Whether she is commission chair for Wayne County, Mich., president of both the National Association of Black County Officials and the Women of the National Association of Counties, or founder of her own charity program, there does not seem to be anything that Alisha Bell cannot do.
Bell's success helps to uplift her community. When she was elected to the County Commission in 2002, she was the youngest African-American woman in the entire nation to be elected to such a post. Now, she is glad that she no longer holds that title, because it means that “there are so many more young African-American women who have now sought out county government as a way to serve their community.”
Ultimately, helping other people has always been Alisha Bell’s mission. She now serves the county where she was born and raised, giving her a strong connection to the community. When she faces challenges, she reminds herself to “be true to yourself, stay the course,” because she simply wants to make a difference in the lives of all Wayne County residents.
Detroit and other areas of Wayne County have been hit hard by the impacts of COVID-19, Bell has been working with the county commission to tackle the virus and protect the community. “It's a slow process and we want to make sure that all of our employees are safe as they go back to work in the Wayne County buildings and then make sure that people get tested in the general public so that we know where our numbers are,” she says.
Listen to her In the Arena episode to hear more about Alisha Bell’s prom dress donation program, her unique professional bond to her mother and the impact that the death of George Floyd has had on Wayne County.
Previous Guests:
- Mary Ann Borgeson, County Commissioner of Douglas County, Neb.
- Betty Yee, State Controller of Calif.
- Serena DiMaso, New Jersey Assembly Member
- Clay Jenkinson, Governing's Editor-at-Large and Humanities Scholar
- Bryan Barnett, Mayor of Rochester Hills, Mich. and President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors
- Ryan Coonerty, County Supervisor of Santa Cruz, Calif.
- Lydia Mihalik, Director of Ohio's Development Services Agency
- Chris Cabaldon, Mayor of West Sacramento, Calif.
- Affie Ellis, State Senator, Wyo.
- Beth Niblock, CIO of Detroit, Mich.
- Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles, Calif.
- Ed O’Keefe, CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation
- Blair Milo, Ind.'s first Secretary of Career Connections and Talent
- Phil Bertolini, Co-Director, Center for Digital Government
- Jo Ann Davidson, Ohio State Representative
- Dow Constantine, Executive of King County, Wash.
- Harry LaRosiliere, Mayor of Plano, Texas
- Rebecca Rhynhart, City Controller of Philadelphia
- Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University
- Mayors Melvin Carter of St. Paul, Minn.; Jenn Daniels of Gilbert, Ariz.; Jacob Frey of Minneapolis; and Francis Suarez of Miami
- Chris Castro, Director of Sustainability for Orlando, Fla.
- Kim Foxx, State's Attorney for Cook County, Ill.
- Doug Burgum, Governor of N.D.
- Steve Benjamin, Mayor of Columbia, S.C.
- Kristen Cox, Executive Director of Utah Office of Management and Budget
- Acquanetta Warren, Mayor of Fontana, Calif.
- Greg Fischer, Mayor of Louisville, Ky.
- Themis Klarides, Minority Leader of the Conn. House
