Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan Appoints City’s Chief of Services and Infrastructure

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Detroit chief of services and infrastructure Arthur Jemison
FILE PHOTO

Mayor Mike Duggan has announced the appointment of Arthur Jemison to the newly created position of chief of services and infrastructure, which is part of a reorganization designed to promote improved coordination between city departments. Jemison will leave his position as director of housing and revitalization department, with Donald Rencher replacing him.

In his new role, Jemison will oversee city departments including the health department, fire department, housing and revitalization and buildings, and the safety engineering and environmental department. Jemison’s position will also oversee infrastructure-based departments and agencies such as general services, public lighting, the city airport, and the office of sustainability. Brad Dick, director of general services, has been promoted to group executive of infrastructure to oversee the daily activities of these departments and report to Jemison.

Since being recruited by Duggan in 2014, Jemison worked with developers to create more than 1,500 new affordable housing units and preserved hundreds more that were soon to see their affordability status expire. He led the development of a citywide strategy to meet the housing needs of low-income residents and addressed homelessness in Detroit.

“Arthur has done just an exceptional job of developing our city’s inclusive housing and neighborhood redevelopment strategy,” says Duggan. “He’s a great leader and team builder who understands how all of the departments under his authority will need to work together to deliver better services to residents.  I’m thrilled to have Arthur in this new role.”

Jemison will also lead the city’s efforts to work with the independent agencies that the city works closely with, including the Detroit Land Bank Authority, Public Lighting Authority, Detroit Housing Commission, and Greater Detroit Resource Recovery Authority. He will also lead efforts to coordinate the activities of the city’s department of neighborhoods, as well as all planning and economic development activities.

“In my role in the housing department, I was proud to participate in the mayor’s mandate to build an inclusive Detroit and have had an outstanding team to work with,” says Jemison.  “I am honored that the mayor has asked me to expand on that work in this new role and excited to get to work providing better services and more opportunities for Detroiters.”