Who Is In Charge Of The Land Bank?
Board Chair Erica Ward Gerson
Corporate lawyer from Skadden Arps (the law firm credited with spearheading the tax inversions boom allowing corporations to pay less), former DMC trustee chair (where she was very close to Duggan), she "wrote the framework" for his blight policy as mayor, lives in Bloomfield Hills, is a former trustee of Cranbrook, has donated TENS of thousands to Republican candidates in the South such as Marco Rubio, Tim Scott, and Tom Cotton, as well as the Republican Majority Fund...altogether totaling probably about a quarter million dollars. She is a former special assistant to the US Dept of Energy, her husband was special assistant to Jimmy Carter's special representative for trade negotiations. Her daddy was director of Guardian Industries Corp. (a glass manufacturer in Detroit), and a director and part owner of the Detroit Pistons.
https://littlesis.org/person/133464-Erica_Ward_Gerson
https://thejewishnews.com/2014/09/04/blight-buster/
One of the two actual Detroiters on the board, Hosey is a former Downtown Development Authority member (which Mike Duggan heads), he owns Hosey Development LLC with $2.5B in projects including some Midtown lofts, he was a former Vice President at Bank of America Tax Credit Equity Investments group, and has a criminal past including fraud, theft, vice, and hundreds of thousands in back taxes in Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, etc. Seems like a shoe-in candidate for treasurer of the Land Bank, right?! There's a lot more dirt in the article too, by the way:
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2016/12/14/detroit-dda-members-checkered-financial-past/95457414/
Ms. Walters is a former DIA board member, former Cranbrook board member (so that's two ex-Cranbrook people on the DLBA now), former director of the Michigan Municipal Bond Authority, former Michigan Dept. of Commerce director, she owns Walters & Associates Inc., a real estate development consultancy "focused on removing barriers for developers." Sounds sweet LOL!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolawalters
https://www.waltersassoc.com/about
A realtor affiliated with National Realty Centers in Birmingham and Northville, and owner of Phase Four Management LLC developing commercial properties. Can't find much else out about her.
https://www.realtor.com/realestateagents/miranda-morrow_northville_mi_981953_460689525
Former "Detroit Assistant to the Mayor for Public Policy Projects," former Deputy Finance Director and Executive Director of the Office of Property Data of Philadelphia, former Executive to the City Manager of the City of Charlotte. She seems to have done a good job shielding any unseemly parts of her past online, as well as most former affiliations (her LinkedIn is behind a paywall), but at least she seems qualified rather than being just another realtor. Don't let her apparently clean record fool you however; under her watch the DLBA has still been embroiled in controversy, such as the Inspector General's scathing audit of the organization in 2020, the usual laundry list of missing money, problems with contractors, and the latest drama where they went to court against HGTV star Nicole Curtis to try and steal her house...all of which Ms. Thompson has readily made excuses for. As of January 2022, the DLBA board is actually trying to force Ms. Thompson out of her position as CEO, but she was refusing to leave and no one would go on record as to the reasons why, other than to insinuate that Duggan controlled the DLBA through Erica Ward Gerson, who was the one really pulling the strings, and that Gerson and Thompson did not get along.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/saskia-thompson-8551604
Ms. Lewand-Monroe resides in Ann Arbor, and resigned from the DLBA in 2017 to be a consultant for private development work with Invest Detroit, and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. She "will continue to serve the DLBA as a consultant to assist with the transition and upcoming arbitration with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority...to resolve a dispute stemming from an ongoing review of the demolition program’s billing practices, which turned up $7.3 million in what the state has argued are 'inappropriate' or 'inaccurate' costs." Translation: she resigned because of scandal, in order to get paid as a consultant in the cleanup of said scandal. She formerly served as director of policy at Detroit Future City, and as executive director of the Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority under Governor Granholm. Detroit Future City is the plan to turn much of the city's underserved neighborhoods into prairie. Her father is F. Thomas Lewand Sr., group executive for jobs and economic growth in Mayor Duggan's office. Her brother is Tom Lewand Jr., president of the Detroit Lions. Another family member owns the Birmingham-based construction company Lewand Building Co.
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| Treasurer Richard Hosey |
One of the two actual Detroiters on the board, Hosey is a former Downtown Development Authority member (which Mike Duggan heads), he owns Hosey Development LLC with $2.5B in projects including some Midtown lofts, he was a former Vice President at Bank of America Tax Credit Equity Investments group, and has a criminal past including fraud, theft, vice, and hundreds of thousands in back taxes in Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, etc. Seems like a shoe-in candidate for treasurer of the Land Bank, right?! There's a lot more dirt in the article too, by the way:
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2016/12/14/detroit-dda-members-checkered-financial-past/95457414/
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| Board Member Carol Walters |
Ms. Walters is a former DIA board member, former Cranbrook board member (so that's two ex-Cranbrook people on the DLBA now), former director of the Michigan Municipal Bond Authority, former Michigan Dept. of Commerce director, she owns Walters & Associates Inc., a real estate development consultancy "focused on removing barriers for developers." Sounds sweet LOL!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolawalters
https://www.waltersassoc.com/about
But what is the link to Cranbrook about? The elite Cranbrook academy in Bloomfield Hills is run by the Taubman family, who are heavy donors to the DIA, Mike Duggan, and other Republican candidates nationwide.
The Taubmans are also developers who own several malls...and now you know why Carol Walters is on the board of the Land Bank.
Secretary Miranda Morrow-Bartell
A realtor affiliated with National Realty Centers in Birmingham and Northville, and owner of Phase Four Management LLC developing commercial properties. Can't find much else out about her.
https://www.realtor.com/realestateagents/miranda-morrow_northville_mi_981953_460689525
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| Vice Chair Patricia Pernell Shelton |
Real estate agent, supposedly lives in Detroit, at 18041 Fenmore. Her Facebook profile (inactive since 2013) has no pictures of her, and currently says that she "Works at Mike Duggan," and studied Biology/Chemistry at University of Detroit. Nothing else comes up on Google about her, even though she is the vice chairperson of the board of the Land Bank. Spooky!! 👻 👻 👻
Former CEO Saskia Thompson
Former "Detroit Assistant to the Mayor for Public Policy Projects," former Deputy Finance Director and Executive Director of the Office of Property Data of Philadelphia, former Executive to the City Manager of the City of Charlotte. She seems to have done a good job shielding any unseemly parts of her past online, as well as most former affiliations (her LinkedIn is behind a paywall), but at least she seems qualified rather than being just another realtor. Don't let her apparently clean record fool you however; under her watch the DLBA has still been embroiled in controversy, such as the Inspector General's scathing audit of the organization in 2020, the usual laundry list of missing money, problems with contractors, and the latest drama where they went to court against HGTV star Nicole Curtis to try and steal her house...all of which Ms. Thompson has readily made excuses for. As of January 2022, the DLBA board is actually trying to force Ms. Thompson out of her position as CEO, but she was refusing to leave and no one would go on record as to the reasons why, other than to insinuate that Duggan controlled the DLBA through Erica Ward Gerson, who was the one really pulling the strings, and that Gerson and Thompson did not get along.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/saskia-thompson-8551604
https://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/29668/land_bank_director_saskia_thompson_could_be_next_detroit_official_pushed_out
In January 2022 Saskia Thompson was replaced by Tammy Daniels, who signed on as DLBA's general counsel in 2015. In 2012 Tammy Daniels was permanently barred from promoting a tax fraud scheme that resulted in the conviction of two accomplices. She is from Farmington Hills, and "has a real estate background."
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| Interim CEO Tammy Daniels |
In January 2022 Saskia Thompson was replaced by Tammy Daniels, who signed on as DLBA's general counsel in 2015. In 2012 Tammy Daniels was permanently barred from promoting a tax fraud scheme that resulted in the conviction of two accomplices. She is from Farmington Hills, and "has a real estate background."
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| Former CEO Carrie Lewand-Monroe |
Ms. Lewand-Monroe resides in Ann Arbor, and resigned from the DLBA in 2017 to be a consultant for private development work with Invest Detroit, and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. She "will continue to serve the DLBA as a consultant to assist with the transition and upcoming arbitration with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority...to resolve a dispute stemming from an ongoing review of the demolition program’s billing practices, which turned up $7.3 million in what the state has argued are 'inappropriate' or 'inaccurate' costs." Translation: she resigned because of scandal, in order to get paid as a consultant in the cleanup of said scandal. She formerly served as director of policy at Detroit Future City, and as executive director of the Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority under Governor Granholm. Detroit Future City is the plan to turn much of the city's underserved neighborhoods into prairie. Her father is F. Thomas Lewand Sr., group executive for jobs and economic growth in Mayor Duggan's office. Her brother is Tom Lewand Jr., president of the Detroit Lions. Another family member owns the Birmingham-based construction company Lewand Building Co.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2017/03/21/detroit-land-bank-director-leaving-position/99453352/
https://www.crainsdetroit.com/awards/carrie-lewand-monroe
Mr. Simowsky was the director of the DLBA prior to Carrie Lewand-Monroe. He was fired in 2015 for being drunk and belligerent on the job, and for stalking and harassing fellow employees. He is a Plymouth resident, and previously worked for Duggan at both the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office and the DMC, which probably explains why he was allowed to stay on the job despite months of employee complaints about his behavior.
Grosse Pointe resident, former host of "Detroit Today" on WDET, Mr. Fahle caught a drunk driving and cocaine possession case in 2018, but swiped his white privilege card to get a sweetheart plea deal, and ended up with only 1yr probation and community service. Must be nice! He resigned from the Land Bank in 2019.
https://www.wxyz.com/news/fmr-detroit-land-bank-spokesman-and-radio-host-craig-fahle-speaks-out-on-arrest
https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-fahle-337976b0
So the trends we can see from this cast of characters are that the top brass of the DLBA is overwhelmingly white, wealthy, based outside the city, shady, connected to Duggan, and—most importantly—tied to the real estate industry. Sure must be nice being in the private for-profit business sector and also holding a quasi-governmental position that gives you unusual power and influence over said business sector. These are the people determining the future of Detroit's neighborhoods...welcome to privatization, where the foxes control the henhouse.
https://www.crainsdetroit.com/awards/carrie-lewand-monroe
Former CEO Kevin Simowski
Mr. Simowsky was the director of the DLBA prior to Carrie Lewand-Monroe. He was fired in 2015 for being drunk and belligerent on the job, and for stalking and harassing fellow employees. He is a Plymouth resident, and previously worked for Duggan at both the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office and the DMC, which probably explains why he was allowed to stay on the job despite months of employee complaints about his behavior.
It's worth noting that in January 2003 when Mike Duggan was Wayne County Prosecutor, he and Duggan were sued in a whistleblower lawsuit by an intern who alleged that she was retaliated against on the job for reporting that Duggan’s staff was using county resources for political work. The intern also claimed that Duggan’s staff had been coaching her on misleading the FBI regarding the political work. Well isn't that juicy now? Simowski, Duggan’s chief of operations at the time, launched a character attack on the intern to discredit her, and claimed she fabricated the story. Hey, doesn't this sound a lot like the Malice Green / Dr. Jiraki case, where Duggan was sued for intimidating whistleblowers?
Anyway, the intern was able to produce strong evidence to the FBI showing that she was ordered to do political work at her county job. Duggan responded to this by firing one of his top staff members (so far that move has always worked to keep the pressure and the attention off of himself). The mayor declined to comment on Simowski's firing, or to explain how he was qualified to oversee the Land Bank in the first place since he had no apparent qualifying experience for the job. For what it's worth, the DLBA executive director prior to Simowski, Richard Wiener, was another Duggan crony.
Former Spokesman Craig Fahle
Grosse Pointe resident, former host of "Detroit Today" on WDET, Mr. Fahle caught a drunk driving and cocaine possession case in 2018, but swiped his white privilege card to get a sweetheart plea deal, and ended up with only 1yr probation and community service. Must be nice! He resigned from the Land Bank in 2019.
https://www.wxyz.com/news/fmr-detroit-land-bank-spokesman-and-radio-host-craig-fahle-speaks-out-on-arrest
https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-fahle-337976b0
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So the trends we can see from this cast of characters are that the top brass of the DLBA is overwhelmingly white, wealthy, based outside the city, shady, connected to Duggan, and—most importantly—tied to the real estate industry. Sure must be nice being in the private for-profit business sector and also holding a quasi-governmental position that gives you unusual power and influence over said business sector. These are the people determining the future of Detroit's neighborhoods...welcome to privatization, where the foxes control the henhouse.
But it's just amazing how they just can't seem to find anyone to run the DLBA except for people with skeletons in their closet from past legal troubles...why is that? Because it ensures that they can be controlled. If Duggan has dirt on you, he knows he can control you like an automaton because nowhere else are they going to be able to get another job in this high of a position with such a checkered past. He is putting people at the levers of power who he can control. Apparently he couldn't control Saskia Thompson to his liking, so she was driven to resign. This is also how Duggan always manages to avoid culpability in the many scandals that are constantly swirling around him; he puts these fall guys in the position to do the actual dirty work that he doesn't want on his hands, so when the next scandal breaks he can just tell the media "Ok I'll take out the trash," and he fires the scapegoat and ducks the blame...once again. This is the exact same reason why Donald Trump surrounds himself in such crooks. They are expendable. Yet they remain loyal to Duggan based on the loose network of political favors that he maintains; "You do this for me and maybe I'll help you out with xyz..." This makes despots like Duggan magnetic—even people who are not his actual appointees seek to get in on the action because they feel that it is the path to their personal next level. If you know someone who knows Duggan, or works in a certain department, or on the board of a certain non-profit, you can maybe parlay that to your own advancement, and Duggan relies on this "magnetism" to keep his machine rolling. He knows he has a steady stream of people willing to do things for small favors, which means he himself never has to actually put his hands on anything. This is how mafia bosses manage to never get hauled into court, or put in jail. Before they do anything illegal, they always make sure they have the ability to pin it on someone lower in the food chain, and claim ignorance of any wrongdoing. And Duggan has plenty of "loose connections" in the local media, which is why none of them ever bother connecting the dots to report on the bigger picture of what's really going on, which is why a blog like this has to exist.
It is also worth mentioning that in summer of 2021, things have been changing rapidly at the Land Bank...I'm hearing about many new policies coming into effect, and many old ones gone. For instance I have learned that unlike when they started, the buyer now has to pay for all title work costs involved, and they no longer clean the houses out or remove overgrowth for you prior to sale. So they're saving big on that while raising the threshold of who can afford to participate in the land bank program, as well as adding to the owner's burden of achieving compliance (trust me, it's already hard enough). This favors wealthy white investors, and increases barriers to home ownership for the low-income black people who actually live in the communities where these houses are located. So it is yet another driver of re-gentrification and of turning homeowners into renters, in areas that have been left devastated since the subprime mortgage crisis gutted Detroit.
And now there's this (screen-capped from a realtor who shall remain anonymous)...
It is also worth mentioning that in summer of 2021, things have been changing rapidly at the Land Bank...I'm hearing about many new policies coming into effect, and many old ones gone. For instance I have learned that unlike when they started, the buyer now has to pay for all title work costs involved, and they no longer clean the houses out or remove overgrowth for you prior to sale. So they're saving big on that while raising the threshold of who can afford to participate in the land bank program, as well as adding to the owner's burden of achieving compliance (trust me, it's already hard enough). This favors wealthy white investors, and increases barriers to home ownership for the low-income black people who actually live in the communities where these houses are located. So it is yet another driver of re-gentrification and of turning homeowners into renters, in areas that have been left devastated since the subprime mortgage crisis gutted Detroit.
And now there's this (screen-capped from a realtor who shall remain anonymous)...
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If you look on the official DLBA website there are very few homes listed lately. They have claimed that it is because they are so understaffed due to Covid that they have been way behind on listings. Yes, they have always had a problem with high employee turnover, and I'm sure that it's worse now than ever, but if you go and comb real estate listings online you will notice that many of the homes listed by realtors are actually being sold through the DLBA—homes that are not listed as available by the DLBA. So private realtors are getting paid out of this with our tax money, and they are the only ones with access to the full list of what the DLBA has (you have to be a licensed realtor to have access to the MLS database).
Oh by the way, they're also requiring walk-through inspections prior to compliance sign-off now before they release the deed to you...which is fine, but this inspection work is also is being contracted out. They just can't stop spending our money, can they?
Also of note is the fact that a lot of the homes being sold by the DLBA are often just used as havens for sex traffickers and drug dealers...
Even bloggers in Miami are hip to this, but what is the DLBA or Mike Duggan or City Council doing about it?
As of October 1, 2021, the DLBA website got hacked, exposing all home buyers and auction participants to identity theft:
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Just another glaring example of DLBA's grotesque incompetence.
