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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