Changes At The Top
Robert Aronson's new part-time position with
philanthropist William Davidson shuffles Federation leadership.
HARRY KIRSBAUM
StairWriter
Jr
ewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit's Chief
Executive Officer Robert
Aronson is taking another job.
He's not leaving his position with
Federation, but, in a growing trend
amona b federation executives national-
ly, will make time to lend his talents
to other endeavors.
Aronson, who came to the
Federation in Detroit in 1989, will
remain the CEO. He will concentrate
on the strategic vision for Detroit Jewry
and continue to do what he has always
done best — major fund-raising.
In addition, for one or two days
each week, he will serve as senior
adviser for charitable causes to philan-
thropist William Davidson, chairman
of Guardian Industries in Auburn
Hills. Davidson will reimburse the
Federation for part of Aronson's salary.
Mark Davidoff, Federation's chief
operating officer, will add the title of
executive director of the Federation
and its real estate/banking arm, the
United Jewish Foundation, and run
the Federation's day-to-day operations.
5 /11
2001
20
With this change, Aronson said, "I
hope to be freed up to become more
involved in overall financial resource
development for the community."
Stephen Solender, president and
CEO of United Jewish Communities,
the New York-based umbrella for
North America's Jewish federations,
said Aronson's move is part of a
national trend.
"There are an increasing number of
federation executives who are spending
important amounts of time helping to
provide consultation to major family
foundations in their community," he
said. "There's a lot to it because the
executives are in a particularly good
position ro help the philanthropists
have maximum impact with their phil-
anthropic dollars."
Solender said recent history suggests
it is possible to balance the workload.
The national trend has evolved from
federation executives retiring or resign-
ing before moving on to a foundation,
Aronson said.
The Job Ahead
Aronson's additional title is adviser to
the chairman of Guardian Industries.
His role is strictly tailored to help him
monitor active charitable projects, and
help Davidson plan for future giving,
both Jewish and non-Jewish.
Davidson does not have a family-
run foundation, but one of his corpo-
rate interests, Palace Sports &
Entertainment in Auburn Hills, oper-
ates the Pistons-Palace Foundation,
which provides sports and recreation
for youth primarily in Detroit.
In recent years, Davidson has donat-
ed about $85 million to projects like
the Weizmann Institute of Science in
Rehovot, Israel, the Technion-Israel
Institute of Technology in Haifa, the
University of Michigan Business
School in Ann Arbor, the Jewish
Theological Seminary of America in
New York and the Detroit Symphony
Orchestra Hall.
This level of giving is different,
Aronson said. "It's not like you give a
million bucks to name a building and
drive by every week to make sure the
„
letters didn't fall off
Aronson, who was executive vice
president of the Milwaukee Jewish
Federation before coming to Detroit,
looks at his expanding role as a contin-
uation of the way he is headed, he said.
Fifty to 60 percent of his time the
past few years has been spent raising
million-dollar donations for the Jewish
Federation/United Jewish Foundation's
$50-million Millennium Campaign
for Detroit's Jewish Future to bolster
Jewish continuity and identity.
The relationship between Davidson
and Aronson emerged over a long
period, and the decision to work
together was mutual, said Ralph
Gerson, executive vice president of
Guardian Industries.
"Bill has a very high respect for Bob's
strategic vision and his skills, his sense
of where you can make a difference in
the Jewish world and elsewhere."
Change In Structure
Mark Davidoff has been Federation's
chief operating officer since 1992, and
involved in the day-to-day operations
over the last few years.
Most Federation departments will
report directly to Davidoff The Israel
and Overseas Department will report
to Aronson, as will Davidoff.
"Mark has grown tremendously in
this position, he's highly competent,
and he's grown the respect of all the