Experience Matters - Meet Our Team
Jonathan Witz | Owner
Years at Company: All of them!
Favorite concert I ever attended: 311
Favorite Event I’ve Ever Worked On: Super Bowl XL
If I wasn’t involved in special events, I would likely be: Coaching Kids Soccer
Lori Witz | Accounts Payable, Music Consultant
Years at Company: 27 years
First Event I ever worked on: 1993 Holiday party Detroit Free Press
Favorite concert I ever attended: Ben Folds
If I wasn’t involved in special events, I would likely be: Singing!
Jeffery Wilson | Director of Operations
Years at Company: I have worked 18+ years at JWA and over 33 years professionally in the event Industry
Arts, Beats or Eats and Why?: All the above. Being the Director of Operations for the event I must say that I don’t have a favorite. All of the event’s elements, the Arts, The Beat and The Eats, are equally important and require the same amount of planning and energy in order to properly support the overall event.
Favorite Event I’ve Ever Worked On: 2006 Super Bowl XL in Detroit and 1993 World Youth Day in Denver Colorado
Favorite Concert I’ve Ever Attended: Not a concert, but the few that are at the top of my list are my daughters Hight School Musicals and Les Miserables
First Event I Ever Worked On: 1977 Backyard Muscular Dystrophy Telethon Fund Raiser. Professionally 1990 Michigan TasteFest.
Number of Events I’ve Worked On: I have worked well over 300 events throughout my professional career. NBA All Star Weekends, NCAA Final Fours, PGA Championships, NFL Super Bowls are several of the national events. Locally in Detroit I have been part of some of the biggest events including Arts, Beats and Eats, Detroit International Jazz Festival, Detroit Electronic Music Festival/Movement, Detroit Festival of the Arts, as well as many smaller scale events.
If I Wasn’t Involved in Special Events I Would Likely Be: Hard to Say, but whatever it was I would work hard and strive to be the best in that profession.
Shannon Wojtas | Director of Art, Food & Beverage
Years at Company: 17, I think...
Arts, Beats or Eats and Why?: Arts! As the art Director I'm clearly a bit biased but I do love all 3. I think combining all 3 is what makes our event so unique and not to miss.
Favorite Event I’ve Ever Worked On: Winter Blast, Super Bowl XL
Favorite Concert I’ve Ever Attended: Bob Dylan
First Event I Ever Worked On: Techno Fest Detroit, 2001
Number of Events I’ve Worked On: Oh wayy too many to count. In the hundreds
Most Surprising Thing That Has Ever Happened to Me at a JWA Event: Finding out I was pregnant at River Days.
If I Wasn’t Involved in Special Events I Would Likely Be: Teaching yoga in Zion National Park
Jaime Wilkins | Music Director, Production Manager, Research & Safety Coordinator
Years at Company: 11 years
Arts, Beats or Eats and Why?: Beats - because it is art and food(nourishes the soul)
Favorite Event I’ve Ever Worked On: European Warped Tour
Favorite Concert I’ve Ever Attended: Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill, House of Pain & Funkdoobiest
First Event I Ever Worked On: San Diego ESPN X Games
Number of Events I’ve Worked On: I'm too old to count
Most Surprising Thing That Has Ever Happened to Me at a JWA Event: Surprise Birthday Party put on for me by my crew on the last night of ABE
If I Wasn’t Involved in Special Events I Would Likely Be: Playing Soccer
Michael Simon | Food and Vendor Coordinator
Years at Company: 11 years
Arts, Beats or Eats and Why?: Eats, they saved the best for last that's why it's the last program listed in the festival name. This is closely followed by the Market Place Vendors. I heard the guy who organizes those programs is super good looking.
Favorite Event I’ve Ever Worked On: Smoke on the River, - I always enjoy the laid-back mentality behind the event.
Favorite Concert I’ve Ever Attended: Alice Cooper - Of all the artists I have watched on stage. He was the best showman.
First Event I Ever Worked On: 2004/2005 I volunteered to assemble a halftime stage at a Lions home game.
Number of Events I’ve Worked On: 100+ I stopped counting a bit ago.
Most Surprising Thing That Has Ever Happened to Me at a JWA Event: I received a radio call asking if a Kangaroo could enter the site. I quickly determined that the best way to resolve this situation was for me to put eyes on this Kangaroo - turns out, it was an actual kangaroo on a leash trying to enter the site.
If I Wasn’t Involved in Special Events I Would Likely Be: A Police officer, pursuing a job in academia studying criminology/ pursuing my Professional Emergency Managment designation. The back up to that career path is to continue my work as a carpenter.