New Director of Contracting & Procurement, Sandra Yu Stahl, left, and Toni Limmitt, right, new deputy director of Contracting & Procurement.
Mayor Mike Duggan announced that general services department executive Sandra Yu Stahl has been promoted to deputy chief financial officer and chief procurement officer to manage purchasing and contracting for the city’s government.
Stahl replaces Boysie Jackson, who has served as director since 2013 and is retiring.
Detroit’s Chief Financial Officer Jay Rising appointed Stahl to the new position, per the City Charter, which takes effect Aug. 29. Her annual salary is $169,042.
Stahl previously led operations for Detroit’s facilities, vehicle fleet, parks, recreation, blight remediation and animal control. She oversaw 800 employees and a $150 million budget for city services. Last year, she was responsible for the rollout of $200 million of American Rescue Plan Act-funded projects, including expanding recreation centers, and implementing the Skills for Life workforce development and beautification projects.
Stahl has degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: a bachelor’s in urban studies and planning, and a master’s in city planning. She and her husband are raising four young children in the Pingree Park neighborhood on Detroit’s east side. In filling the Cabinet-level position, Stahl becomes the highest ranking Asian American in city government.
“My goals are to continue Boysie Jackson’s leadership in running this department on the principles of integrity and inclusion,” Stahl said. “As Detroit continues our recovery, I’m committed that the city’s procurement department does everything possible to make sure Detroiters get every opportunity to succeed in our purchases.”
Duggan praised Jackson, who retired this month, saying Jackson took over a “completely dysfunctional department in the midst of bankruptcy and built it into a model of integrity.”
“He reached out to small and minority businesses who had long been left out of city procurement and made great strides in building a culture of inclusion,” Duggan said. “The entire city owes him an enormous debt of gratitude.”
Stahl named Toni Stewart Limmitt, an executive within the contracting department as her deputy.
Limmitt stated, “I will continue to provide outreach efforts to ensure the inclusion of Detroit small and micro businesses on ARPA projects and other programs.”
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