LaJuan Counts

Director, City of Detroit Demolition Department

TOPIC

Managing a $0.5 billion budget to clear industrial blight

BIOGRAPHY

LaJuan Counts is the Director of Demolition for the City of Detroit and a 30-year veteran in construction and contractor management.

In 2020, she was appointed by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan to lead the newly-formed Demolition Department and oversee the execution of a US$250 million bond initiative created to address more than 8,000 blighted residential properties. She has led major construction and development projects, including a $101 million high-rise apartment complex.

Before taking the helm of Detroit’s Demolition Department, Ms Counts served in various roles with the City of Detroit, including Superintendent of Building Maintenance and General Services Director, where she managed maintenance services for more than 140 facilities.

In late 2022, Mayor Duggan returned responsibility for Capital projects and Facilities back to LaJuan Counts, instituting a “cradle-to-grave” philosophy with responsibility for the construction and care for all city-owned properties throughout their useful life.

Ms Counts, who has been with the City of Detroit over 26 years, earned a BS in Building Construction Technology from Michigan State University and is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.