Mark Lainer works in real estate development and investments and is a director of the National Bank of California and a member of the State Bar of California. He joined The Foundation's Board of Trustees in 1986 and served as its chair from 2001 to 2005. Mr. Lainer recently joined the board of directors of California State University, Northridge Foundation. His additional current community positions include serving as chair of the Jewish Studies Program Advisory Board of California State University, Northridge. Chair of the Jewish Federations of North America Endowment Committee and member of its Board of Trustees; on the Board of Directors of American Jewish University, and Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life; founder and member of the Board of the Los Angeles Jewish Journal; founder and member of New Community Jewish High School; member of the Boards of Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School in Northridge, CA (where he was also founding president), and Heschel Day School West; and member of the Budget Committee and the Distribution Committee of the Los Angeles Jewish Federation. Mr. Lainer was a past chair of Jewish Education Service of North America (JESNA); the first chair of the board of the Ziegler Rabbinical School at American Jewish University; past chair of the Los Angeles Jewish Federation's Planning & Allocations and Project Renewal Committees; past officer and board member of the Los Angeles Jewish Federation; and past chair of Builders of Jewish Education of Los Angeles.

He was an officer of Temple Valley Beth Shalom in Encino; an officer of the Council of Jewish Federations; and on the Board of Trustees of United Jewish Communities. Mr. Lainer also served as a director of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, representing the City of Los Angeles, and was a director of the United Way, North Los Angeles Region. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Mark spent the first years of his life in Mexico City and moved to Los Angeles at age 12. Mr. Lainer received a degree in accounting from UCLA and his law degree from Harvard Law School.

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