Melinda Goldrich Named Chair of the USC Shoah Foundation Board of Councilors

Succeeds Joel Citron; Formal Appointment on July 1

LOS ANGELES, June 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The USC Shoah Foundation, the organization dedicated to increasing knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust and other atrocities, has announced the appointment of Melinda Goldrich as Chair of its Board of Councilors, effective July 1, 2025. She succeeds Joel Citron, whose term concludes at the end of the month. Goldrich currently serves as the board's vice chair and was formally elected to the new role during the Institute's June 3 board meeting in New York City.

The USC Shoah Foundation's Board of Councilors is an advisory body that provides guidance to the Institute's leadership and staff on the development, evaluation, and strategic direction of its programs and resources. As Chair, Goldrich will serve as the board's principal partner to the CEO, working to guide board culture, set priorities, and delegate responsibilities to ensure the board and institute achieve their strategic priorities.

"Melinda brings an unwavering commitment to Holocaust education and remembrance, grounded in deep personal and professional ties to the mission of the USC Shoah Foundation," said Dr. Robert J. Williams, CEO and Finci-Viterbi Chair of the USC Shoah Foundation and UNESCO Chair on Antisemitism and Holocaust Research. "Her leadership, vision, and dedication to honoring, sharing and building knowledge based on survivor testimony is invaluable as we plan our next chapter."

Goldrich is the president of the Goldrich Family Foundation, which supports Jewish and humanitarian causes worldwide. A longtime advocate for Holocaust remembrance and Jewish continuity, she actively supports the USC Shoah Foundation, including a 2017 gift establishing the Jona Goldrich Center for Digital Storytelling at the Institute's headquarters, honoring her father, Jona Goldrich, a Holocaust survivor whose testimony is archived at the Institute.

"It is an honor to step into this role and continue the work that Joel and so many others have carried forward with such dedication," said Melinda Goldrich. "The legacy of my father, and of all survivors whose testimonies live within this archive, inspires me every day to ensure that future generations understand the consequences when antisemitism is met with silence."

Joel Citron, Board Chair since 2022, helped lead the Institute through an extraordinary period of professionalization and organizational growth, the refocusing of its mission to better serve the future of Holocaust remembrance and resilience against antisemitism, and the establishment of strong international partnerships.

"I've had the privilege of working closely with Melinda and know she will lead with strength and clarity," said Joel Citron, outgoing Chair. "Her leadership and personal connection to Holocaust education and the fight against antisemitism are an extraordinary complement to the mission of the USC Shoah Foundation. I look forward to seeing the Institute flourish under her guidance."

In addition to her work with the USC Shoah Foundation, Goldrich serves on the Board for the Holocaust Museum LA, which was founded in part by her father, Jona Goldrich. She is also on the boards of the Chabad Jewish Community Center of Aspen and Americans for Ben-Gurion University. Goldrich previously served on the executive committee of TEN (formerly Project TEN) of the Jewish Agency for Israel.

Under Goldrich's leadership, the Board of Councilors will continue to provide critical guidance to the Institute as it expands its global reach and deepens its commitment to testimony-based education and genocide prevention. The Institute remains steadfast in its mission to preserve the voices of survivors and empower future generations to build a future where antisemitism and intolerance have no place.

About the USC Shoah Foundation: 

The mission of the USC Shoah Foundation is to collect, preserve, and share survivor testimonies in order to increase knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust and to build a future for all that rejects antisemitism, hatred, dehumanization, and genocide. With offices in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, the USC Shoah Foundation provides innovative educational, research, and outreach opportunities and key learning resources for the world. The testimony archive is home to more than 61,000 testimonies of survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust, contemporary antisemitism, the Armenian Genocide, and other historical events of genocide. It is the largest such collection in the world. 

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SOURCE USC Shoah Foundation