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Making a difference

Ivan Silverman gave up his quiet evenings to help those in need. Others are following his lead.

By Bill Sheridan
MACPA Electronic Communications Manager

BETHESDA — Ivan Silverman used to like nothing more than a quiet evening at home.

How times have changed.

The 64-year-old partner and co-founder of Reznick, Fedder & Silverman now spends much of his free time on volunteer endeavors, particularly as chair of the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, a 558-bed Rockville nursing home thought to be largest of its kind on the East Coast. Silverman's two-year term as chair started in May.

Instead of relaxing at home, the D.C. native and longtime Rockville resident spends his off-hours attending meetings, reading reports, sending e-mails and taking phone calls about Hebrew Home business. And he loves every minute of it.

"I can honestly say that I feel great about our accomplishments, that the home is moving in the right direction," Silverman said. "It's a home of the highest standards and top-notch service for the residents. That's very rewarding to me."

A pleasant surprise

Silverman's affiliation with the home began in 1994, when then-President Don Garner asked him to come to a couple meetings and find out more about the organization.

"I said, 'Well, that's great, but I don't like being out at night,'" Silverman recalled. "We work long hours in the office, and besides, organizations are not really for me."

Eventually Garner convinced Silverman to attend a meeting, and a strange thing happened: Silverman actually liked it. He attended more meetings. Then he joined a committee. Before he knew it, he was a mainstay among the Hebrew Home's volunteers.

"The people were really nice," he said. "The environment, the structure, the whole thing — it was just totally different. I got interested and kept hanging in there. And as you hang in there and get some more experience, you start moving up the ladder, so to speak. So yeah, I was out at night, but it didn't bother me. I kind of enjoyed it."

Over the years, Silverman has served on the home's Board of Governors and Board of Directors, and as chair of its Trustees, Budget and Finance, and Leadership and Selection committees. (The latter was his brainchild. The Leadership and Selection Committee provides a formal volunteer selection and review process that ensures the home has a strong team of dedicated volunteers.)

His experience at the Hebrew Home gave him a taste for volunteerism, so when he was asked to help out at the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes (a not-for-profit group that enhances the independence and quality of life for adults with disabilities), he said yes. During his six years with the JFGH, Silverman served as treasurer and on a number of committees, earning the organization's Outstanding Volunteer Service Award for 2001. Eventually, time demands at the Hebrew Home forced Silverman to decrease the amount of work he did for the JFGH, though he still helps out there when he can.

Setting an example

That spirit of volunteerism isn't unique at Reznick, Fedder & Silverman. At least 67 of the firm's CPAs are members of the MACPA, making the firm a strong supporter of the profession in Maryland. Its high-profile volunteers include Managing Principle Bill Riley, who is a member of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors.

And since Silverman was installed as chair at the Hebrew Home's Annual Meeting in May, a couple of staff members have asked him how they can become involved in the home.

"This firm is very community-oriented," he said. "We support a lot of organizations, and when someone on our staff gets involved with a particular organization, I think others see the benefits and want to get involved, too."

That's a good thing. It means there will be volunteers on hand when Silverman decides to return to his quiet evenings at home. In the meantime, there's more good work to do.

"I tell people, 'If you live long enough, someday you might be in the home,'" he said. "I've had two aunts and a mother-in-law in the home myself. You get emotionally tied to it after a while. It just feels good to know you're doing something good for the community, that you're helping those in greatest need."