Dearborn Heights mayor announces appointments

By SUE SUCHYTA

Times-Herald Newspapers

HEIGHTS – As he begins his elected term as mayor, Mo Baydoun announced 10 appointed directors and other key positions during the Jan. 13 City Council meeting.

They include: Rachel LaPointe as water billing supervisor, Usef Nasrallah as director of ordinance enforcement and animal control, Amad Elzayat as director of emergency management/community liaison, Mohamed Qasim as director of communications, and Hussein Dabajeh as director of community and economic development.

Also appointed were: Nicole Hefty as director of grants, Michael Guzowski as police chief, Sue Kaminsky as the mayor’s office assistant, Hussein Saad as chief of staff, and Mahdi Baydoun as comptroller.

Adam Abusalah, who is a legislative aide with the Wayne County Commission, is helping Baydoun during the transition.

Baydoun said he had to make some tough decisions to get the city moving in the right direction.

He said Nasrallah, who has a legal and leadership background, is also an animal lover, which will serve him well as director of ordinance enforcement and animal control.

Baydoun said Elzayat, a long-time city philanthropist, has worked in law enforcement for many years, which will contribute to his role as director of emergency management and community liaison. 

He said Qasim, as director of communications, will help the city control the narrative when events put the city in the spotlight, and joking said he stole him from the City of Dearborn.

Baydoun said Dabajeh brings governmental experience to his role as director of community and economic development, having worked for Wayne County for more than seven years and succeeded as a business owner as well.

“I think our city needs to understand that when we have economic development and growth and continuing things, it needs to be not just the building department – it needs to be our economic development as well,” he said.

Baydoun said Hefty, as director of grants, who also comes from the City of Dearborn, will fill a role that has been greatly needed by the city of Dearborn Heights, and credits her with bringing in millions in grant money to the city of Dearborn.

“When you think of finding and capturing funds, she’s already preparing to apply for over $103 million,” he said. “That would be three years’ budgets of the city of Dearborn Heights, and she said we are probably going to be good for anywhere between $60 to $70 million if we can get any of these captured.

“Nothing is guaranteed, but even if we got $1, that more than we’ve ever gotten.”

Baydoun said that as the new police chief, Guzowski will be leading the city’s first 100 days of its campaign against reckless driving.

He said Guzowski has been with the city for 23 years and has risen through the ranks.

“He is what Dearborn Heights resembles and looks like, and how you should be able to continue to grow from your rank,” Baydoun said.

The mayor said Saad, the new chief of staff, is also the city’s prosecutor and assists corporation counsel Gary Miotke, and has “a wealth of knowledge.”

Mo Baydoun said Mahdi Baydoun went from being the deputy comptroller to the new comptroller. The mayor said he wants to change the title to chief financial officer.

The mayor said Abusalah, who works for the Wayne County Commission and is not on the city payroll, has been volunteering to help the city clerk, the council chair and him.

Council Chair Hassan Ahmad also welcomed the new staff.

“I’m looking forward to working along your side to move the city forward,” he said. “Welcome to the Dearborn Heights family.”