Mayor Mike Duggan announced his new deputy mayor Wednesday after his former deputy Todd Bettison left the post to be Detroit’s interim police chief.
Duggan’s longtime adviser on neighborhood economic development, Melia Howard, will fill Bettison’s role. Howard served as the mayor’s community engagement director for two years, where she was responsible for building community support for many city development projects, ensuring engagement from the public to help shape community benefits agreements, according to the city.
Howard was previously the special projects director, where she advised Duggan on large-scale development projects, and served as the City Council District 5 department of neighborhood manager for more than three years aiding residents with their concerns…