22 | OCTOBER 12 • 2023 

Schwartz, James Waggoner and his lead 
operations assistant Chelsea Gornbein, 
were on the brink of establishing their 
own practice together. Laptops were 
purchased and a Letter of Intent for a 
commercial lease was a day from being 
signed. 
Then Bolton and his colleagues 
heeded the suggestion of Ethan Holtz, a 
partner at Taft (formerly Jaffe, Bolton’s 
Uncle Bob’s longtime firm before his 
retirement in approximately 2015), to 
have a conversation with Bob Hicks, 
chairman of the Executive Committee 
and managing partner of Taft. Bolton 
accepted the suggestion and spoke with 
Hicks and Mark Cooper, Taft Detroit 
partner-in-charge. 
“Ultimately, we decided our clients 
would be better served with more of 
a plug-and-play option, so to speak, 
then building it up ourselves,
” Bolton 
shared. “We were impressed with the bench 
strength of Taft. It is a forward-thinking and 
modern law firm.
” 
In late March 2023, Bolton, Schwartz, 
Waggoner and Gornbein joined Taft.

GROSFELD 17 LEADERSHIP MISSION
“Ever been to Israel?” read the text to Bolton 
from Steven Ingber, CEO of the Jewish 
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and a 
longtime friend of Bolton’s.
“Not in the last 30 years,
” Bolton respond-
ed.
“OK, I have a few ideas to run by you. I 
will call you later this week.
” 
When the call came, it was not from 
Ingber, but from Jennifer Fishkind, a 
Grosfeld Mission Leader, “Congratulations 
on getting nominated!” she said.
“Nominated for what?” asked Bolton.
He had been nominated and selected 
for the prestigious Grosfeld 17 Leadership 
Mission. The Grosfeld Leadership Program, 
named for benefactors Nancy and Jim 
Grosfeld, is a highly selective and intensive 
leadership training program for promising 
Jewish leaders with the goal of each partic-
ipant taking on leadership roles within the 
Jewish Federation and its extensive network 
of Jewish organizations and agencies.
In a 2015 interview, Nancy Grosfeld 
shared, “Out of everything we do, this is the 
program that means the most to Jimmy. We 
established it in 2001 with the goal to identi-

fy and mentor young adults with leadership 
potential for the community. The program 
culminates each year with a trip to Israel 
and Poland, and its impact on the group is 
profound.
”
Ingber said, “Jordan’s combination of 
strategy and character make him a leader in 
his field, and he is exactly what the Grosfeld 
Mission participants embody. These are the 
next generation of leaders in Jewish philan-
thropy, and Jordan is near the top.
”
With the blessing of his wife, Rebecca, 
Bolton joined the program. Now, having 
joined the current class, Bolton is blown 
away by the extent and impact of the Jewish 
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. “Unless 
you are involved in something like [the 
Grosfeld Leadership Program] or other-
wise involved in Federation leadership, you 
know Federation is huge, but you don’t 
realize how impactful it really is until you 
start to look at some of the leadership and 
hear about the breadth, particularly the 
Detroit Federation.”
Bolton is enjoying the education he is 
receiving through the mission program 
here and is looking forward to traveling to 
Poland and Israel with his esteemed co- 
participants next month.

THE ‘DRIVE AND CLAP’ 
PHASE OF LIFE
Bolton met his wife, Rebecca, in 2004 
through Divine providence … and JDate. 

On Aug. 11, 2023, the two celebrat-
ed their 16th wedding anniversary at 
Bacco Ristorante in Southfield. Jordan 
and Rebecca are the proud parents of 
Hannah, 14, and Ella, 11. The Boltons 
are members of Temple Shir Shalom, 
where they will celebrate Ella’s bat mitz-
vah next fall. 
When asked about his hobbies and 
passions, Bolton responded, “I am in 
that drive-and-clap phase of life.
” The 
once-collegiate hockey player embraces 
now being his daughters’ chauffeur and 
number one fan.

CARRYING THE TORCH 
Both Jordan and Rebecca were raised 
by luminaries in the Metro Detroit 
Jewish community. Jordan’s mother, 
Dr. Linda Bolton Blackman, is a past 
president of ORT. Jordan’s stepfather, 
Sidney Blackman, is a past president of 
Congregation Beth Ahm. Rebecca’s mother, 
Carolyn Borman, held leadership roles for 
many years at Birmingham Temple (now 
known as Congregation for Humanistic 
Judaism of Metro Detroit).
Bolton takes special pride in his leader-
ship of Knollwood Country Club. He cur-
rently serves as the vice president. “It is one 
of only two member-owned Jewish country 
clubs in the area,
” Bolton said. 
“Rebecca’s great-grandparents are found-
ing members. Her grandmother, Joan 
Brawer, has been an active member for 
more than 50 years and is a former repeat 
golf Club Champion. Also, my Uncle David 
Madorsky is a past president and former 
repeat golf Club Champion.
” 
Knollwood Country Club was founded in 
1925 and is approaching its 100th anniver-
sary. Bolton’s presidency will commence just 
before this centennial milestone. Joking that 
his leadership skills far surpass his golf skills, 
Bolton said, “Not having learned to play 
golf until adulthood, I realized quickly that 
my contributions to the club that my wife’s 
family helped found and my family helped 
lead would have to come in the boardroom 
as opposed to on the golf course.
“
Although serving in leadership at a pri-
vate country club is often thankless work, 
I take great pride in playing a small part in 
making certain that Knollwood’s second 
century is even better than its glorious first,
” 
Bolton said. 

Jordan, Hannah, 
Rebecca and Ella 
Bolton

continued from page 20
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