Former Mountain States Regional Board Chair Andrea Shpall talks about her passion for her family, international travel, and the educational mission of the Anti-Defamation League.
How did you become involved with ADL?
When I was a practicing attorney living in San Francisco, I met (ADL Regional Board Member and past Chair) Brad Levin. Even though we had both grown up in Denver, we had never met. Once we were both back in Colorado, he introduced me to ADL and I became involved at once. I’ve chaired every committee that exists, and am a member of the National Commission and a legacy member.
What have you enjoyed the most about that involvement?
I really enjoy the dialogues. I was involved in the Catholic-Jewish dialogue and one of most fun parts about that was debating the abortion issue with then Federal District Court Judge John Carrigan. I was also involved with the Hispanic-Jewish Dialogue, and the folks involved with that not only became good friends, but many went on to become leaders in various government and community organizations.
What do you do in your professional life?
I’m retired. I sold my travel agency in 2012, and still own a software company. Previously I was an attorney specializing in business and real estate law in both California and Colorado.
Where were you born? From where do your ancestors hail?
I was born and raised in Colorado. My great-grandparents came here from Eastern Europe. My great-grandfather was a fur trader.
What’s your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving. There’s no presents and no fuss – it’s all about enjoying being with the family.
What are you reading right now?
I just finished Passionate Minds, a biography of the French philosopher Voltaire and his lover Emilie due Chatelet. It was fascinating! I also just read A Tale for the Time Being, a novel about a teenage Japanese girl who wrote a diary that ultimately washes ashore in Canada. It was particularly interesting to me because I read it while on a recent trip to Japan.
What was most interesting about your trip to Japan?
The culture was so very different from ours and yet so sophisticated – as much or more so – than ours. We spent three weeks there, and just walked and walked. We explored both the cities and the countryside; we even rode bikes through a rice paddy! It’s a beautiful country; everybody gardens.
What’s one thing every person should know or experience?
Foreign travel, because it takes you out of your comfort zone and exposes you to how other people live.
What are you passionate about personally? What can’t you stop talking about?
I’m passionate about my family.
Where can we find you when you’re not working?
Since I’m retired, I do a lot of volunteering. In addition to my work with ADL, I volunteer as a member of the ACLU speakers’ bureau. I speak about voting rights. I also tutor for “We the People,” a civics education program. I love working with the teens.
What would be impossible for you to give up?
My family. Nothing else.
If you had to teach something, what would you teach?
I’d like to teach young women to believe in themselves.
Why do you choose to make a financial investment in ADL?
I invest in ADL and I’m also a legacy donor, so my investment will live on after me. I do so because ADL is different – the money I invest goes to research, programming, law enforcement training, and our educational programs like No Place For Hate®. The educational outreach we do is so meaningful and so life-changing for those who take part, and really, everything ADL does is educational.
How do you envision ADL’s Centennial Theme Imagine a World Without Hate?
I’m passionate about ADL’s No Place For Hate® Initiative. It’s unique because it reaches so many children at such a critical stage. If ADL did nothing else, it would have made a difference in the world just doing that. The kids who participate become empowered to treat each other with respect. We give them the tools to do it, and we make it cool. That’s how we’ll achieve a world without hate.