Wayne County Airport Authority Boards Appoints WCCCD Chancellor Curtis L. Ivery Chairperson

DETROIT, Mich. – Jan. 23, 2024 – Wayne County Community College District Chancellor Dr. Curtis L. Ivery has been appointed Chairperson of the Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) Board. Ivery was appointed to the seven-member independent board by Wayne County Executive Warren Evans in 2020.

The WCAA is tasked with strategically operating and managing the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Willow Run Airport. Detroit Metro Airport routinely ranks as one of the busiest and most popular airports in the world, ranking first in customers in customer satisfaction in North America by J.D. Power and Associates and garnering the Air Transport Research Society’s Airport Efficiency Excellence Award. Together, Detroit Metro Airport and Willow Run Airport represent one of the world’s leading air transportation hubs, logging more than 800 flights a day to more than 125 nonstop destinations across three continents, providing $10.2 billion in annual economic impact and supporting more than 86,000 jobs across Michigan.

“I am honored by this appointment and the opportunity to work with my board colleagues to advance one of the most important transportation hubs in the world,” said Ivery. “Detroit Metro and Willow Run are vital pieces of the economic engine that drive our region forward. It is truly exciting to champion that movement and help our region thrive now and into the future.”

As Chancellor of WCCCD, Ivery directs the largest urban/suburban multi-campus community college district in Michigan and is a recognized national thought leader on early education and equity, workforce development, and leadership. Ivery transformed WCCCD into a thriving, six-campus dynamic college district with more than 60,000 credit and non-credit students annually. Ivery also led the way in workforce development efforts throughout the county, creating more than 500 academic and career degree and certificate programs to help create a highly skilled workforce in southeast Michigan. He serves on numerous local, state, and national organizations and boards, including the Prestigious American Association of Community Colleges and the Commission on Economic and

Workforce Development. He has received many awards and honors, most recently the inaugural CEO of the Year Award from the American Association of Community Colleges, the Leadership Excellence Award for Diversity and Inclusion from the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, and the prestigious Trumpet Award for Education. In December 2023, Ivery was awarded the Alumni of the Year award from the University of Arkansas, recognizing his extraordinary professional and personal achievements in education and health care. Ivery served as the first African American appointed by President Bill Clinton to the Governor’s Cabinet in the state of Arkansas as the Commissioner for the Department of Health and Human Services.

About Wayne County Community College District WCCCD, one of the largest urban-suburban community colleges in Michigan, is a multi-campus district with six campus locations and educational centers, including the Mary Ellen Stempfle University Center, the Heinz C. Prechter Educational and Performing Arts Center, the Michigan Institute for Public Safety Education (MIPSE), the Curtis L. Ivery Health and Wellness Education Center and the Outdoor Careers Training Center. The District serves students across 32 cities, townships, and more than 500 square miles. WCCCD is committed to developing innovative programs, transforming the workforce, hosting community-based training sessions, and improving student facilities and services.