The 2008 Honorees

Award winners in 2008 and beyond are being selected through a public nomination process that recognizes individuals who have demonstrated leadership and courage in furthering regional cooperation and understanding.  Candidates will be nominated for one of three awards:

• Neal Shine Award for Exemplary Regional Leadership
• Eleanor Josaitis “Unsung Hero” Award
• Dave Bing Future Leader Award

The 2007 Inaugural Event
The inaugural Shining Light Awards ceremony took place on November 8, 2007 and honored individuals well known for their extraordinary contributions to our region – Neal Shine, Marian and Michael Ilitch, Eleanor Josaitis, and Dave Bing.

The 2007 Honorees
The Shining Light Regional Cooperation Awards are fittingly dedicated to, and named in honor of, the widely respected Neal Shine who promoted his love for Detroit and his vision for stronger ties among all metro communities during his 45-year career with the Detroit Free Press. Mr. Shine passed away in April of 2007.

The inaugural Shining Light Awards ceremony paid tribute to Mr. Shine and three of Metropolitan Detroit’s finest regional leaders:

Marian and Michael Ilitch
Eleanor Josaitis
Dave Bing

Marian and Michael Ilitch
Marian and Michael Ilitch, chairman and vice chairwoman of Ilitch Holdings, Inc., received the inaugural Neal Shine Award for Exemplary Regional Leadership in recognition of their many contributions to our area.  The Ilitches made the decision to move to and invest in Detroit when many others were reluctant, and their entertainment facilities and sports teams have attracted countless suburbanites who otherwise would not have experienced what the City has to offer.  Having opportunities for suburbanites to see and experience Detroit in a positive light lays an important foundation and builds support for establishing stronger city/suburb relationships. Future Neal Shine Awards for Exemplary Regional Leadership will recognize individuals under the public spotlight who are taking risks and demonstrating courage to improve regional cooperation and understanding.  

Eleanor Josaitis
Eleanor Josaitis received a Shining Light Award named in her honor – the Eleanor Josaitis “Unsung Hero” Award.  Her impressive career as co-founder of Focus:HOPE has been directed at some of the region’s most significant impediments to building regional cooperation – racism, poverty, and social injustice.  Though now widely known, in the early years of Focus: HOPE Josaitis worked principally behind the scenes, with Father Cunningham serving the more public role.  Among her many accomplishments, she spearheaded a supplemental food program for mothers, children, and senior citizens that now serves the tri-county area.  Future recipients of the Eleanor Josaitis “Unsung Hero” Award will be individuals who may not have yet received the widespread recognition they deserve for long-standing efforts to further regional cooperation and understanding. 

Dave Bing
Dave Bing, chairman of The Bing Group, received a Shining Light Award, which is also named in his honor as the Dave Bing Future Leader Award.  Bing, a regional hero for his “Hall of Fame” achievements on the hard court, is playing a leading role in redeveloping Detroit and is recognized for his work with youth and schools.  He represents an outstanding role model for the younger generation.  In future years, recipients of the Dave Bing Future Leader Award will be young people involved with enhancing regional understanding and cooperation within our metropolitan community.

View the Shining Light Awards Videos
The Detroit Free Press produced a series of videos for the 2007 Shining Light Awards. View the videos >>