Joe and the late Pam Kanfer have been leaders in the Akron community for nearly four decades. Throughout that time, they have left their mark in numerous ways including their contributions to public health, Akron’s growth and development, dyslexia intervention and research, public education, and the Jewish community, creating a ripple effect that will last well into the future.
Joe currently serves on the GOJO Industries Board of Directors and as Venturer, having been GOJO Chairman and CEO from 1976 to 2018. Under his leadership, GOJO established itself as the world’s leading provider of institutional and commercial hand hygiene with a focus on hospitals, foodservice establishments, offices, and other public settings. Numerous innovations followed, including the 1988 invention of PURELL® Hand Sanitizer, which revolutionized the world of hand hygiene. PURELL® Hand Sanitizer was launched as a consumer product in 1997, soon becoming a household name.
Joe is active in national Jewish affairs and is the past Chair of The Jewish Federations of North America. He served on the Jewish Agency for Israel board and is the past Chair of The Jewish Education Service of North America, the Akron Jewish Federation, and The Lippman School. He is also a Founding Director of Lippman Kanfer Family Philanthropies. He was the founding Chair of Honeymoon Israel, a venture to bring young couples, many interfaith, to Israel and foster community when they return, and Vice Chair of Leading Edge, dedicated to building talent pipelines for leadership in Jewish organizations. Joe is also a venture investor in the United States and Israel, serving as Chairman of Startvest Partners, which develops biotech startups in Israel, and a founding Partner of Walnut Ridge Investments.
Joe was a member of the Executive Committee of the Greater Akron Chamber Board of Directors. He is the past Chair of Akron Tomorrow and past Vice Chair of The University of Akron Board of Trustees.
Joe received the 2011 H. Peter Burg Award from the Greater Akron Chamber and the 2015 Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award from the Akron Community Foundation. He holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.
For more than 40 years, Pam Kanfer held numerous lay and professional positions at The Lippman School, including School Director, general studies and Hebrew teacher, and Board President. Pam was the past Chair of the Akron Hebrew High School. As a Certified Dyslexia Therapist, she also maintained a private practice.
She was a former treasurer of the Northern Ohio Branch of the International Dyslexia Association and served on their Advisory Board. She served on the Ohio Legislative Executive Committee, comprised of members from the three International Dyslexia Ohio chapters, which were instrumental in the passing of two Ohio laws: HB-96 involves screening all incoming Kindergarteners to ensure that at-risk students receive proper instruction, and HB-157, which sets up training programs to educate teachers in the field about dyslexia and how to meet these students’ needs in the classroom. Pam was also instrumental in editing the Ohio Dyslexia Guidebook, which was adopted by the Ohio Board of Education in 2021. The Guidebook contains information regarding the best practices and methods for universal screening, intervention and remediation for children with dyslexia.
Pam was also a member of the Ohio Board of Regents Task Force, which worked with the Ohio Department of Education to introduce new standards for teaching reading. She successfully implemented American Sign Language as an official language credit at Revere High School. She was part of the instructional staff at Neuhaus, a nonprofit organization that trains teachers in structured literacy.
Pam received her B.S. in Elementary Education from Miami University, her M.S. in Elementary Administration from the University of Akron, and her Academic Language Therapy Certification from Southern Methodist University.
Pam, of blessed memory, and Joe have four children and fifteen grandchildren whom they hope will follow in their footsteps of community service.
Pam Kanfer obituary
