FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 25
struggling to keep their
children busy, she started a
business called Busy Box 4
Kids, developing skilled-based
craft and activity boxes for
children ages 2 through 5.
Jamie was recruited to join
Lamplighters Preschool, the
Chabad of Royal Oak, as the
director of education during
the fall of 2020. After helping
to build the foundation of
Lamplighters, Jamie joined
Hillel Day School as a head
teacher in its ECC.
While living in New York
City, Jamie was involved
in many young Jewish
professional organizations.
She plans to be involved
throughout the Detroit Jewish
community as well. Following
in her father’s footsteps, Jamie
has joined ORT and will be
co-chairing the 2023 Wingo
Event this upcoming fall.
Recently married, Jamie
resides in Royal Oak with her
husband, Brandon. When
Jamie is not working, she
loves to travel to Florida to
see family, New York to see
her friends and the world to
explore.
JENNIFER
MAXBAUER
Jennifer
Maxbauer
grew up
in West
Bloomfield.
Her
involvement in the Jewish
community began at a young
age, with some of her earliest
memories being attending
ADL and Hadassah meetings
with her parents as a toddler.
She is a lifelong member of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
and attended the Frankel
Jewish Academy, where
she served as the alumni
coordinator for a few years.
Jennifer currently sits on
the NEXTGen Detroit Board
as president elect. This is
Jennifer’s seventh year on
the board. She spent the last
two years on the Executive
Committee as a campaign vice
president and led NEXTGen
Detroit to raise more than
$1 million for the first time
in its history. In her role as
president-elect, Jennifer helps
as a sounding board for the
current president, is consulted
about major programming
ideas, led the board’s Elevate
series mentoring the first-
year board members, and has
begun to craft her vision for
the NEXTGen Detroit 2023-
2024 Board Year.
In addition to her
involvement in NEXTGen
Detroit, Jennifer is a middle
school special education
teacher. She has been teaching
in Walled Lake Consolidated
Schools for 11 years as a
teacher for students with
moderate to severe autism.
A favorite activity in her
classroom is taking field trips
to Friendship Circle’s Life
Town. While there, Jennie
tells her students about when
she used to volunteer at
Friendship Circle during high
school and college.
Jennifer previously
worked with the Alliance for
Jewish Education’s Opening
the Doors Program as a
special education teacher at
Congregation Shir Tikvah
for four years. In December
of 2021, Jennifer received her
BCBA and, in addition to
teaching, is a board-certified
behavior analyst.
Jennifer and her husband,
Sam, live in West Bloomfield
with their children, Betsy, 4,
and Carl, 2. They met when
Jennie was 15 and he was her
camp counselor, but didn’t
start dating until many years
later.
When their first child was
born, the couple got involved
continued on page 26
MAZEL TOV
MAZEL TOV
The Honor of 36 Under 36
by the Detroit Jewish News
Nikki Wald
Group Account Executive, Detroit Pistons
A well deserved
honor and we are
proud to have
you on our team!