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Davidson Foundation
Names New CEO

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Cell Phone Attachment

H

appy New Year! 2018? Really?!
I can’t wrap my brain around
the fact that on Feb. 24 it
will be a half-century since little Alan
Muskovitz became a bar mitzvah at
Adat Shalom Synagogue on Curtis
Avenue in Detroit. And can you
believe on Oct. 10 it
will be half-century
since our ’68 Tigers
won the World
Series?! And just
think, only 39 years
from now, we’ll be
able to look back
and say it’s been 100
Alan Muskovitz
years since our Lions
won a championship.
But it’s a new year;
a time to look for-
ward not backward.
A time to resolve to make this new
year our best year yet. For a change,
losing weight doesn’t have to be one
of my resolutions. I’ve finally gotten
below 200 lbs. It’s been years, but my
feet once again get wet while standing
in the shower.
Since I left morning radio nearly
eight years ago — and the barrage of
free food from sponsors — I’ve lost
50 pounds. Diet and exercise. Who
knew? Now I no longer have to suf-
fer the humiliation of being forced to

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stop at state of Michigan expressway
weigh stations. However, I did not
ring in this new year without resolv-
ing to make some other positive
changes in my life.
First and foremost, I resolve to not
be pathologically attached to my cell
phone. It’s not going to be easy. If
you’re like me, and I pray you’re not
on so many levels, I find it virtually
impossible to move from one room of
my house to another without my cell
phone in hand. God forbid I should
miss a call while in the bathroom.
Even worse, God forbid you’re the one
on the other end of the line when I
answer from my bathroom.
I fully admit I’m obsessed with
accepting every phone call that comes
in. Not recognizing a phone number
only makes my obsession worse.
Invariably, those unidentified calls
end up being someone telling me that
“nothing is wrong with my current
credit card” or I’ve “just won a free
cruise.” And when I do miss a call, I’ll
either call it back or look the number
up on the internet. I … must … know
… who … called me!
Then there’s that panic when I can’t
find my cell phone. I search for it as if
my life were on the line. It’s pathetic.
And we’ve all done this — we call our
“lost” cell phone from our landline in

an effort to retrieve it.
Is there any better feeling than
when you hear that distant muffled
ring coming from between two cush-
ions on your family room couch? But
how many of you will admit to doing
the following: During one search, I
called my missing cell phone from
our landline, found it and proceeded
to answer it! I actually said “hello” to
myself ! It gets worse.
Another time I was on my cell
phone with my sister when I had to
admit to her the reason I was sound-
ing distracted was because I was look-
ing for … my cell phone! Which is not
as bad as the time my cell phone rang
and I put our television remote up to
my ear to answer it.
You know, on second thought, I
don’t need to make any resolutions. I
just need to finally put myself on the
brain donor list. A new year — a new
brain! Even if it doesn’t resolve my
problems, the procedure will at least
help me reach my new health care
plan’s gazillion dollar deductible. •

Alan Muskovitz is a writer, voice-over/acting
talent, speaker, emcee and guest host on the
Mitch Album Show on WJR AM 760. Visit his
website at laughwithbigal.com and “Like” Al on
Facebook.

Spotlight

As I Recall …

hen one journey ends,
another begins.
It is with these
words in mind that I look
back on 29 years with the
Jewish News and realize that
I have almost equaled my
first career choice, teach-
ing. I retired on a Friday and
was hired to begin at the JN
as a proofreader the next
Sy Manello
Monday.
I remember reading many
ads and trying to keep
advised on the sometimes
“peculiar” requests of the
clients. (One made up her own capi-
talization; one insisted on her own
sentence structure, no matter how
incomplete.)
In addition to reading proof pages, I

helped Mr. Slomovitz set up his edito-
rial opinion pages, choosing art and
suggesting a layout. This quiet,
knowledgeable man had a
great influence on my outlook
of newspaper work.
One assignment that I really
enjoyed was creating a short
column called Looking Back.
(These days, that has devel-
oped into Mike Smith’s wonder-
fully observant column draw-
ing from our archives as well
as a historic photo.) When my
sources, our bound volumes,
were affected by the fire in
February of 2002, I was devastated.
Many of my more joyous moments
have come from editing and publish-
ing the milestone announcements. It
is heartening to get calls from people

who say that they submitted a birth
announcement to me and now that
young person is becoming a bar/bat
mitzvah. Or when parents announce
engagements and then, a few years
later, those newlyweds are sending
me announcements of their major
anniversaries.
I have written columns along the
way. I did one on a chocolate tasting
class at OU as well as travel articles on
my visits to Montreal and Australia.
(No, the paper did not send me there;
but they allowed me to share my vaca-
tions with the community.) Hopefully,
many readers are now familiar with my
monthly observations of our language:
its use and abuse.
I am truly proud to remain a part of
the JN family as we mark our 75th year
of serving the Jewish community. •

The William Davidson Foundation’s
Board of Directors announced Darin
McKeever has been named president and
chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1.
McKeever, the
Foundation’s chief pro-
gram and strategy offi-
cer, succeeds Jonathan
S. Aaron, chairman of
the Board of Directors,
who has served as
president since the phil-
anthropic organization’s
Darin McKeever
founder, William “Bill”
Davidson, died in 2009.
“I am forever grateful for Mr.
Davidson’s confidence in my leadership
and the trust he placed in me to lead the
Foundation in its infancy,” says Aaron.
“Over the years, we have grown into an
outcomes-driven, results-oriented orga-
nization with a full professional staff. As
Darin steps into his new role as presi-
dent, I look forward to working with him,
the staff and my fellow board members
as we continue to honor our founder and
his philanthropic vision.”
In his role as chief program and strate-
gy officer, McKeever led the Foundation’s
board and staff through a strategic
planning process that established the
organization’s philanthropic goals and
methods for achieving them. He has cre-
ated and filled new staff positions for the
program, grants management and com-
munications functions, and has carefully
stewarded efforts to raise the organiza-
tion’s visibility and deepen its partner-
ships with grantees, philanthropists and
other foundations.
A native of Connecticut, he has invest-
ed deeply in understanding the chal-
lenges and opportunities in Southeast
Michigan, in Israel and in the Jewish
community.
“It is an honor and a privilege to serve
as the president and CEO of the William
Davidson Foundation,” McKeever says.
“Mr. Davidson was a lifelong philanthro-
pist who cared deeply about the welfare
of future generations, particularly resi-
dents of Southeast Michigan and Israel
and members of the Jewish diaspora.
I am grateful for the trust the Board
has placed in me and proud to lead the
Foundation in their name.”
McKeever’s appointment was made at
the Foundation’s last board meeting when
a new slate of officers was elected.
Danielle Olekszyk, the Foundation’s
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will add vice
president to her title. Olekszyk has served
as CFO since 2014 and was the organiza-
tion’s first hire. Board members Ralph
Gerson and Mary Aaron will serve as trea-
surer and secretary, respectively. •

jn

January 4 • 2018

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