Welcome David Jellinek!
David Jellinek describes himself as being born for supporting the mission of the milk bank as a board member. Here is what he told us about himself and his commitment to our work.
My mother, Barbara Jellinek, is an OB-GYN nurse practitioner with a specialty in maternal-child health, and my father, Michael, is a pediatrician and child psychiatrist. I am the first born in my family, and my siblings were born 10, 14 and 18 years after me. I grew up around my mom nursing my siblings (each one for more than a year) and learning about important childhood development milestones from my mom and dad while watching Sesame Street with my little siblings.
My parents are self-described lefty, 60’s, semi-radicals, who instilled values of service and caring for my community. In my professional life, I have tried to put into practice those tenets, whether working as a public defender or volunteering in various ways.
I learned about Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast when Dr. Youngblood was hired as the new Executive Director in January 2022. I worked with Dr. Youngblood on a variety of occasions when she was with the Commissioner of Health and Human Services for the City of Newton. When she left Newton, I was intrigued to know what pulled her away, so I looked up the milk bank and became fascinated by the mission.
I grew up in Newton, MA (hometown of the milk bank too) and attended BB&N high school. I graduated from BC Law in 2000, clerked for one year at the Arizona Court of Appeals, and then worked for five years as a state public defender. I spent two years at the Boston Police Department (BPD) legal advisor’s office, prosecuting internal affairs cases and assisting the taxi unit in regulatory and compliance issues. I left BPD to work for the Obama campaign, volunteering with the legal protection team in Columbus for a month prior to the election, and then returned home to Newton to open my own criminal defense office. I now take private clients in additional to working with indigent defendants in local courts. I am also of-counsel to Saponaro Law, PLLC, a divorce and family law-focused law firm in Wellesley. I currently live in Newton Center with my wife, Sarah Spitz. We have three daughters, ages 12, 10 and 10, and two (male!) yellow Labradors, ages 8 and 5 months. I am a very lucky dad.
Serving on the Board of a non-profit will be a new experience for me, so I will learn throughout this venture. I am hopeful that I will both learn specifics about how to assist the milk bank, as well as broadly what this kind of service entails. In the end, I hope it leads to personal growth, contribution to the community, and more opportunities for this kind of service. I bring enthusiasm for the mission, a legal background that can assist elements of nonprofit oversight, as well as having fundraising experience. I’m here to do whatever is asked of me to help the milk bank be as successful as possible in caring for fragile newborns.
Milk Bank Board of Directors Continues to Grow with More Expertise and Support
