On his second day as president and CEO of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Mark Wallace seems at ease, Ingrid Jacques writes in The Detroit News.
Strolling around Rivard Plaza Tuesday afternoon, he possesses a sense of ownership that doesn’t just come from his title.
The riverfront is a place he’s long enjoyed. Wallace, 37, has lived in Corktown for six years, and often spends time on the Detroit River.
“I love it. I love the riverfront,” Wallace says.
His resume isn’t full of previous executive roles, nor has he ever before headed a nonprofit. Rather, he has extensive experience in real estate development. And that background signals the future mission of the conservancy — to leverage the parkway as a stimulant for redeveloping the strip of land between Jefferson Ave. and the river.
Since the nonprofit conservancy was created in 2003, the riverfront has moved from an inaccessible and ignored space to an attractive escape for families. Around 3 million visitors a year enjoy the river and its parks.
