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B I R M I N G H A M
42 | MARCH 14 • 2024
J
N
here’s to
Since 1987, Dembs has assisted more than 300 nonprofit
organizations in Michigan and other parts of the country.
Gary Dembs, Longtime
Executive Recruiter,
Shifts to New Role
SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
F
or 36 years, Gary
Dembs has helped non-
profit organizations find
and hire candidates for senior
leadership positions through
his firm, Non-Profit Personnel
Network (NPPN). His work
as an executive recruiter, often
referred to as a “headhunt-
er,” sometimes encompasses
advising clients on organiza-
tional structure, culture and
fundraising opportunities.
Now, he is moving to a
new role himself — estab-
lishing a partnership with
Trish Dewald, a consultant
for nonprofits who specializes
in fundraising and process
improvement. NPPN’s recruit-
ment clients will transition to
her firm, Mondo Unlimited,
in the coming months, and
Dembs will bring some non-
profit consulting. The two
have worked together on
projects and Dembs describes
their partnership as a “good
match.”
AN EXTENSIVE CAREER
Since starting his executive
placement firm in 1987,
Dembs has assisted more than
300 nonprofit organizations
in Michigan and other parts
of the country. His focus has
been finding senior leaders,
including development exec-
utives and program officers,
for nonprofits ranging from
hospitals to advocacy organi-
zations. For Dembs, this work
with a broad range of non-
profits is an “opportunity to
touch so many missions.”
He decided to align with
Mondo Unlimited to provide
a smooth transition for his cli-
ents and help Dewald expand
her firm while reducing his
own professional responsibil-
ities. “I want to own my own
time,” Dembs says.
A graduate of Western
Michigan University, Dembs
initially worked in broadcast
Gary
Dembs
Richard Rattner, a partner with
Birmingham-based Williams
Williams Rattner & Plunkett
(WWRP), has been named to the
Michigan Lawyers Weekly Class
of 2024 Hall of Fame. Rattner is
an adjunct professor at Wayne
State University Law School, where he teach-
es “Developing the Commercial Real Estate
Project.” A recipient of numerous attorney
awards from Best Lawyers, Michigan Super
Lawyers, DBusiness Magazine and Michigan
Lawyers Weekly, in 2017, Rattner was also
inducted as a fellow of the American College
of Real Estate Lawyers, an elite, invitation-only
group that represents the finest real estate
attorneys in the profession.
Sari Saperstein,
of Denver, Colo.,
was named
Educator of the
Year during the
2023 Council
for Learning
Disabilities
Conference. She graduat-
ed from Andover and MSU.
Sari thanks Debbie Newman
and Rachele Moz for being
early mentors. She is the
daughter of Dr. and Mrs.
Harvey Saperstein of West
Bloomfield, and Brenda
Oventhal Saperstein of
Denver.
Mike Morse Law Firm,
Michigan’s largest per-
sonal injury law firm,
won a 2024 Golden
Gavel Award for Best
30-Second Commercial.
This is the fifth time in
five years the firm has received this
distinction, honoring the team for
its unique, creative and high-quality
video productions. The Golden Gavel
Awards recognize exceptional mar-
keting work in the legal industry. The
firm was also a finalist for Best Public
Relations Ad, Best Client Testimonial
and Best 60-Second Commercial.
continued on page 44