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JONATHAN LIEBMAN CEO/Chairman
As CEO/Chairman, Jon oversees the operation of the school, provides vision and leadership to the staff and sets the course for the company’s long-term growth.
How did you make the transition from the music and broadcasting businesses to the school business?
At first, just by living it and breathing it every day, working in each department at the school. I immediately started doing a lot of reading and studying and an awful lot of networking. It didn't take long before I was hooked. I quickly developed a passion for our whole sector of education. It was then that I decided it just makes sense to get involved at every level – city, county, state and federal.
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Before he was CEO, Jon was a student at Specs Howard School in 1981. Not only is he himself a graduate of the program, he learned the family business from every angle by working in each department. |
I’m on the board of directors of the Career College Association, so I travel to Washington frequently to lobby members of Congress on behalf of career schools and career school students.
Closer to home, I do some work for the Detroit Economic Club, where I’ve gotten to know many local professionals in higher education and have been able to open some doors for our students and graduates. I was president of the Michigan Association of Career Schools for six years, a member of the Oakland County Business Roundtable and chairman of the Southfield Area Chamber of Commerce.
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Jon poses with his dad, Founder and Chairman, Specs Howard, in the SHS Master Control Suite. |
Education: I have a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies & Contemporary Media from Wayne State University and a Master of Music degree in Studio Music & Jazz from the University of Miami. I attended the Graduate School of Business at the University of Miami and Full Sail Real-World Education in Orlando. I also happen to be a 1981 graduate of the Specs Howard School!
Past experience: I was a Broadcast Coordinator at WWJ Radio in Detroit and an Announcer at WIQB Radio in Ann Arbor. I’ve been a professional musician since the early 80s.
Classes you teach:
It's been a while since I've been in the classroom on a formal basis, but I used to teach an Applied Writing class and some in-studio television courses.
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Jon with Governor Granholm. |
Current industry contributions: I still maintain my memberships in the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, the American Federation of Musicians, although most of my industry involvement is in the "school business" industry, rather than the "radio/ TV/entertainment" industry. In 2005, Governor Granholm appointed me to the Michigan Higher Education Authority.
How do you stay on top of trends in the industry?
Whenever possible, I visit radio and TV stations and post-production houses. I also scan several of the trade journals to read about what's happening in the business. The advisory boards we hold throughout the year are a great way to hear directly from the experts in the radio, TV and video fields about advances in technology and business trends. Also, school functions like graduations, open houses and job shadow days, provide a constant inflow of new insights on the latest and greatest in radio, TV, audio and video.
What do all successful grads seem to have in common? They're all passionate about what they do. They're persistent and driven, they have a great attitude and a fantastic work ethic. They do what they love and, therefore, they love what they do!
Where do you look for creative inspiration?
I like to read a lot about history, biography and business success stories. I've been inspired by everyone from Teddy Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy to Jack Welch, Michael Dell and Bill Gates. On the purely creative side, musicians Miles Davis and John Coltrane are among my inspirational heroes.
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Jon is an accomplished bass player and spent several years as a professional musician, touring and performing with the
Drifters, the Platters, the Chiffons, the Coasters and then some. |
One thing you'd like to learn: Classical guitar. I started studying it after I got my first music degree, but then decided to keep going on the bass.
Why do you turn on the radio? Usually because I've played to death the CDs I have in my car! I'm always interested in listening to news and information, ever since working at WWJ in the early '80s!
Do you have a favorite radio station? I'm mostly an AM radio person in the morning, FM in the afternoon. I like WWJ, WJR, WDFN, and WXYT on the AM dial. I also enjoy WCSX, WOMC and Doug-FM and on FM, among others.
What song do you wish would disappear from radio? Practically all the rap stuff! Quincy Jones put out a rap album in 1990 (Back on the Block), which was actually quite good. Most of the rest of what I've heard, though, I just don't like!
What would people be surprised to know about you? I don't know, I like to think I'm "what you see is what you get."
What do you watch when you turn on the TV? My wife and I like to watch Everybody Loves Raymond. I'm also a big sports fan (though I can't say the same for her!). I like to keep up on current events and, with the advent of cable TV, I enjoy flipping the channels and watching CNN, Fox, CNBC and MSNBC. I love Jeopardy, but I’m seldom in front of a TV when it's on!
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CCA Convention (2006) - Jon had the opportunity to meet former Chicago Bear William "The Refrigerator" Perry. |
Prefer to be on camera/on-air or behind the scenes? I suppose I’d have to say on-camera, mainly because it doesn’t require any technical ability! I'm only comfortable in front of the camera, though, if I have something to say, rather than if I have to say something.
How far should someone go to get a story? Until they're told to stop.
What do you think is the coolest job behind the scenes? TV news directing.
What TV advertisements bother you the most? The ones that try to convince us that we can just pop a pill and all our problems will be solved.
Who would you most like to interview? I don't know, I think George Martin, Alan Greenspan or Kofi Annan would make for some pretty remarkable interviews.
Likes: Sports, hamburgers, roller coasters and jazz
Dislikes: Asparagus
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Jon braves the camera for an interview with a Specs student in 2003. Specs Profile is a talk show that is produced by students and appears on several cable channels in the metro Detroit area. |
Favorite place: My wife and I went to Hawaii on our honeymoon. That's a pretty tough place to beat.
Pets: We had a cat when I was growing up, but I've since developed some pretty serious allergies to cats and dogs (at least that's what I told my kids!).
Favorite movie: The Shawshank Redemption is right up there with Animal House; Back to School; Liar, Liar; Father of the Bride (I & II) and the Pink Panther movies.
Places traveled: I've been to most of states in the United States and look forward to visiting the rest. In my heyday as a musician, I also performed in Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Peru and all over the Caribbean, as well as Japan and Korea.
Best book: Winning, by Jack Welch and Good to Great, by Jim Collins, were, by far, the best business books I've ever read. Truman and John Adams, both by David McCullough, were also very, very good. I don't really read a lot of fiction, but I've read a couple John Grisham books, The Client and The Testament, both of which I enjoyed.
Special talents/skills/hobbies: I am a crossword fiend!
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Having published four instructional books on playing the bass (above), he is also a successful author with endorsements from the likes of Todd Hamilton of Aerosmith and David Ellefson of Megadeth to NY Studio Legend Bob Cranshaw and David Letterman's Will Lee. |
Greatest accomplishment:
While in Japan, a buddy of mine and I took off one day and climbed Mt. Fuji, all the way to the top! I'm also fortunate to have had the opportunity to share some of my musical knowledge with so many others. I've written four music instruction books on electric bass playing techniques for a major music publisher. They have translated my books into German, French and Japanese and distributed them worldwide. I was also extremely honored when Crain's Detroit Business chose me as one of their "40 under 40" top business people in the area (way back when I was chronologically eligible!).
What do you enjoy most about working at Specs? I like confronting the challenges of running a company and overcoming the obstacles that inevitably arise. It's gratifying when I see that the staff and students are truly enthused about what they're doing and that they're happy. It’s especially rewarding to go to a Pistons or Tigers game and see our grads all over the place (sometimes they even put my face up on the big screen!). Watching the company's continued growth gives me the biggest charge of all.
Things people associate with you:
Most everybody knows about my favorite Chinese restaurant that serves an amazing one-of-a-kind Szechuan whitefish! I’ve been known to hold many a lunch meeting there.
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