Filed under: News
The Detroit Free Press reports that Gov. Rick Snyder appointed retired General Motors executive Roy S. Roberts to become the next emergency manager for the Detroit Public Schools, ending weeks of rumors and speculation.
Snyder said he wanted a candidate from the Detroit area and called the 72-year-old Bloomfield Hills resident a team builder with perfect qualifications.
"We have someone who blends that best balance -- business skills sets, community skills sets and someone so well-respected. So I'm very excited to have Roy on board."
Roberts made history as the highest-ranking African-American executive at GM before he retired in 2000. He said he agreed to take the job because of the autonomy given under a new state law and his belief in the governor's genuine commitment to improving education.
Roberts will replace Robert Bobb, who took the job in March 2009. He'll transition out during the next few weeks. DPS has a budget deficit of $327 million, up from $219 million in 2009, and about 1% of graduates are college-ready, compared with 16% statewide.
"It's going to take a hell of a lot work," Roberts said. "It's going to take a lot of people to get this done and I want to be at the focal point of making sure we bring the people to the party."
'This is what I want to do'
The new emergency manager for Detroit Public Schools may be the district's seventh leader in six years, but he's the only one named executive of the year by a national magazine and who received the American Success Award, presented to him by President George Bush in the White House Rose Garden.
Roy S. Roberts, a former General Motors executive and Muskegon native, brings obvious reputation and managerial expertise to the job. But those who know him say he possesses a strong belief that education and hard work are key gateways to success for individuals and for cities. He brings a love of Detroit to the new job, he and others said.
And at 72, he doesn't need the money and he's not looking for another job.
Read more at The Detroit Free Press.