Orchestra. “When I became the 
managing partner at Deloitte, I 
was asked to join a number of 
community boards, including 
the DSO. I figured with the 
DSO, I would probably join the 
finance committee and continue 
to enjoy the music through our 
regular concert attendance.
 “
Anne Parsons at the time was 
the president and CEO and, she 
was an amazing leader,
” he said. 
“
Anne gave me opportunities to 
participate in components of gov-
ernance that were a little bit out of 
my normal field, and I was fasci-
nated and intrigued.
“I could see the impact the 
organization was having on the 
community,” he added. “It wasn’t 
just about performing — it was 
about being a community-sup-
porting organization.” 
“During a board leadership 
transition process, I was asked to 
be one of the vice chairs. I said, 
‘Yes, but please read my lips. I will 
never be chair.
’”
That declaration didn’t hold. 
Mark ended up serving as one 
of the longest-tenured chairs 
for the organization, complet-
ing seven years in that role last 
December.
Mark and Margie have traveled 
on tour with the orchestra to 
New York for a performance at 
Carnegie Hall, and to Florida and 
Japan. 
During Mark’s tenure, the DSO 
invested in its Detroit Strategy, 
encompassing two new plans: the 
Detroit Neighborhood Initiative, 
bringing concerts to Detroit 
neighborhood venues, and 
Detroit Harmony, a collaborative 
project to put an instrument in 
the hands of every student in 
Detroit.
He also helped in the search 
and hiring of Italian conductor 
Jader Bignamini as the DSO’s new 
music director.

WILLINGNESS TO HELP
“What Mark does comes from his 
heart,
” said his wife, Margie. “He 
sees a problem and wants to fix it.
”
Mark added, “I’m open to dive 
in when something needs to get 
done.
” It’s a philosophy illustrated 
by some of his most recent efforts, 
including helping a Detroit-
based foster care agency resolve 
a regulatory issue with the state, 
and agreeing to join the Board of 
Corewell Health, the state’s largest 
health care system. 
Mark seems to be the person 
to call when you need help with 
what Mark calls a “bet the house” 
or “beat the clock” issue. He took 
one such call in 2020 from Gary 
Torgow, now chair of the Detroit 
Jewish News Foundation Board, 
asking if he “cared about the 
Detroit Jewish News.
”
“Of course,
” said Mark, who 
now serves as senior advisor to 
the Jewish News, “not only because 
it’s an important community 
resource but because to me it’s 
almost a family business. Margie’s 
great-uncle Phil Slomovitz was the 
founding editor.
”
Mark was the lead in working 
with the Board of Directors to 
manage the transition of the 
Detroit Jewish News from private 
ownership to ownership by the 
Detroit Jewish News Foundation, 
and has served as a senior advisor 

OUR COMMUNITY

continued from page 19

ON THE COVER

DONALD DIETZ

Mark and Margie at their Brush Park loft
Erik Ronmark, Mark 
Davidoff, the late 
Anne Parsons and 
Jader Bignamini at 
his DSO contract 
signing

Mark and former 
Detroit Mayor 
 
Dave Bing

At the press conference 
launching the Detroit Police 
Department Leadership 
Academy, a Deloitte and 
Wayne State University 
program

