Lawyer helping to build link between U.S., Israel
By Linda Laderman
Legal News
Beth Gotthelf brings people together. She does it in her professional life as director of innovation and external relations and chair of the aerospace practice group at Butzel Long. And she does it in her personal life, generously giving her time to a number of nonprofit organizations.
A graduate of Oakland University and University of Detroit, where she earned her law degree, Gotthelf avidly fosters trade and industry opportunities in Michigan.
“As a native Detroiter, I am a very active person in the community because Michigan has so much to give,” Gotthelf said.
Most recently, Gotthelf was elected president of the Michigan Israel Business Bridge (MIBB), an organization that aims to encourage an exchange of human resources, technology, and manufacturing know-how between the two entities.
Her affinity for Michigan and Israel inspired Gotthelf to champion commerce between the two.
“I love Michigan and Israel. I want to bring more jobs to Michigan and I want to see its economy grow,” Gotthelf said.
Before MIBB was established, Gotthelf joined a state legislative bi-partisan economic mission to Israel in 2007. It was a policy-based venture that left participating legislators and business executives with “lessons learned,” about Israel’s inventive approach to creating economic growth, said Gotthelf.
“One of the things we learned during our mission was Israel’s support of startups and how we can support them,” Gotthelf said. “While we were in Israel we talked about forming a chamber of commerce between Israel and Michigan,” Gotthelf said. “The whole idea is that relationships matter.”
The mission was the genesis for the MIBB, Gotthelf said. As one of its first board members, Gotthelf envisioned Michigan and Israel as potentially strong economic partners.
“Israel is geographically smaller than Michigan, but it has so many startups with no neighbors to sell to,” Gotthelf said.
At more than 58,000 square miles, Michigan is nearly eight times larger than Israel.
Gotthelf’s observation that Israel’s geographic dimensions are not proportional to its robust economic development is buoyed by recent economic reports.
This October, Jewishbusinessnews.com reported that in the nine months leading up to September 2015, a total of 506 Israeli high-tech companies raised a $3.2 billion. This compares to $2.3 billion raised by 504 Israeli companies over the same period in 2014.
Conversely, as a leader in the healthcare, cyber security, automotive and defense industries, Michigan is fertile ground for collaboration with Israel’s business sector, Gotthelf said.
“MIBB has such great potential with so many great ideas coming from Israel, that I asked, ‘Why not exchange those ideas with Michigan?’ It is a passion for me, I want to see more jobs come to Michigan,” Gotthelf said.
The United Jewish Fund and the legislators shared in the funding of mission trips.
“The United Jewish Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit owns, manages and invests Jewish communal assets, including general and endowment funds, agency endowments, supporting foundations and real property,” Gotthelf said.
According to Gotthelf, the Foundation annually allocates a portion of its funds to meet special and extraordinary community needs. The Foundation is committed to ensuring that assets are available to promote the continuity of the Jewish people.
Gotthelf’s association with MIBB is congruent with her three decades as a supporter of Michigan’s economy and charitable organizations.
“My first involvement with a nonprofit was in 1985 when my dad was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I rode the MS 150, a two-day bike ride to raise funds in support of research and education. This was my 30th year of participation,” Gotthelf said.
“From that I became very active in the Oakland County Bar Association where I became involved in the environmental law section, and then in the State Bar,” Gotthelf said.
Her work with the State Bar’s Environmental Law Section led her to chair the group. She is also vice-chair of the American Bar Association’s section of natural resources, energy, environmental law, water quality and wetlands.
In addition to her work for MIBB and the State Bar, Gotthelf has served as past President of the Board of Trustees for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter; past Trustee of the JVS Vocational Services; and member of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, State Government Relations Oversight Committee.
Rather than view the long hours she gives to the community and her colleagues as a burden, Gotthelf considers herself fortunate.
“I feel very lucky. It might sound hokey but I am very blessed. I just survived stage three breast cancer,” Gotthelf said.
“I was diagnosed in 2013, after a routine mammogram,” Gotthelf said.
When she was asked to stay past the first screening to allow the technician to take more pictures, she thought, ‘but tonight is bike night, I have a meeting and I am planning a dinner for tomorrow for 26.’
“But I was encouraged to stay, and I still made it to my meeting with five minutes to spare,” Gotthelf said.
Through her work, Gotthelf continues to support Michigan’s economic initiatives. In early October she hosted an event in Washington, D.C. that included representatives from the defense arm of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Macomb County and the Association of the United States Army.
“I am also becoming a big booster of Flint, supporting them in their efforts for revitalization,” Gotthelf said.
“It’ s rare that I am not doing something business related for work or a nonprofit,” Gotthelf said. “It’s all good. If we are able to give back, we should give back.”
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