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Wayne County Commissioner Irma Clark-Coleman, D-Detroit, has been appointed as chairwoman of the Commission's Committee on Economic Development for the remainder of the 2015-16 term, which ends Dec. 31.

She was appointed by Commission Chairman Gary Woronchak, D-Dearborn, to that role to replace Richard LeBlanc, who resigned from the Commission effective Jan. 1 after he was elected as city clerk in Westland.

Commissioner Clark-Coleman previously had been vice-chairwoman of the committee. She also serves on the Committee on Audit and the Committee on Public Safety, Judiciary and Homeland Security. Before her new appointment, she had chaired the Special Committee on Senior Citizens & Veterans Affairs, on which she continues to serve. She also is the Commission's representative on the Wayne County Airport Authority's Board of Directors.

The seven-member Committee on Economic Development deliberates on issues dealing with business development, community development programs, affordable housing opportunities and land use planning. Items it approves move on to the full Commission for final deliberation.

"It's an honor to be chosen to lead this committee," Commissioner Clark-Coleman said. "It's important that the county continue to work to generate economic activity, and our committee will play an important role in doing that. As the economy improves, there will be more opportunities for development."

Commissioner Clark-Coleman is in her third term representing the 5th District, which covers north-central Detroit. She was first elected to the Commission in November 2010.

Before joining the Commission, she served in the Michigan House of Representatives for four years and the Michigan Senate for eight. In her final four years in the Senate, she served on the prestigious Appropriations Committee. She also served on the Detroit Board of Education and worked for the Wayne County Road Commission for 31 years before retiring in 1998 as director of human relations.