The Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance has named Hylton Jonas its new Chairman of the Board for 2012-2013.

Jonas is a retired business executive from Dallas who has served as a board member for the Museum since 2005.

"I am honored to be named Chairman and excited to work with Museum President and CEO Alice Murray and her team of professionals to continue to grow the DHM/CET's footprint in north Texas and the surrounding region in a way that pushes us to become a more tolerant community," said Jonas, according to a news release.

Jonas, who is originally from South Africa, moved to Dallas in 1982 and worked as a CEO of a food service equipment company, which was sold in 2007 to a larger public company. Now he is pursuing other interests, including nonprofit and philanthropic opportunities.

Jonas has a "deep passion" for victims of the Holocaust and their families. Relatives of his wife perished at the Auschwitz concentration camp, so the Jonas' erected a memorial on the Island of Rhodes in Greece to honor victims of the Holocaust.

In addition to being the new Chairman of the Board for the museum, Jonas is a trustee for the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation and serves on the board for the Congregation Shearith Israel.