Mayor Mary Sheffield announced today the appointment of Olga Stella as Chief of Economic Development and Workforce for the City of Detroit. A longtime Detroiter, Stella has spent her career as a leader in economic and business growth, community revitalization, and Detroit‘s creative economy. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Strategy and Communication at the College for Creative Studies (CCS), where she shaped the institution’s strategic roadmap, expanded industry partnerships, and oversaw community programs.

During her time at CCS, Stella helped put Detroit on the world stage by stewarding the city’s designation as the only UNESCO City of Design in the United States. She was Executivunie Director of Design Core Detroit, and most recently Vice President of Strategy and Communications at the College for Creative Studies.

In her new role, Stella will set a shared strategy and align resources so that the full ecosystem operates effectively, giving employers and developers a coordinated Detroit. “Detroit’s neighborhoods and business community succeed together,” said Mayor Sheffield. “Olga will be a key architect in making Detroit the best place in the country to start, grow, and locate a business. When businesses thrive here, they create the jobs, opportunity, and stability that Detroit families are counting on.”

“I am inspired by Mayor Sheffield’s vision, and I can’t imagine doing this work anywhere but in
my own hometown,” said Stella. “Detroit has given my family so much and this a historic moment for the City of Detroit, and I look forward to bringing a different approach to economic development, one that delivers for our neighborhoods and employers alike.”

CCS President Don Tuski expressed his enthusiasm for Olga Stella and her new role.
“Since Olga first joined CCS in 2016, she has played a pivotal role in increasing CCS’s external community profile and visibility, as well as strengthening CCS’s internal culture in partnership with campus leaders,” said President Tuski.