DEGC Board Names Arthur Jemison as its New President and CEO

"The DEGC Board oversaw a very thorough and deliberate search process that included local and national candidates with proven success in economic revitalization," said DEGC Board Chairman James Vella. "We are thrilled to have someone of Arthur's caliber to lead a team that already has been accomplishing great things for our city."

Before coming to Detroit Jemison served as Deputy Undersecretary and Deputy Director, Department of Housing and Community Development, for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He has held a variety of both public- and private- sector positions, many related to city planning and urban development. This includes his role in the Office of Deputy Mayor for Planning & Development, District of Columbia, where he worked on Major League Baseball site selection, CityCenterDC, and the Marriott Marquis Washington, D.C.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said, "Arthur has been critical to our efforts to make sure the city's revitalization reaches all of our neighborhoods. He is an outstanding choice to lead the DEGC as it continues to a larger role in attracting equitable growth and development to Detroit."

Since coming to Detroit, Jemison has made significant contributions to the city's housing transformation, including:

• Three-year collaboration with City Council on recently passed affordable housing ordinance to require developers who receive discounted city land or city funding to allocate at least 20% of the units in that development as affordable housing units.
• Worked with development community to complete over 1,400 units including 400 affordable units since 2015 at approximately $200m investment;
• Secured an $8.9 million grant from the U.S. Department HUD to drive planning, housing and public improvements for targeted neighborhoods. Notably, this grant funding represented dollars allocated to other cities that went unspent. Because of Detroit's track record effectively utilizing HUD dollars under Jemison's leadership, the funding was re-allocated to the city.

"I'm honored to lead the DEGC at such a critical moment," said Jemison. "Our city is on a trajectory of prosperity and economic leadership fueled by business development. DEGC has earned a reputation as a trusted partner, business incubator, revitalization specialist and resource network. I will continue our focus on creating opportunities for local business owners, entrepreneurs and residents that allows every Detroiter to be part of the city's success."

Jemison is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Massachusetts. He succeeds Glen W. Long, Jr., DEGC Chief Financial Officer, who has served as interim CEO.

"We are thankful to Glen and the entire DEGC team for their tremendous achievements so far this year, including their work on Little Caesars Arena, Flex-N-Gate, and a variety of programs that support local businesses," said Vella. "The addition of Jemison will accelerate our efforts to improve the quality of life for all Detroiters through economic development."

About DEGC
DEGC is an independent, non-profit organization that serves as Detroit's lead provider of business retention, attraction and economic development services. DEGC is led by a 50-member board comprised of business, civic, labor and community leaders. The team of professionals provide staff services for key public authorities that offer tax increment and other forms of financing for projects that bring new jobs or economic activity to the city. DEGC also provides planning, project management and other services under contract to the City of Detroit. (www.degc.org)

Contacts:
Charlotte Fisher
Director, DEGC Marketing & Communications
313-237-4603
[email protected]

Sharon McMurray
MCCI
313-300-5494
[email protected]

SOURCE Detroit Economic Growth Corporation

Related Links

http://www.degc.org