Jewish Federation next-generation leader profile

The first sign that Judaism meant more to Marc Hammer than he understood as a kid was in college at the University of Denver.

"The friends I made and the people I bonded with there were primarily Jewish," he said. "It confirmed for me how proud I am to be Jewish. Looking back, I wish I had gotten involved earlier and taken advantage of more leadership opportunities."

After graduation, Hammer moved to Chicago for a job in telecommunications, where he noticed the same pattern of Jewish friends. In fact, it was during this time that he met and married his wife.

Hammer and Alana Muller both went to Shawnee Mission South but didn’t meet each other until a Thanksgiving weekend with friends on the Plaza six years later. At the time, Muller was working in New York City as an investment banker. Shortly before the next Thanksgiving, Hammer called her to find out if she was going to be in Kansas City for the holiday. She was, they went out, got engaged six months later and married in 1997. Hammer had earned an MBA from DePaul University in 1996. Muller moved to Chicago and had finished her MBA from the University of Chicago when, in 1998, a job offer came from Sprint. They both agreed there would be no better time to move back to Kansas City.

Looking Forward

Looking forward, Hammer made up for lost time by immediately getting involved in the Jewish community. The Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City’s young professional networking group (known then as the Young Adult Division or YAD), where he helped plan speaking events and social gatherings, was a natural place to begin.

Hammer believes it was through YAD that he learned about the national Federation Washington Young Leadership Conference. "That had a tremendous impact on me, especially the first conference I went to," he said. "The learning, the people from across the country, the social aspect — it changed how I wanted to be as a member of the community."

The Washington Conference was also where Hammer met Michael Liss, who was then on the Village Shalom Associate Board and asked Hammer to join. It was obviously a good fit. Over his four years on that board, Hammer served as secretary and treasurer as well as chair of Village Shalom’s annual Father’s Day Beat the Heat Run/Walk.

He also developed an appreciation of the importance of fundraising for causes one believes in. Hammer has been a loyal Super Sunday volunteer for years and co-chaired the event in 2006 and 2007.

"As a financial planning professional," he said, "I’m always conscious of people’s sensitivity about money, but I also perceive it as a mitzvah to give people the chance to give back. Also, I try to take advantage of opportunities to do it because I feel that’s something I can do."

Hammer similarly explains why he and Muller joined the Ben Gurion Society, a national group of donors, ages 25-45, who make an annual gift of $1,000 or more to the Federation. "It’s easy to give back when you’re getting so much out of it."

Nothing for Granted

As a volunteer, Hammer is currently most active in Emerging Jewish Leaders, a new Federation-sponsored small-group leadership program. He’s also in his second year as co-chair of J-LEAD, a donor’s circle within the Jewish Community Foundation from which grants are made to programs such as the Federation’s PJ Library, which provides free Jewish-themed books and music to children ages six months to eight years. And, he serves on the board of Jewish Family Services, for which he and Muller recently chaired the "Boogie to Broadway" event.

Hammer was honored in 2004 with the Dan Fingersh Young Leadership Award. Despite all this, he doesn’t see his efforts as out of the ordinary. For him, it’s more about not taking for granted the work of leaders who came before and those who will come after in the community.

"The previous generation," he said, "they sat on boards when they weren’t the main drivers. But they listened, learned the pitfalls and saw how decisions are made and, as they grew over time, were able to make a difference. I hope our community can continue on that path. I just want to get more involved. I want to demonstrate that kind of leadership to my son, and I appreciate every minute of it."

Born in Kansas City, Mo.

Shawnee Mission South, 1989, B.S./B.A. in finance, University of Denver, 1993 and MBA, De Paul University, 1996

Financial Planner, HighPointe Financial LLC

Lives in Overland Park

Married to Alana Muller

Children: Ian, 7

Reading: "The Entrepreneurial Imperative," by Carl Schramm, and "The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey," by Candice Millard