Lansing Gov. Snyder names Hollins head of urban office

By Kathy Barks Hoffman Associated Press LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Gov. Rick Snyder on Monday tapped a Wayne State University vice president to head a new office responsible for finding ways to revitalize the economies of Michigan's major cities. Harvey Hollins III will start his job at the Michigan Office of Urban and Metropolitan Initiatives on Sept. 1. Wayne State's vice president for government and community affairs joined the Detroit-based university in 2004 and was a lead staffer in the creation of Michigan's University Research Corridor. He'll serve as Snyder's principal adviser on matters related to urban and regional economic initiatives that contribute to job growth. Hollins will be based in Detroit but plans to open satellite offices in Grand Rapids and the Flint-Saginaw area. During his State of the State speech in January, Snyder said he planned to seek funds to launch an office aimed at helping revitalize Michigan's major cities. Initial funding will be provided by auto supplier DENSO Corp. and the W.K. Kellogg, C.S. Mott and The Kresge foundations. Other foundations are expected to contribute next year. An advisory board will help guide the new office, which is the result of a partnership between the state and the Council of Michigan Foundations. "Michigan's cities are Michigan's future," Snyder said in a release. "But the issues facing our urban centers are often unique and complex." He said the initiative will primarily focus on cities' economic development needs, including their appeal to businesses and their public transportation systems. Snyder added at a Detroit news conference at which he introduced the new director that Hollins has a proven ability to work with a broad range of interests and will help Michigan's cities "become centers where people want to live, work and prosper." Hollins lives in Belleville with his wife and three daughters. The South Haven native earned a bachelor's degree from Kalamazoo College and a master's degree from the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Published: Wed, Aug 3, 2011