The Future of Tzedek is Bright as Libby Kyles Lights the Way

Asheville native Libby Kyles is the new Executive Director of Tzedek, a social justice fund that supports vital social justice organizations.

While not religious, Tzedek’s work is grounded in Jewish social justice values that include justice (Tzedek), equitable giving (Tzedakah), repairing the world through social action (Tikkun Olam), and leadership (Hanhagah).

With over 20 years of education, nonprofit, and advocacy experience, Kyles’s dedication to community and passion for service embody Tzedek’s mission, vision, and values. Since first joining Tzedek in 2021 as the architect and director of community-led grant-making programs, Libby’s unwavering devotion to authentic relationship building has proven to be the heartbeat of the Tzedek organization.

“I am excited by Libby’s deep commitment to our communities; the relationships she has worked to nurture, and her visionary thinking,” said Tamiko Ambrose Murray, chair of Tzedek’s Board of Directors. “I feel confident in her abilities and that she will steward Tzedek’s vision forward.”

In her previous work at Tzedek, Libby collaborated with community grant making fellows to redistribute $250,000 in 2021 and 2022. She was also instrumental in designing and launching the Reparations Stakeholder Authority of Asheville (RSAA). The RSAA is a community-driven, fiscally sponsored project of Tzedek that aims to guide the distribution of reparations funds as part of the City of Asheville and Buncombe County’s historic reparations resolutions passed in 2020.

Libby’s service leadership journey is as inspiring as her vision for Tzedek. With a deep love for youth, Libby has spent two decades in North Carolina classrooms, obtained her National Board Certification, and completed her master’s degree in Educational Leadership from East Tennessee State University. And her passion did not stop there. In 2014, Libby co-founded Youth Transformed for Life (YTL) Training Programs and served as Executive Director until June 2019. Under her steadfast leadership, YTL developed various summer, after-school, and outreach programs to support the greater community in overcoming widespread disparities disproportionately harming people of color.

Libby is also part of the founding teams for CoThinkk, Black Asheville Demands, Asheville PEAK Academy, and she chairs the board of the Asheville-Buncombe County Land Trust. Additionally, as former CEO of the YWCA of Asheville and founder of Changing LENS Consulting, she expanded and strengthened her local impact as a racial and educational equity champion.

In 2021, Libby was awarded the inaugural Rosa Parks Award by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County in honor of her community service excellence.

Libby shared, “The work we do at Tzedek is near and dear to my heart. I’m excited to continue the legacy that Amy Mandel started, Marsha Davis shifted, and our amazing team will uplift as we highlight the amazing work done in our community.”

“I am elated for this next phase in Tzedek’s growth and firmly believe that Libby is the right leader for this moment,” added former Tzedek Executive Director Marsha Davis. “Her extensive community ties, history in Asheville, understanding of Tzedek’s internal culture, and vision for collective liberation will be a huge asset to Tzedek’s work. I can’t wait to see where Tzedek goes next under her leadership.”

Prioritizing impacted leadership and fostering wide-reaching community engagement are two core values and practices of Tzedek. Libby is living proof that those directly affected by systems of injustice are best positioned to lead change work and that deep community engagement is crucial for advancing systemic change and promoting community healing. We look forward to witnessing and sharing the transformative impact of her leadership on both our organization and the communities we serve.

For more information about Tzedek, please visit tzedeksocialjusticefund.org.