14 | APRIL 22 • 2021
OUR COMMUNITY
ON THE COVER
Raines said. “That gave me the
courage to apply. The fact that
it’s a support role as COO, not
CEO, is a good place for me to
be as a white ally.”
New Detroit, which was
formed in response to civil
unrest in 1967 that uncovered
a host of entrenched social
and community ills, works
to fight racism by improving
interpersonal relations, collab-
oration and policy.
New Detroit is shifting how
it works toward racial equity,
focusing on addressing struc-
tural racism in more tangible,
measurable ways with a coali-
tion of leaders from civil rights
and advocacy organizations,
human services, community
health organizations, business,
education, media and more.
“I think my experience
working with nonprofit orga-
nizations and also understand-
ing how systems work is what
I bring to bear,” Raines said.
“We have to rebuild the inter-
nal infrastructure of the orga-
nization, the technology, the
processes. The whole world is
changing around us, and we
need to keep up with it.”
Working alongside CEO
Michael Rafferty, Raines
will help to redefine New
Detroit’s future strategies and
approaches to eliminating
racism. Raines also plans to
partner with other nonprofit
organizations, aided by all
the relationships made in her
years of working in philan-
thropy.
In her first year with New
Detroit, Raines said her main
goal is to listen and learn. She
said she hopes to serve as an
inspiration to people looking
for a way to plug in and help.
“I thought it was the perfect
place for someone like me
who cares and wants to do
something,” Raines said. “
A lot
of people really care about this
issue but can’t find their place.
To me, this was the perfect
place.”
Raines’ values have played
an integral part in her own
personal evolution, just as
New Detroit is undergoing an
evolution itself.
“I do hope people can be
inspired by what I’ve done
and the choices I’ve made in
my life,” Raines continued. “I
want people to think about the
importance of always growing
and changing. No matter how
successful you are, you can-
not just continue to do what
you’ve been doing. But as you
grow and change, you also
can’t forget your history. It’s
really important to be respect-
ful and cognizant of your his-
tory and build on that.”
WALKING THE WALK
Andrea Cole, CEO of the
Flinn Foundation, started with
Raines at Skillman and has
been a close friend since 1988.
Cole said Raines is the perfect
person for the role due to her
personal makeup, which ren-
ders her a natural ally.
“Having known Jodee for
30-plus years and as a Black
person, Jodee and I are true
friends,” Cole said. “I feel like
our relationship transcends
race. She’s sincere and she’s
intentional about
learning and real-
ly making a differ-
ence.”
Cole believes
people can be
positioned to
make a difference
but not necessarily “get it” or
understand the challenge at
the level they need to, but she
feels Raines does.
“She listens to learn, not to
respond,” Cole said. “She has
the skillset and the tempera-
ment to be open and receptive
to do the job the way it needs
to be done.”
Bob Naftaly, president of the
Jewish Fund when Raines was
there, believes Raines will help
New Detroit move forward
and is the right
person at the right
time.
“Her experience
in running a grant
operation, focus-
ing a group on
its goals and getting different
organizations to work together
in order to further those goals
are her strengths,” Naftaly said.
Naftaly also understands
how monumental it is that a
Jewish person is the first COO
of New Detroit, with all the
Jewish history New Detroit
has, including Max Fisher
being its first chairman.
Naftaly also said that Raines’
living in Detroit shows how
she’s willing to walk the walk.
“I think she chose to live
in the city of Detroit as a
statement of solidarity with
the community,” Naftaly said.
“A lot of people talk about
helping Detroit and trying to
be a part of Detroit. Well, she
made a statement and moved
her family into the city. It’s
always been a part of her
belief system to help others
and to make the world a bet-
ter place.”
Naftaly believes Raines’ new
role is a “great culmination of
her career.”
Naftaly adds, “We need
more people in the world who
want to help tikkun olam, and
that’s been Jodee’s vision and
mission as she helped us at the
Jewish Fund and continued
that at the Erb Foundation. I
think she’s going to help rein-
vigorate New Detroit.”
IDEAS AND STRATEGY
Anika Goss, the CEO of
Detroit Future City (DFC),
worked closely with Raines
when she was at the Erb
Foundation.
Raines was Goss’ main
point of contact on the work
around DFC’s Land + Water
WORKS Coalition, formed
in 2017 to provide Detroit
residents with the resourc-
es needed to become better
stewards of the environment,
as well as operate as a liaison
that engages residents around
green stormwater infrastruc-
ture opportunities.
“It was really her idea. She
was the one who convened
everyone, provided the fund-
ing but also encouraged us
continued from page 13
Bob Naftaly
Andrea
Cole
“I WANT PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT
THE IMPORTANCE OF ALWAYS
GROWING AND CHANGING. NO
MATTER HOW SUCCESSFUL YOU
ARE, YOU CANNOT JUST CONTINUE
TO DO WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING.”
— JODEE RAINES
continued on page 16