Interview with Mr. Reagan Weil
Interview with Mr. Reagan Weil
Behind the Scenes at the Jewish National Fund with Executive Director of the Southwest Region, Mr. Reagan Weil.
“The world is your pita! As long as you take the time to dig deep into the culture around it. Every day I love the Galilee Culinary Institute more and more. I love how open and how ready to evolve the team is.”
Mr. Reagan Weil grew up in Texas and was raised in Corpus Christi. Before JNF, he served as assistant executive director of Austin’s JCC and directed the city’s JCC Maccabi Games. He shares his inspirationals insights and experience with JNF.
What can you share about where the JNF is heading?
Since 2017 I’ve been privileged to spend considerable time in the Upper Galilee and work with the region's leadership to leverage opportunities for population growth.
JNF’s Go North East Task Force has accomplished incredible progress in the last five years, but the lever will get pushed over the next five years when major initiatives begin serving the residents. So it’s a very exciting time to be in Upper Galilee.
How did you get involved with The JNF?
I joined Jewish National Fund-USA in the spring of 2016 as Executive Director of the Southwest Region. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of advocating for Israel and generating support for the country throughout Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
Where and when did you have a life-changing culinary experience?
During my senior year of college I had the occasion to spend a month in East Asia. It was a fine dining experience in Beijing that included an appetizer of fried scorpions, and a true Peking Duck, complete with head and heart. It was then I realized the variety of cuisine that exists around the globe. So when we chowed on grasshoppers and crickets at Tel Hai College in Kiryat Shmona, I wasn’t phased at all!
The JNF national conference in Boston was earlier this month, what excited you most?
It was reuniting with JNF’s family of supporters in person. It has been too long since we were together, and I owe (and am owed) a lot of hugs to people who have become family through our mutual work for Israel.
There are so many incredible initiatives being fundraised by JNF, What makes the GCI unique?
GCI checks all the boxes…employment opportunities, quality of life, tourism, public relations, all of it. The magnitude and multi-faceted impact of the GCI will literally change the narrative of the upper Galilee region.
What's a fun culinary fact about you?
I consider myself a salsa connoisseur. I’m building a salsa garden for my own ingredients (which will remain secret for now)!