b"I n March 2024, big news broke.JSA. Its not only crime prevention; hes so in-The Jewelers Security Alliance an- volved in the financing of JSA. Hes responsible nounced that after 32 years on the job, JSAfor bringing in all the contributions of people President John J. Kennedy would be steppingwithin the industry.down at the end of the year.After more than three decades, it is difficult While the news wasnt shared with the widerto imagine anyone at the helm of JSA other than industry until earlier this year, those in theKennedy, an attorney by trade who started out at knowmeaning the organizations board a nonprofit and worked for two government-run knew at the beginning of 2021 that JSAs long- investigative bodies before joining JSA in the time leader wanted to be out by 2025. early 90s. In my head and in my discussions with myHeyman says people are drawn to Kennedy wife, I said, I dont want to do this if Im olderbecause of his humility and because he listens, than about 77, 78, says Kennedy. Im way pastan important facet of leadership that, some normal retirement age.might say, is a dying art. Kennedy turned 77 this past April and hesHes a fabulous listener, Heyman says. He not wrong; hes about a decade past the averagehears people, he understands people . that retirement age.makes him a great leader. BRONX BEGINNINGSRetiring Jewelers' Security AllianceKennedy was born in the Bronx, New York, President John Kennedy and lived in the boroughs Riverdale section until he was about 8 years old when his parents moved the family to suburban Westchester County.He returned to the borough for high school (Fordham Preparatory School) and college (Fordham University) before attending law school at St. Johns in Queens. Kennedy says he was top of the class in both constitutional and criminal law at St. Johns, but he knew he didnt want to be a prosecutor. His destiny, he thought at the time, was to be a defense attorney, crusading for the rights of the wrongfully accused. And of coursenobodys innocent, unfor-tunately, he jokes. Nobody who can pay you is innocent, thats the problem.I was not thrilled by the idea of going into either the prosecution or the defense of crimi-nal cases, but I still had an interest in crime. So, Kennedy took a job heading the criminal justice project at a nonprofit called the Scien-tists Institute for Public Information. He also relocated from the Bronx, where he lived for a time after law school, to the Upper But as one of the industrys most respectedWest Side of Manhattan. leaders, its safe to say he hasnt overstayed hisAhead of its time for the late 1970s, the insti-welcome. tutes project focused on the issue of computers Oscar Heyman CEO Adam Heyman, a long- and privacy, specifically as they related to the time JSA board member and former board chair,FBIs collection of a vast amount of information says he considers Kennedy one of his very bestfrom the 50 states about peoples criminal histo-friends in the industry, and says he felt dis- riesarrests, incarcerations, releases, etc.for mayed when Kennedy told him he was retiring. its then-nascent National Crime Information When John told me about his leaving JSA,Center (NCIC). my first reaction was, I cant imagine anyoneKennedy says while the NCIC exists today in who can follow you, Heyman recalls.a much more sophisticated form, back then it Hes so multi-faceted at what he does atwas riddled with inaccurate information. NATIONAL JEWELER 53"