A Chicago native, Michael Kotzin is currently Senior Counselor to the President of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. He joined the staff of the Federation in 1988, and from 1999 until 2011 served as Executive Vice President. Before coming to the Federation he directed the Anti-Defamation League's Chicago office. He previously taught English Literature at Tel Aviv University for eleven years. The author of a book on the novels of Charles Dickens, he has published widely on literary topics and on issues high on the Jewish communal agenda.