It is with a mix of sadness and gratitude that the Board of Directors announces Mary King's departure as Executive Director of D4, effective in June, 2016. Since 2013, Mary has played a critical role in the development and success of the organization, and while we will miss her and her inspiring leadership, we wish her the best of luck in her new endeavor as the Executive Director for the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency. We want to thank Mary for her 3 years of dedicated service with D4. Under her leadership D4 achieved many significant accomplishments, including:
Research and Analysis: Released two major reports - on rebuilding the construction careers pipeline, titled, "Detroit is Under Construction: Rebuilding Detroit, Rebuilding Detroiters", and on inclusionary housing strategies, titled, "A Home for Everyone: Harnessing the positive energy of new housing development to ensure all Detroiters are included".
Education: Launched 2 Civic Leadership Institutes (CLIs), a month-long series of workshops that engaged 70 diverse community members to foster collaboration and networking around common values, while providing concrete tools for becoming ambassadors for a Community Benefits Agenda in Detroit.
Coalition Building: Supported community benefits campaigns - the West Grand Boulevard Collaborative Community Coalition (WGBC3), Corridors Alliance, and the State Fairground Development Coalition (SFDC), resulting in an historic Letter of Agreement between WGBC3 and Henry Ford Hospital, the seating of a Neighborhood Advisory Council for the new hockey arena, and SFDC's decision to pursue a community benefits campaign for the State Fairgrounds.
Community Convening: Convened local experts on a variety of community benefit-related issues, including the House/Senate bills to eliminate community benefits, and best practice recommendations for mixed income housing.
Although Mary will be greatly missed by the staff, Board and partners alike, we are looking forward to following the success of her new career, and we are hopeful and excited for D4's next chapter as we continue to support a Community Benefits Agenda for metro Detroit.
