26 | APRIL 1 • 2021
OUR COMMUNITY
S
cott Hiipakka, CEO
of the Michigan Israel
Business Accelerator,
has received a promotion
from the rank of colonel to the
rank of brigadier general in
the Michigan Army National
Guard. The official title of the
role is assistant adjutant general.
Hiipakka will continue to be
responsible for the majority of
units in the Guard and building
teams ranging from 30 up to
2,500 people in their respective
organizations. There will likely
be additional areas he will be
in charge of relative to special
projects for the adjutant general.
To Hiipakka, the promotion
is a blessing and an honor.
“If you would’ve said to me
when I was entering the mili-
tary that I would’ve made the
rank of colonel, I would’ve said,
‘no way,
’” Hiipakka said. “But
then, if you would’ve said I’
d
make the rank of brigadier gen-
eral, I would’ve laughed at you.
”
Hiipakka entered military
service in June 1993 as an infan-
try officer initially assigned
to the 10th Mountain
Division as a platoon lead-
er. Upon selection to the
75th Ranger Regiment, he
served with the 3rd Ranger
Battalion until 1997.
Following active duty,
Hiipakka entered the
Michigan Army National
Guard in 2001 and has
served in key roles including
multiple commands and staff
officer positions.
Hiipakka currently serves
on the board of directors for
Leadership Oakland and was
recognized by Crain’s Detroit
Business as a 2020 “Notable
Veteran.
” He also serves as an
adviser and former appointee
to the Michigan Community
Service Commission.
As the CEO of the MIBA,
Hiipakka sees a possible syn-
ergistic effect between his roles
with the MIBA and the Army.
“In the MIBA, we’re respon-
sible for creating opportunities
and jobs in Michigan and con-
necting Israeli innovation to
Michigan businesses,
” Hiipakka
said. “What I see is opportuni-
ties to accelerate that, particu-
larly in the defense industry. I’m
already connected in that space,
and from my initial conversa-
tions with Israeli companies,
they think it’s pretty cool that
the CEO of MIBA is a general.
We’ll see what the outcomes are,
but I do see the opportunities to
build partnerships.
”
Now, more than 25 years into
his military career, Hiipakka
forges ahead with his willing-
ness to serve.
“What I hope to achieve in
this new role is to first and fore-
most serve the men and women
I serve with, serve their families
and serve the community,
” he
said. “
As citizen soldiers, that’s
what we do, and I’m blessed to
be able to continue to do so at
this new rank.
”
COURTESY OF SCOTT HIIPAKKA
Michigan-Israel
business group’s
CEO promoted
to Army general.
High
Honor
DANNY SCHWARTZ
STAFF WRITER
Scott Hiipakka at his promotion
ceremony at Milford High School
on March 13.
A
fter a year of isola-
tion, many people are
feeling more alone
than ever. What can we do to
reunite our communities in the
aftermath of this pandemic and
the toxicity and
political division
that accompanied
it? This is the ques-
tion Rabbi Sam
Englender is work-
ing to answer.
Englender, who
most recently
was the community rela-
tions manager for the Jewish
Community Relations Council/
AJC, is the new Michigan
regional outreach manager at
the D.C.-based One America
Movement, a national nonprof-
it confronting toxic polariza-
tion in our society.
The organization equips
faith communities to confront
division and work together
across political, racial and reli-
gious divides to solve problems
that matter.
“Michigan is a purple state
— purple used to mean mod-
erate, but now, it more and
more means that we are polar-
ized to the extreme,” Englender
said.
“Political sides are facing
off and that means trouble, not
just for Michigan as a whole,
but for the communities and
congregations trying to navi-
gate these challenging times.
“We know the Jewish com-
munity isn’t immune from the
political division that has roiled
the country,” Englender said.
“It’s incumbent on us to do
what we can to heal our own
community.”
He said the good news is
that more and more of us are
realizing there is another way.
“We can come together to heal
our divides, to work with peo-
ple with whom we share much
more than we realize to solve
the problems that matter to all
of us,” he said.
Englender will take the lead
here in Michigan, working to
bring training, resources and
support to help the Michigan
Jewish community and other
faith communities to counter
the effects of harmful political
polarization.
This month, Englender and
the One America Movement
are opening applications for
the inaugural class of campus
fellows in their Leadership
Incubator, a program designed
to support young leaders in
their efforts to heal divides on
college and university campus-
es in Michigan. Applications
will be accepted throughout
April.
“We know we can equip
young Jews in our community
with the tools necessary to cre-
ate change,” Englender said.
To learn more and to
get involved, visit www.
OneAmericaMovement.org,
or reach out to Rabbi Sam
Englender at sam@
oneamericamovement.org.
Rabbi Sam
Englender
New leadership incubator’s aim is to
heal society’s political divides.
Goal: One America
JN STAFF