Mazel Tov!

sional experience and a strong marriage
between them, the Bassetts are confi-
dent that a company legacy will carry
on. The couple has already formulated
goals for the firm’s future leadership,
specifically to strengthen its reputa-
tion as the nation’s only multicultural
and multiracial professional human
communication behavioral firm that
includes Christian, Hindu, Jewish and
Muslim principals.
Multicultural representation is an
asset in today’s business world, Leland
explained, and part of the reason that
the firm is so successful is that it is
based in Michigan where many dif-
ferent cultures coexist. As the former
global capital of transportation, Detroit
offers the Bassetts further strategic
advantage to carry out business across
the world.
“As we move past the 30-year anni-
versary, it is time to plant the new
seeds,” Tina said. “Those seeds should
be global and multicultural, and growth
is a process. It is so wonderful to have
race differences; it makes life richer, it
becomes a richer tapestry.”
Working on a global scale presents
their team with the opportunity to
use communication as a tool to bring
about constructive change. Learning
new cultural norms and business prac-
tices among clients has also helped
carry the company forward.
Diversity of the Bassett & Bassett
team is what has made many of the
firm’s cases successful. The company
operates in high confidentiality, though
it was publicly recognized for trans-
forming Wayne Community College
from a small, financially troubled insti-
tution into a thriving educational hub
with more than 70,000 students today.
Because the college handles busi-
ness in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne
counties, Leland said that during the
project, his team was required — and
prepared — to reach out and con-
nect with various cultural businesses.
Bassett & Bassett counselors worked
with Hispanic, Arab, Muslim and other

communities, and the firm became the
first of its kind to initiate mainstream
television commercials in Spanish with
English subtitles.
“We made a community college suc-
cessful and known. It is now highly
regarded and respected across the
nation,” Leland said. “In another case,
with $1.8 billion at stake, we initiated
community outreach and used com-
munication to listen to their needs and
build bridges across Caucasian, African
American, Spanish and Arabic com-
munities.”
Tina describes her and Leland’s mar-
riage as diverse. Tina was of the Jewish
faith while Leland was a practicing
Baptist 43 years ago when they were
married by both a minister and rabbi at
Birmingham Temple. The Farmington
Hills couple has celebrated holidays of
both faiths with family over the years,
a dynamic that Tina said has allowed
them to better understand and love
each other.
“It was the beginning of broadening
cultural perspective within our family,”
Leland said. “We found that the core
values of Judaism and Christianity are
basically the same, to give back and be
good, responsible people for the next
generation. I have become culturally
Jewish. We feel it’s very important to
maintain that relationship and remem-
ber the thousands of years of cultural
history and advancement.”
The Bassets share two sons, Joshua
and Robert, who were both raised
in the Jewish faith. The couple does
not belong to a particular synagogue,
though Leland has learned to conduct
a seder, and the couple stays deeply
connected to the Jewish community by
working with Jewish clients and organi-
zations at Bassett & Bassett.
“I learned that there is tremendous
ethic in the Jewish culture and its
people who are trying to make things
better,” Tina said. “And that is what we
decided to do with our firm, on a global
level.”

Congratulations to
All our Graduates!

We are very proud
of you and your
accomplishments.

Una Dworkin
& Associated Tutors
248-661-8613

Mazel Tov!

CRAIG
TARNOPOL

We are so proud of you and
all of your accomplishments.
We love you and wish you
health, happiness and the
achievement of all
of your dreams!

Love,
Mom, Dad, Rebecca,
Drew and Liana

*

Congratulations!

Jeff Aisen

JCRC CONFAB

Jewish Community Relations Council
Executive Director David Kurzmann
and President Dr. Richard Krugel
flank New Detroit Inc. President and
CEO Shirley Stancato who addressed
JCRC’s 2016 Annual Meeting. She
spoke on “Detroit 2016: The Impact of
Collaboration.”
The meeting, held at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, included
an update on JCRC’s Interfaith Mitzvah
Makeover/School Fix-up Day with the
Michigan Muslim Community Council

ZACHARY RAIDER

I am so proud of you.
Good luck at Michigan State!

by Nolan School kindergarten teacher
Mariam Fahs, and a special recognition
of volunteer photographer Jeff Aisen.

*

With all my love,
Nanni Rhoda

May 26 • 2016

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