Detroit City Chatter: New civil rights hire
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Welcome back to our weekly city policy roundup.
💼 Hiring news: Jade Mathis, a civil rights attorney, public speaker and mental health advocate, is the next director of Detroit's Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity Department. Much of her past work has focused on criminal justice reform.
- Mathis' father is celebrity Judge Greg Mathis, a former Michigan 36th District Court judge and supporter of Mayor Mary Sheffield's campaign.
- Sheffield also appointed a deputy director for Jade Mathis' office: Megan Moslimani, a local attorney whose previous work includes building Detroit's social equity program for cannabis businesses.
Plus: More hiring news could potentially be on the way, as some leadership jobs posted to the city's website appear to have been taken down.
- That could include two top leadership "chief" roles — one will oversee housing, planning, workforce and economic development, and the other neighborhood affairs.
👋 DDA fills out: Sheffield nominated another Downtown Development Authority board member — Matt Walters, a developer and former economy exec under ex-Mayor Mike Duggan.
- Another nominee, former City Council member Fred Durhal, was approved by City Council this month.
- The other members of the influential economic development board are listed on its website.
🗣️ Lastly, Sheffield's keynote address at the Mackinac Policy Conference is 11:15am Thursday. Watch the livestream and look out for our coverage.
- Separately, we expect the announcement of a new Detroit neighborhood data dashboard.