Every year the Michigan Chronicle newspaper recognizes local African-American men who “break the mold and effect change in their professions and community,” and this year’s list includes two University of Detroit Mercy graduates.
Daniel A. Baxter ’01, is the director of elections for Detroit and is responsible for the administration of all federal, state and local elections affecting Detroit. He began working for the Department of Elections as a temporary junior typist in 1985. During his more than 30 years of employment, he has worked in all divisions within Detroit’s Department of Elections. From 2013-15 he served as the director of elections in Montgomery County, Ala.; he was the first African American to fill the position. He is an ordained elder in his church, is married and the father of four daughters.
The Hon. Kenneth J. King ’95, was appointed the Detroit’s 36th District Court in 2006 by then-Gov. Jennifer Granholm. In 2010, he was appointed chief judge pro tem and, later appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court to serve as the the court’s chief judge for a term. He worked in private law firms, including his own, before becoming an assistant prosecuting attorney with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office in 1998. He was also an executive administrator in the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility. He is active in his church, is married and has two sons.
The 50 Men of Excellence are selected each year from hundreds of nominations. Baxter and King were honored with the other Men of Excellence at a reception in early August.
