I am thrilled to join the JED community and to help realize the next phase of the organization’s tremendous growth,” said President and COO Rebecca Benghiat. “Today, through the incredible dedication of JED’s staff, the deep commitment of the board and the tremendous generosity of visionary funders, JED is poised to make a difference in the lives of millions more teens and young adults. I am honored to be part of this work.”