Jonathan Greenleaf

I clearly remember jumping for joy as I exited AB Davis for the last time that June day in 1957.  Who knew that growing up in the 50's in a place like Mt. Vernon would become an icon for the "good times"…an American classic? Then, all I wanted to do was escape my parents and move on with my life.

Never-the-less I've been blessed….with Barbara, my incredibly accomplished and loving wife of 41 years, two great daughters, two equally wonderful grandchildren living close by (not to be underestimated), a couple of satisfying and rewarding careers and now living in the closest palce to paradise on this earth…Santa Barbara, CA.

Along the way I served in the Army Reserves as a tanker and had two careers, first in advertising and then in real estate.  I picked up three degrees, a BA in English from Cornell, an MBA from UC Berkeley, and recently a Masters of Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine School of Law. 

We moved to Los Angeles in 1984 from Mamaroneck to escape the weather, and the feeling that I had essentially been in the same place since kindergarten at Wilson School. It was a wonderful move and we have been sublimely happy in California.

I retired about eight years ago to devote myself to golf and no-profit groups.  I'm a terrible golfer (19 handicap for those players of the game) and will never get better. I've been on five non-profit boards, and just finished my terms on the last two. Figuring out how to raise money can wear thin after all those years.  Yet they're important organizations and need to be supported. It’s just time for someone else to do it.  Now Barbara and I publish a magazine…Jewish Film World (www.jewishfilmworld.com), and run the Santa Barbara Jewish Film Festival. They’re both full-time jobs, and very fulfilling.

I'm a major Mets, football Giants and Lakers fan, can still tell you the starting team for the 1955 Dodgers, and am an inveterate watcher of news commentary and sports on TV. 

My wife says that after our 60^th anniversary, I can do whatever I want. Isn't she wonderful?