The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee named Alan Gill, its longtime executive director of international relations and a resident of Israel, as the organization’s new CEO.

Gill will take over Jan. 31 from interim CEO Darrell Friedman, who stepped in after the abrupt resignation of Steven Schwager in June.

The JDC, which has an approximate annual budget of $350 million, is one of the two main overseas aid partners of the Jewish Federations of North America; the other is the Jewish Agency for Israel. Gill will be moving to New York, where the JDC has its headquarters.

The choice to hire an insider followed an extensive global search conducted by the executive search firm DRG, according to the JDC, which said Gill was the unanimous choice of a selection committee composed of JDC board members.

Gill’s focus has been fundraising to help build the organization’s donor base, as its annual allocation from Jewish federations has shrunk. The JDC said Gill also has played a leadership role in launching many of JDC’s landmark programs.

Gill was the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Columbus, Ohio, before he moved to Israel in 1993 and began working for the JDC. He attended Ohio University and has a master’s degree in social work from Ohio State. — jta