OUR COMMUNITY
Battle-Tested, Board-Approved New Federation CEO Steve Ingber earned the job. JACKIE HEADAPOHL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL
Hills, where is parents still live. The youngest of three children, he attended public schools and then went to the University of Michigan, where he graduated with a business degree. After graduation, he started working for his grandfather, tearing apart cars. He then opened an automotive wholesale distribution business in Metro Detroit, which he ran for the better part of 10 years. “I’ve had three jobs my entire life, and I loved them all. I loved being in the automotive world. I liked being the chief operating officer here. And, so far — it’s new — but continued on page 14
JOHN HARDWICK
F
rom fall of 2019 to last month, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit was without an “official” CEO as Federation leaders conducted a national search. However, there was an “unofficial” captain at the helm, COO Steve Ingber, who navigated through the rough waters of the COVID pandemic to unify the response of Federation and other agencies to the needs of the Jewish community. Former Federation CEO Scott Kaufman was consulting with federations across the country during the pandemic. “I got to watch Steve go through a trial by fire,” he said. “Detroit performed extraordinarily well during the pandemic. He earned the role and came through battletested.” Federation leaders officially named Ingber the CEO last month. “Often, we look afar when right under our nose is the perfect person,” said Penny Blumenstein, who was on the CEO search committee. “He took over responsibilities very quietly and without any fanfare. People are Penny willing to follow him. To Blumenstein me, that is the sign of leadership.” For Ingber, “This is the dream job I never knew I wanted.” Ingber was born and raised in a Conservative home in Farmington
JUNE 3 • 2021
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