NEW YORK (JTA) — The president of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland has been tapped to succeed Stephen Solender as the top professional at the United Jewish Communities.

Solender will retire in 2003, but Cleveland's Stephen Hoffman may join the national group in another capacity before that, said Joel Tauber, chair of the executive committee of the UJC, the umbrella organization for North American federations.

In other developments, James Tisch, the UJA-Federation of Greater New York's president, is expected to accept an offer to become chairman of the UJC board. Robert Goldberg, the immediate past board chair of Cleveland's federation, will be invited to replace Tauber. Both Tauber and Charles Bronfman, current chairman of the UJC board, will step down from their volunteer posts in October.