Erica Smith approved as Wayne County parks division director in committee omnibus vote

The Wayne County Committee on Public Services approved the appointment of Erica Smith to serve as parks division director as part of an omnibus motion that cleared items 2 through 14 on the committee agenda.

County officials said Smith, currently parks and recreation director for the City of Garden City, was selected from a field of more than 60 applicants and brings more than 25 years of experience in parks and recreation work. Elmika Steele, deputy director for the Wayne County Department of Public Services, described Smith as “an outstanding candidate” who matched the qualifications the county sought.

Why it matters: Commissioners said they want the parks division to move beyond maintenance toward greater activation, improved amenities and better data on how residents use parks and trails. Smith’s selection is presented as a step toward that strategy.

County staff noted Smith’s previous work with the Ann Arbor park system and the Novi Park Foundation. Director Dayo Akinyemi, of the Wayne County Department of Public Services, told the committee the county expects the new parks director to “champion” activation, asset use tracking and expanded programming.

Smith thanked the committee and said she is eager to begin. “I’m really looking forward to diving in, getting to know the staff, getting up to speed to start with, and then starting to work on what’s next,” Smith said.

Commissioners asked how the county could measure park use. Smith and county staff described several options, including third-party anonymized cell‑phone visitation data and physical counters for trails that can differentiate walkers and cyclists. “For us, when we’re championing things, having data, having numbers of how many people are coming to these properties is really valuable,” Smith said.

Commissioner Clemente singled out a specific operational technique discussed during the meeting, praising Smith’s experience with “salt and vinegar weed control” and saying she had used it in playground areas with success: “I used this past year for the very first time and it works, and they don't come back,” Clemente said.

The committee’s approval was part of an omnibus motion that combined the parks appointment with other consent items. The committee chair noted Smith will be before the full board on Thursday for the next step in the process.

The committee received no public comments before adjourning.