Director of Economic Development
& Grants Management

Background information on John K. Kerr

John Kerr was hired as the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority’s, Economic Development Specialist in August of 1998.  Mr. Kerr has helped the Port Authority secure its first grants as an economic development agency including a $3 million Waterfront Redevelopment Grant through the State of Michigan's Clean Michigan Initiative.  He is currently assisting the DWCPA in developing their Public Dock and Terminal, a part of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's East Riverfront redevelopment plan.  The facility is being built through $10.5 million in federal and state appropriations and will provide the City of Detroit a state-of-the-art facility able to receive cruise ships and other transient vessels. 

With the help of John’s leadership, the Port Authority closed on its first bond issuance this past December of 2004 - a $43 million mixed-use facility on the east waterfront.  The structure includes over 1,200 parking spots overtop 18,000 square feet of retail, that was recently announced to become Asian Village.  Mr. Kerr hopes that through this first structured financing, the Port Authority will be looked to for many more capital-improvement projects, and conduit financings.

Mr. Kerr also works collaboratively with a collection of officials throughout the public sector in order to secure funding for various projects that improve environmental and recreational opportunities in and around the Detroit River.  John helped secure $400,000 from the U.S. EPA Brownfield Assessment program which has helped fund a collection of projects in southwest Detroit.  John has also helped fund a string of consecutive soft engineering projects that promoted new ways to stabilize shorelines around the Detroit Metropolitan Area, using natural habitat, rather than hard seawalls.  Additionally, John was successful in bringing in $500,000 through the very competitive Port Security Grant program, offered by the Transportation Security Administration, which will purchase new patrol vessels for the City of Detroit and Wayne County, allowing for increased patrols of the Detroit River.

Mr. Kerr is a graduate of Michigan State University ('98) holding a Bachelor of Science degree from the school's Urban and Regional Planning Program.  John was also involved in internships with the City of East Lansing, Planning and Community Development Department and for Second Ebenezer Baptist Church of Detroit where he worked under the Reverend Edgar L. Vann, Jr. to develop faith-based partnerships with Comerica Bank.
John is a recent graduate of Michigan State’s, School of Public Policy and Social Research, Michigan Political Leadership Program.  A multi-partisan program, this fellowship brings together a diverse group of twenty-four individuals from across the state to engage in public policy and leadership curriculum.  Recently, John was also selected to the Leadership Detroit program, which focuses more regionally on critical socio-economic issues affecting the future of Metropolitan Detroit.

Mr. Kerr is member of the Messiah Housing Development Corporation, Board of Directors, promoting affordable housing on Detroit’s east side.  He also serves as a Board Member for the Council of Development Finance Agencies, a national association of public and private agencies dedicated toward education and creative financing solutions.  John is also an active member of the Economic Club of Detroit, American Planning Association and Michigan Economic Developers Association.

John is married to his wife, Azurely, and resides in Royal Oak, Michigan.