This month, The Detroit News honors Kary L. Moss, executive director of the ACLU of Michigan and a visiting lecturer at the Ford School, and Ford School alum Mark Wallace (MPP ’04), executive director of the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy, as Michiganians of the Year.
Moss is being honored for her organization’s advocacy during the Flint Water crisis, and Wallace for spearheading a number of transformational projects along the Detroit river front.
Before the problems with Flint’s drinking water were widely known, Moss sent ACLU investigative journalist Curt Guyette to learn more about the situation. Along with reporting on the water crisis, the ACLU also filed lawsuits and opened an office in Flint to better assist residents in the city.
Wallace is equally passionate about his work in Detroit. “I am a person who is always anticipating what could be instead of what is,” he tells The Detroit News. For years, Wallace has been at the forefront of restoration efforts in Detroit, from managing part of the Detroit RiverWalk construction to starting a business that creates guitars from reclaimed wood.
View the full list of The Detroit News’ Michiganians of the Year here.