28 | MAY 11 • 2023 

OUR COMMUNITY

H

illel Day School will honor its 
2023 Dream Maker Awardees 
Paula and Louis Glazier for their 
remarkable impact on their family, Hillel 
Day School and the Jewish community at 
Hillel’s Annual Gala on Sunday, May 21, 
at the school. 
The parents of Ilana Glazier (Hillel 
Class of 1990) and Mindy Civan (Class 
of 1992) became actively involved in 
the school as parents and continued 
to be involved until today. Lou, often 
recognized as Hillel’s unsung hero, 
dedicated his time and commitment to 
ensure the traffic light was installed at 
the school’s entrance, the historic $13 
million capital campaign that added 
28,000 square feet to the school was 
raised, and the initial presentation to 
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan 
Detroit for its annual support was 
established. 
Lou also led the tuition assistance 
allowance committee and various search 
committees for key administrative 
positions. Hillel would not be the strong 
institution it is today without Lou’s time, 
passion and dedication.
Paula has served as president of 
Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy, 
as well as president of the Michigan 
Region of Women’s American ORT, 
Detroit Friends of ALYN Hospital and 
currently serves as the national president 
of American Friends of ALYN Hospital. 
She has served on numerous boards and 
received Federation’s William Davidson 
Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. 
Paula and Lou’s grandsons Benji, Ryan, 
and Kobi, each attended/attend Hillel; 
and their grandchildren Rena, Aviva and 
Noah all attended Jewish day schools in 
Philadelphia.
Todd Fink will also be awarded the 
Rabbi Jacob E. Segal (z”l) Award for his 
unwavering dedication to the school. 
Todd became involved when his oldest 
child Maddie enrolled in first grade at 
Hillel. Little did he know that he would 

spend the next decade, and then some, 
in service to the school and have a role 
in some of the most impactful changes to 
the school since its founding in 1958. 
Todd joined the Hillel board in 2004, 
served on the executive committee for 
eight years and was elected president 
in 2014. During his tenure as president 
of the Board of Trustees, Todd oversaw 
the transformation of Hillel’s facility. He 
helped bring the IDEA Collaborative, 
MakerSpace, new science, art and music 
studios, prototyping and audio/visuals 
studios, new cafeteria, new kitchens, and 
the new Gan, 1-2, 3-6 and 7-8 learning 
community wings to fruition. 
Todd also spearheaded a $10 million 
endowment campaign and ensured 
that technology was available in every 
classroom for every student. Todd and 
his wife, Niki, are the proud parents 
of Maddie (2013), Aerin (2016) and 
Andrew, who also attended Hillel.

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD
Hillel’s 2023 Distinguished Alumni 
Award recipient Greg Kaplan graduated 
from Hillel in 2000, North Farmington 
High School in 2004 and the University 
of Michigan Ross School of Business in 
2008. After business school, Greg began 
his career at Microsoft where he earned 
his CFA charterholder designation. 
Greg made his way to the Bay Area to 
join Specialized Bicycles as the leader of 
Strategic Finance and Operations. 

At Specialized, Greg blended his 
Jewish values of tikkun olam and his 
commitment to DEI initiatives with his 
professional endeavors. Greg deployed 
Specialized resources and spearheaded 
efforts to support paralympians at the 
2020 Tokyo Summer games, worked with 
Forrest Stump, an advocacy organization 
whose mission is to promote equitable 
access to physical activities and improve 
bike fittings for individuals with 
disabilities, and even recruited Tom 
Hanks to get involved. 
Most recently, Greg rode the final leg 
of a 1,700-mile Honor Ride dedicated to 
the memory of six fallen soldiers from 
a paratrooper unit in Afghanistan with 
Col. Chris Kolenda. Greg coordinated the 
design of a custom-made Specialized bike 
Col. Kolenda used for the ride. Greg, a 
DEI champion, mental health advocate, 
Jewish community supporter and overall 
“doer of good,” is now the senior vice 
president of Newfront, an insure-tech 
company. 
The community is invited to celebrate 
the Glaziers, Todd Fink, Greg Kaplan 
and the wonderful school’s 65th year at 
its Annual Gala. The event will feature 
a strolling dinner, extensive silent auc-
tion, raffle prizes, dessert and more. For 
tickets, ad journal and auction informa-
tion, visit www.hillelday.org/hdsgala23 or 
contact Amy Schlussel at (248) 539-1484. 
Silent auction bidding is live at www. 
hillelday.org/hdsgala23. 

The Glaziers, Todd Fink and Greg Kaplan to be 
honored during Hillel’s Annual Gala May 21.
Hillel Day School Heroes

JN STAFF

Greg 
Kaplan

Paula and 
Louis Glazier

Todd 
Todd 
Fink
Fink

