Leadership transition positions FASPE to scale ethical leadership training amid declining trust in professions
NEW YORK, NY – January 15, 2026 – The Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE), a leading ethical leadership program, has named Noah Bookbinder as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Bookbinder, who previously led Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), will start on February 2, 2026, following a Board-led search. Founder David Goldman will remain Chair of the Board and will work with Bookbinder to guide FASPE's long-term vision and strategy.
The appointment positions FASPE to meet growing demand for ethical leadership at a time when trust in professions has reached historic lows. Rapidly evolving technologies and challenges to fundamental structures of civil society are creating unprecedented ethical pressures. Traditional professional training often focuses on competence and rules rather than character development and virtue, creating a gap that FASPE is designed to address.
"FASPE must meet this moment," said Goldman. "There is no other pedagogy that combines the learnings of history with fundamental ethical themes to train professionals in virtue, not economic success; in character, not proficiency; in moral values, not expediency; in ethical responsibility, not status or power. Noah is the unique leader we were seeking. He has spent his career as a professional, a lawyer, identifying and challenging unethical behavior. At FASPE, he will now lead the long-term response by training professionals for truly ethical behavior and building ethical leaders with impact."
Bookbinder brings a rare combination of professional credibility, nonprofit leadership, and deep expertise in ethics and accountability. As President of CREW for more than a decade, he led the organization's growth into a nationally influential leader for ethical government and democracy. His career spans public service, legal scholarship and advocacy, and nonprofit leadership, with a consistent focus on strengthening ethical norms and accountability in democratic institutions.
"We are facing a crisis of societal ethics unrivaled in modern American history, and professionals stand at a crossroads, positioned either to exacerbate this crisis or to help fix it. FASPE’s approach is uniquely suited to cultivate the ethical leadership we need from professionals in these fraught times," said Bookbinder. "I’m thrilled to join an organization that shares my passion for integrity, accountability, and strengthening the ethical framework of our professions and institutions. This is exactly the work we need right now, and I'm honored to have the opportunity to help build on FASPE’s strong foundation."
FASPE's distinctive approach begins by examining the behavior and motivations of professionals in Nazi Germany as a framework for considering ethical responsibility today. The use of history is not for the purpose of drawing analogies but, instead, to acknowledge the power and influence of professionals and to stress the critical need for intentional and conscious ethical behavior.
FASPE’s flagship program annually grants 85 Fellowships to early-career professionals. FASPE conducts Ethical Leadership Training workshops inside of a host of global institutions. With nearly 1,000 Fellows, global partnerships, and expanding programs, FASPE has reached an inflection point with the opportunity to deepen its reach and scale its impact.
Under Bookbinder's leadership, FASPE will expand its Fellowship program, broaden training for practicing professionals, deepen engagement across professions and geographies, and strengthen its public voice on professional responsibility and moral courage.
About Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE)
FASPE is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote ethical leadership and responsibility among professionals beginning with recognition of the influence that professionals have on all aspects of society. Its distinctive methodology examines the behavior and motivations of the professionals who enabled and enacted Nazi policies to establish the importance and urgency of self-awareness, professionalism, and ethical leadership today.
Each year, FASPE awards Fellowships to approximately 85 early-career professionals in six fields: Business, the Clergy, Design & Technology, Journalism, Law, and Medicine. In addition, FASPE applies its unique approach in professional ethics to training workshops (Ethical Leadership Training) with global institutions across industries and sectors, and through writings, symposia, and lectures. Learn more at faspe-ethics.org
Media Contact
Haley Gorda, Communications Manager
hgorda@faspe-ethics.org