This Week

LIVING LEGACY from page 6

: . •

Inset: David Page receives the
Frank A. Wetsman Young
Leadership Award ftom
Federation president, Allen E.
Schwartz, in 1971.

Left: David Page with Prime
Minister Yitzhak Rabin during
the Michigan Miracle Mission
to Israel in 1995.

ner and associate for 27 years.
After working with Page the first
time, Alter said he had the routine
he learned from David down pat —
make sure you've examined all of the
issues from all of the angles because
you can't be surprised by anything."
Schwartz, a long-time law partner
and associate, called Page an analyti-
cal thinker.
"I'd be very certain that anyone
who has worked with him in any
capacity would know that if he
takes something on, he would only
do it completely and thoroughly,"
he said. "He doesn't just make an
assignment and say good luck. He's
hands-on all the way from begin-
ning to end."
During his law career, Page has
represented such well-known busi-
nesses as Allied Supermarkets and
Highland Appliance. In 1968, he
helped Allied Supermarkets issue a
then-brand new type of industrial
revenue bond for $33 million,
enabling the company to build a 1.5-
million-square-foot warehouse and
manufacturing complex in Livonia
that still exists.

The Family Man

Andrea, Page's wife of 34 years,
says the business and civic duties her
husband performs don't get in the
way of his family.
"The amazing thing is that he
works incredible hours, not just in
law but in the community," she said,
but there's never been a time when
he hasn't been accessible to the kids

9/24
1999

when they needed him. He has an
incredible relationship with them."
The Pages have three grown chil-
dren, Mark, Jason, and Sarah, and
one grandson, 4-month-old Noah.
Jason Page, 28, said he can't keep
track of all the jobs his father holds
down. "I've seen him in a work envi-
ronment as well and he's very serious
and dedicated. But he enjoys the time
he spends with his family," said Jason,
who is in the computer software busi-
ness in Chicago.
"He's not only a great sounding
board for ideas for all of his kids, but
all of my close-knit friends as well. I
think every single one of them, at one
point or another in their lives, have
seen him independent of me, and
sounded ideas off of him.
"He's always been extremely sup-
portive. He asks questions and is
interested in what's going on with us,
but never was critical," Jason said.
David Page sees it differently
"I'm a creampuff around my chil-
dren," he admitted, laughing. "I
think I can be supportive, but it's not
up to me to tell them how to run _
their lives. I would have loved it if
one of my kids wanted to be a lawyer,
but I didn't want to push them."

Restructuring
Federation

In 1992, Federation, known as a
fund-raising juggernaut, developed a
strategic plan to streamline operations.
Easier said than done.
"It had grown as an organization
and had been very successful in many

things, but some of the disciplines that
are in the for-profit world are increas-
ingly coming into the not-for-profit
world," Page said.
"Federation was not going about its
business in the way that the current
world requires, and the people in the
community have a right to expect. We
did a number of things to address it."
What followed was the development
of a joint fiscal operations committee to
oversee all of the financial aspects of
Federation activities.
His pet peeves, Page said, were over-
lap and the lack of good record keeping
in the Jewish community. Information
was spread out, records were hard to
find and too many meetings covered
the same territory, he said, using the
))
term, "lack of transparency
"You had different people who knew
different things, but the information
wasn't pulled together in the same
place," Page said. "If you had to look
for records from an arrangement four
or five years before, maybe the records
were there, maybe they weren't."
An inventory of all the records was
put into order, Page said. The commit-
tee's function now is to oversee the
audit of financial statements, the files
for every asset and the contractual
arrangements with donors and agencies
— with regular updates, he said.
Also, according to the strategic plan,
responsibility for financial management
would rest jointly with Federation and
the Foundation. Federation would raise
the money and run the agencies, while
the Foundation would actras the finan-
cial arm — both under a single set of
policies to streamline the system.

Getting
Together
Communally

Two major communal agencies
of the Detroit Jewish commu-
nity will host a combined
annual meeting at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 28, in Yeshivat
Akiva's new school building,
21100 WI 12 Mile Road,
Southfield.
The Jewish Federation of
Ivietropolitan Detroit is the
central communal organization
of the Jewish community. In
partnership with its agencies,
Federation takes the lead in
entifying needs within the
ewish community and in
il4ing human resources,
g in communal plan-
and allocation, and advo-
to meet those needs.
United Jewish
ion, Federation's bank-
estate arm, owns, man-
nd invests Jewish corn-
ssets, including general
owment funds, agency
Yments, supporting foun-
icins and real property.
During the evening, David
e will receive the 1999 Fred
Butzel Memorial Award for
stinguished Community
ervice. The program includes
the election and installation of
new officers and board , mem-
bers.
Guest speaker at the meeting
will be Dr. Ron Wolfson,
author of The Art of Jewish
Living, a series of books on the
celebration of Jewish holidays
in the home. Wolfson is direc-
tor of the Whizin Institute for
Jewish Family Life and a co-
leader of "Synagogue 2000: A
Transdenorninational Project
r the Synagogue of the 21st
saiy," a program seeking
:.to make synagogues more
i ble to families.
ere is no cost to attend this
fever joint annual meeting; a
ssert reception will follow. For
4formation, call Federation,
8) 642-4260,