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8 | NOVEMBER 28 • 2019 

1942 - 2019

Covering and Connecting 
Jewish Detroit Every Week
jn

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How to reach us see page 10

guest column
Gratitude for Scott Kaufman
L

eadership transitions are 
happening at an increas-
ing rate throughout our 
region. With the sheer num-
ber of senior leaders in the 
for-impact sector 
on the verge of 
retiring or rewir-
ing their careers, 
the longer we 
can hold on to 
vibrant, engaged, 
lifelong-learning, 
humble and optimistic execu-
tive directors the more likely 
we’
ll be able to experience 
durable positive social and 
environmental impact.
At the same time, long-serv-
ing leaders like me often ask 
themselves the question of 
when they should leave and 
make room for another. On 
the plus side, transitions give 
us a chance for new leaders 
to make progress and excite 
us by putting their lived expe-
rience and academic skills to 
the task. 
Two leaders I know in our 
region have demonstrated an 
even better example of how 
leaders can both make room 

and stay engaged.
Scott Kaufman’
s deci-
sion to step down as CEO 
of the Jewish Federation 
of Metropolitan Detroit 
engrained in me a lesson I 
learned a few years back from 
another leader I admire: Riet 
Schumack. 
After more than a decade 
of working and living in 
Brightmoor, having been crit-
ical in the founding of orga-
nizations like the Brightmoor 
Alliance and others, Riet made 
the decision to step aside as 
the executive director of the 
beloved organization she 
founded, Neighbors Building 
Brightmoor. 
With that simple act, she 
taught me and the hundreds 
of teens and adults who know 
her how an unquestionably 
loved, effective and admired 
leader can step into the ranks 
of avid followers as opposed to 
stepping down or away from 
leadership. 
To this very day you can 
find Riet toiling away in her 
farm and with her neighbors 
making durable, incremental, 

positive gains alongside other 
impactful leaders like Ora 
Williams of Grandmothers 
Mothering Again, Rev. Larry 
Simmons of the Brightmoor 
Alliance, along with John and 
Alicia George of the Motor 
City Blight Busters who have 
dedicated more than three 
decades to Brightmoor and 
Old Redford.
Scott’
s announcement came 
as a surprise to me and, to be 
fully transparent, made me a 
bit sad. His energy and excite-
ment for the Jewish communi-
ty, how it supports and enliv-
ens our region and city, his 
understanding of the historical 
role our Jewish neighbors have 
played in civil rights alongside 
our African American and 
Latinx fellow citizens, his pas-
sion for the continuing role the 
community has in what must 
be an equitable resurgence, and 
his sense of humor and humil-
ity made the work fun. I knew 
I would miss it if he stepped 
down.
 But that’
s just it, he hasn’
t 
stepped down. Like Riet, he 
has moved into the ranks of 

what all leaders need — fol-
lowers, doers, supporters, pos-
itive critics, enthusiastic skep-
tics and hand-raisers for the 
tough jobs. Scott’
s plans have 
nothing to do with stepping 
down. He’
s rededicating him-
self to his personal mission 
for our region, to core Jewish 
principles of tzedakah (justice) 
and tikkun olam (repairing the 
world) and now he can do it 
in the entrepreneurial spirit 
only he can muster. 
Moving forward, I will try 
to follow their example, ask 
others to do the same, and 
celebrate leaders like Scott 
and Riet who found a way to 
both reenergize their passion 
for why they feel they were 
placed on this Earth — to 
help people and to show their 
love through work — and to 
make room for other leaders 
who need to stretch their 
changemaking legs against the 
tenacious challenges we face 
together. 

Douglas Bitonti Stewart is the execu-

tive director 
 the Max M. and Marjorie 

Fisher Foundation.

Douglas Bitonti 
Stewart

