JVS Detroit President and CEO Leah Rosenbaum received the Mandell L. and Madeleine H. Berman Award for Outstanding Professional Service during the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’s Board of Governors meeting in November.

The Berman Award was established in 1988 to celebrate the achievements of a Jewish communal professional who has served with distinction on behalf of Detroit’s Jewish community. Rosenbaum was honored for her dedication to JVS and its mission to help people realize their potential through counseling, training and support services.

“Leah cares passionately about people with disabilities, the elderly, the unemployed and those in crisis,” said Mandell (Bill) Berman. “She’s made it her life’s work to help them maximize their potential, enabling them to live the life of their choosing with dignity. This belief has been the driving force of her distinguished career.”

Under Rosenbaum’s leadership, JVS Detroit has been an instrument of positive change by pioneering the placement of people with disabilities into the workforce and integrating them into the community. She has also been instrumental in the expansion of JVS employment initiatives to provide targeted, individualized career services to help job seekers of all ages and from all walks of life.

In the wake of declining governmental funding, Rosenbaum has spearheaded efforts to create new revenue streams for the agency. One new initiative is eCycle Opportunities, which is an electronics recycling program that provides jobs for people with disabilities, raises revenue for the agency, and keeps tons of electronic parts out of landfills. This entrepreneurial approach helped earn JVS the distinction of Crain’s Detroit Business best-managed non-profit finalist for the past two years.