DETROIT (WWJ) — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has named Melia Howard as his next deputy mayor.
Howard — a longtime advisor on neighborhood economic development, a community organizer and resident advocate — will take over for Todd Bettison, who was named interim police chief as Chief James White departs in early November.
Howard has served as Duggan’s director of community engagement over the past two years. In that role, the mayor’s office says Howard “played a key role in building community support for many of the city’s marquee development projects by making sure they had a voice in the process and a role in shaping each project’s community benefits agreement.”
She also previously spent time as director of special projects and Department of Neighborhoods manager for District 5.
“As a little girl from the eastside, I never thought this was possible and I am truly humbled and honored that Mayor Duggan has trusted me with this enormous opportunity. My residents mean so much to me and I will continue to work hard for them.” Howard said in a press release.
Duggan described Howard as a “fierce advocate” for Detroit residents and “absolutely critical in making sure Detroiters have a strong voice at City Hall in developments proposed in their neighborhoods.
“Projects like the renovation of Michigan Central and Fisher Body 21, as well as the $3 billion Future of Health development, might not have happened if not for the trust Melia has built in the community and among developers,” Duggan said, per a press release.
Howard, a lifelong Detroiter, will become Detroit’s second woman to serve as Deputy Mayor in the city’s history. Nettie Seabrooks was the first woman to hold the position from 1994-1997 under Mayor Dennis Archer.
While Howard was director of special projects, she began serving as an advisor to Duggan on large-scale development projects, a role she will continue as deputy mayor.
She also spearheaded the Saturdays in the D program, which provides Detroit youths and adults on-campus educational activities at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The program, which is a partnership with UM and Ally Financial, gives 100 high school students and 100 adults each year access to educational and experiential opportunities at UM in fields like robotics and climate change.
Howard also will continue the Community Violence Intervention (CVI) work that has been led by Bettison. Over the first three quarters, the “Shotstoppers” initiative has “resulted in dramatic reductions in homicides and non-fatal shootings in most of the six areas served by CVI community organizations,” according to the city’s press release.
Last Friday Duggan announced he had named Bettison as the new interim police chief. Bettison will assume the role in early November as Chief James White becomes CEO of the non-profit Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network.
Bettison spent 27 years with DPD before leaving his role as assistant chief in 2022 to become deputy mayor. During his time in the mayor’s office, Bettison was involved in the implementation of “Shot Stoppers,” a community-based violence intervention program that Duggan said Friday is now gaining national recognition.
"I hate to lose him as deputy mayor, but this job is so critical that I'm just so pleased we had somebody ready to step in," Duggan said at the press conference introducing him as interim chief.