14 | MARCH 12 • 2020
A
fter 35 years, Howard Handler
has returned to Detroit. His
family has made an impact
here for generations. Now it’
s his turn
to make his mark as the first official
president of 313 Presents, which man-
ages entertainment operations for a
range of Detroit-area venues, including
Little Caesars Arena, the Fox Theatre
and DTE Energy Music Theatre.
Raised in suburban Detroit, Handler
is no newcomer to many of these ven-
ues. His family lived on Pontchartrain
Drive in Southfield, not far from
Southfield-Lathrup High School (he
was Class of 1979) and Congregation
Shaarey Zedek, where he became a bar
mitzvah. He earned undergraduate
and M.B.A. degrees at the University
of Michigan, but before that, he was a
regular at Detroit-area music venues.
“My mom (Marlene) took me and
my best friend, Neil Spector, to see
The Wiz when it opened in Detroit,
”
he said. “I have memories of shows at
Cobo and Olympia and Pine Knob.
And those experiences led to a lifelong
love of music, theater, and live enter-
tainment.
”
His oldest sister, Missy, introduced
him and their sister Meg to the
Beatles, Elvis and Aretha Franklin,
and she helped him get an early job as
a security Ranger at Pine Knob (now
DTE Energy Music Theatre).
“That was a big deal,
” Handler said.
In tandem with his love of entertain-
ment, Handler’
s attachment to Detroit
also is tied deeply to family history.
His great-grandfather Charles
Handler moved to Detroit shortly after
World War I. He and his wife, Millie,
both originally from from Bialystok,
Poland, moved here from Newark
when Charlie saw an opportunity to
sell coal in Michigan.
Within a generation, their son Max,
Howard Handler’
s grandfather, would
become a noted businessman and
philanthropist.
In an April 17, 1947, photo found in
the Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish
Detroit History, Max is shown at an
emergency campaign event to help the
1.5 million liberated Jews in the days
after World War II. The meeting was
held at the Leland Hotel, which is now
undergoing a $120 million renovation.
The hotel is steps away from where
Max’
s grandson Howard Handler now
works and lives.
Handler says his father — “a man
of honor and integrity” — is a major
influence in his life. Wallace Handler is
a Detroit litigator known by colleagues
as the “dean of the bankruptcy bar.
”
Howard’
s great-uncle Lou Handler,
a pioneer in the sports business, was
a one-time boxer who refereed and
promoted professional championship
fights, including Joe Louis’
first Golden
Gloves title. Lou also founded and
operated Camp Tamakwa in Ontario,
Canada.
Michael Budman, current Tamakwa
owner, goes back decades with the
Handler family.
“It’
s always great when Howard
Handler finds his way to Camp
Tamakwa on South Tea Lake, which
was founded by his family in 1936,
”
Budman told the JN. “Moving back
to Detroit will be a great step forward
because Howard is extremely talented
and savvy. I’
m sure he’
s going to create
a great experience in the world-class
venues in my hometown of Detroit.
”
Throughout his life, Handler says
he also has been inspired by the late
David Hermelin, the Detroit-area real
estate developer who became the U.S.
Ambassador to Norway.
“David was a true giant in business
and philanthropy and community
leadership; but, most of all, he was a
family man and a friend and a con-
fidant to a huge number of people,
”
Handler said. “David was just a true
Renaissance guy and inspired me, for
sure. I grew up at his house and have a
close relationship with the family.
”
A succession of marketing jobs,
many dealing with entertainment, led
Handler to 313 Presents. He became
Spotlight
Howard Handler returns to Detroit to lead
events company 313 Presents.
ADAM FINKEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN KIRKLAND
Jews in the D
Behind the
FACING PAGE:
Portrait of
Howard Handler
in his office.
on the cover