Special Report
ON HE COVER
Focus On The Future
Visionary thinker Robert Aronson will alter
his Federation role to target fundraising.
Keri Guten Cohen
Story Development Editor
A
s he begins his 20th year as CEO of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, Robert P.
Aronson is looking for change — for himself
and for the community he loves.
He has decided to step away from day-to-day adminis-
trative work and devote himself to full-time fundraising.
But rest assured, he's not leaving Detroit anytime soon.
Aronson will remain CEO and transition to his new role
within the next 12 months when a new leader is hired.
Past Federation President Penny Blumenstein will head
the conunittee conducting a national search. Ads about the
job will start appearing after the beginning of 2009.
When the position is filled, Aronson will act as a con-
sultant to the incoming CEO while he begins his new
job as senior fundraising adviser for Federation and its
investment/land management arm, the United Jewish
Foundation.
He will continue the part-time arrangement he has had
for several years that allows him time to do private phil-
anthropic consulting. He'll spend several workdays a week
in Detroit and also travel to New York, where he plans to
further develop national and international projects with
Jewish philanthropists such as Michael Steinhardt.
Aronson, considered one of the nation's top Jewish
fundraisers, also is president of the Steinhardt Foundation
for Jewish Life and is philanthropic adviser to the local
William Davidson and Eugene Applebaum families. He
says he has had many job offers over the years, and those
close to him say he has been contemplating this kind of
transition for a while.
So, why now?
"There comes a time when you sit back and say, 'Where
am I going in my life and how do I feel I can best continue
to expand my career:" Aronson said. "I have been a sitting
exec of Federations for nearly 26 years [six in Milwaukee;
almost 20 in Detroit]. I have dealt with all the issues execs
deal with. I'd like to enter a new phase to focus with more
clarity on those things I think I'm best at — developing
and continuing relationships with families and founda-
tions that can best benefit the whole Jewish community."
Aronson, who turned 57 on Yom Kippur, will focus his
Detroit work on securing long-term endowments and
restricted fundraising "to put the building blocks into
place" for the future — and to bolster his two visionary
community pillars: the elderly and Jewish education.
"The community always has wanted me to focus on
fundraising," he said. "They expect of me, more than any-
thing else, to bring in the funds Federation requires. And
frankly, in recent years, I haven't done justice to the day-
to-day operations. I'm not abandoning my commitment to
the community I love and have given my life for; I'm refo-
cusing to where the community feels I'm most important.
Future on page A18
October 23 2008
A17