The Board of Trustees of JVS Human Services, which is based in Southfield, Mich., has announced that Leah Rosenbaum, President and Chief Executive Officer, has shared her intention to retire effective March 1, 2020.  Ms. Rosenbaum has served more than half of her 40-year career in a leadership role at JVS, including six years as CEO and 18 years as Chief Operating Officer. The Executive Committee of the JVS board has established a search committee to assure a smooth transition in leadership.

“We are very proud of JVS Human Services’ excellent reputation for serving our community with heart, and we deeply appreciate Leah’s leadership and dedication to the people we serve,” said Josh Eichenhorn, chair of the JVS Human Services Board of Trustees. “In a culture of caring and respect, Leah has enhanced the agency’s efforts by melding the passion of our board, staff, community partners and funding sources. We wish her the very best in her well-deserved retirement.”

JVS is one of the leading human services agencies in metropolitan Detroit. With services to enhance the lives of job seekers, people with disabilities and seniors, the agency will impact the lives of more than 13,000 people across the community this year alone.

Delivering human services with a dedication to quality and innovation, Ms. Rosenbaum has helped the agency grow from a budget of $8 million to $26 million and a staff of over 400.

Ms. Rosenbaum has helped in many key accomplishments over the years, most notably:

• launching an innovative day program serving people living with dementia while also supporting their family care partners.
• developing person-centered services and community integration for people with disabilities.
• expanding employment initiatives to provide individualized career services to help job seekers of all ages and from all walks of life, including laid-off executives, people experiencing homelessness and women returning to work after a break.
• creating new revenue streams for the agency such as eCycle Opportunities, an electronics recycling program.

In recognition of her tireless efforts, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit honored Ms. Rosenbaum with the Mandell L. and Madeleine H. Berman Award for Outstanding Professional Service in 2016.

“I have been blessed with a wonderful career doing what I love, the opportunity to work with people that I admire, and the privilege of serving people in our community,” said Ms. Rosenbaum. “JVS will always hold a special place in my heart. I leave feeling confident that our talented and caring staff and lay leaders will continue to passionately serve our mission, and that JVS Human Services will move forward and remain one of the best human services organizations.”