Wayne County Airport Authority was established under State of Michigan Senate Bill 690, which was signed into law on March 26, 2002, and became effective April 24, 2002. The Authority is responsible for the management and operation of Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Willow Run Airport – including the power to plan, promote, extend, maintain, acquire, purchase, construct, improve, repair, enlarge, and operate both Airports.
The Authority is managed by an independent, seven-member Board of Directors. Four members are appointed by the Wayne County Executive; two members are appointed by the Governor; and one member is appointed by the Wayne County Commission. Terms of the appointments range from two to eight years.
The Authority has established guidelines for competitive bidding of contracts, including provisions to ensure maximum participation of disadvantaged businesses, minority businesses and other targeted business enterprises.
The Authority has developed ethical standards that preclude transactions that would create conflicts of interest involving Board members and employees. The Authority also includes an Audit Committee, which can order audits of any and all Airport activities.
The Wayne County Airport Authority is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors. Appointed by state and county officials, the Board provides oversight, sets policy, and ensures the effective management of DTW and Willow Run airports.
Vice Chairperson
Michael Ajami is the Vice Chairperson of the Wayne County Airport Authority Board. Michael is the director of the expungement unit for the Department of Attorney General. Prior to that Michael was the Principal Attorney and Owner of Ajami Law, PLLC.
Michael also worked as the Director of Operations for Metro Carpet and Floors, a family-owned business from 2011 to 2018. He continues to work in the family business as their General Counsel focusing on business growth and development, along with community engagement. Michael also volunteers as a high school football coach at Dearborn High School.
Ajami, a lifelong Wayne County resident, earned his Juris Doctor degree at Wayne State University Law School and his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Wayne State University. He was appointed to the Wayne County Airport Authority Board by Wayne County Executive Warren Evans in November 2020. His term on the Airport Authority Board will expire October 1, 2026.
Secretary
Lisa Canada is the Secretary of the Wayne County Airport Authority Board. Canada is the Director of Special Projects for the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights. Previously, she served as the Political and Legislative Director for the Council. Canada has worked in the field of politics and organizing for a number of major unions including the Operating Engineers, the AFL-CIO, UFCW and HERE before joining the Council in 2012.
Canada currently holds a seat on the Executive Board of Labor’s International Hall of Fame and the Michigan Labor History Society. For nearly eight years, she served on the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority. Also, Canada was appointed to the Board of the Children’s Trust Fund twice before resigning in 2012.
Canada served on the transition team for Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter. She co-chaired the transition team for Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans as well.
Canada was appointed to the Wayne County Airport Authority Board by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Her term on the Airport Authority Board expires October 1, 2028.
Board Member
Marvin W. Beatty is the Vice President of Community and Public Relations for Greektown Casino and was Executive Director at the Wadsworth Community Center in Detroit. He served for more than 22 years with the City of Detroit Fire Department, retiring as Deputy Fire Commissioner, and was the first African-American to hold that position in the Department’s history.
Beatty currently serves as a Board member for the NAACP, Chairman of the Coleman A. Young Foundation, Downtown Detroit Partnership Board of Directors, and is active with the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, and many other organizations throughout the metropolitan Detroit area.
Beatty received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Management and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Development Program. From 1995 to 2010, Beatty served as Chairman on the Board of Zoning Appeals for the City of Detroit.
He lives in the City of Detroit and was appointed to the Wayne County Airport Authority Board by Wayne County Executive Warren Evans. His term on the Airport Authority Board expires October 1, 2029.
Chairperson
Dennis W. Archer Jr., Esq. is the Chairperson of the Wayne County Airport Authority Board. Archer is the CEO of Ignition Media Group, a leading integrated marketing agency based in Detroit. Mr. Archer is also president and founding partner of Archer Corporate Services. His hospitality holding company, Congress Hospitality, is creator and managing partner of award-winning Central Kitchen + Bar, located in downtown Detroit. Additionally, Archer is a real estate developer dedicated to giving back to the city of Detroit and its surrounding areas.
Archer’s civic and philanthropic involvement is extensive. He serves on the executive committee of the Detroit Regional Chamber Board of Directors and is a past chair. Archer is a founder and the chairman of the Paradise Valley Foundation. He also holds a seat on several boards, including the General Motors Inclusion Advisory Board and the Independent Bank Corporation.
Archer, a Detroit resident, received both his bachelor’s and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Michigan. He also earned a certification in the NMSDC Advanced Management Education Program from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Dennis Archer Jr. was appointed to the Wayne County Airport Authority Board by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. His term on the Airport Authority Board expires on October 1, 2026.
Board Member
Saju George is Prime Healthcare’s regional Chief Executive Officer, leading its hospitals, medical groups and ambulatory locations in Michigan.
George has held various leadership positions within non-profit and for-profit health systems. His collaborative leadership style and commitment to community healthcare have earned him recognition as a transformative leader. Since joining Prime Healthcare in 2014, George has combined operational expertise with strategic vision to improve patient outcomes and organizational performance. Before joining Prime Healthcare, he served at Ascension Health. His passion for improving access to quality healthcare and ability to execute complex turnarounds continue to drive his influence in the healthcare sector.
George holds a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare and is an alumnus of Aquinas Institute and Harvard Business School leadership programs. He is a current Board member of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) and MHA Service Corporation (MHASC).
George was appointed to the Wayne County Airport Authority Board by Wayne County Executive Warren Cleage Evans. His term on the Airport Authority Board expires on October 1, 2030.
Board Member
Joseph Palamara is serving in his 14th term on the Wayne County Commission. He is the Vice-Chair of the Commission and an ardent champion of the Downriver communities he represents in District 15. Palamara became a Wayne County Commissioner in 1998, but he was first elected to advocate for Downriver residents in 1984 as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. Palamara served as state representative for seven terms until term limits took effect.
Palamara attended Michigan State University on an Evans (caddy) Scholarship and was a walk-on member of the baseball team. In his senior year, in 1975, he led the Spartans in hitting, received his team’s Sportsmanship Award and was named to the All-Big Ten and All-America teams as a second baseman.
Palamara graduated from MSU with a Bachelor of Arts in Business. He received his juris doctor degree from the Detroit College of Law, now known as the Michigan State University College of Law. As a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Palamara has been licensed to practice law in Michigan since the mid-1980s.
Palamara serves as a member of the Michigan Association of Counties Board of Directors and is a lifetime member of the Michigan State University Varsity Alumni Club.
Palamara was appointed to the Wayne County Airport Authority Board by the Wayne County Commission. His current term on the Airport Authority Board expires on October 1, 2030.
Board Member
Athina Papas is the Executive Officer at the Atheneum Suites Hotel in downtown Detroit. With a career focused in hospitality and real estate, Papas manages communications and implements property-wide strategies to support the hotel’s operational objectives. She also establishes and maintains high standards for guest and employee relations. Additionally, Papas oversees company growth at Helicon Holdings, a family-owned Detroit based real estate company, where she assists in management of properties and represents the company’s holders in metro Detroit.
Papas is active in the community, serving as President of the Greektown Preservation Society. She is also on the board of Operation Give, a nonprofit organization with the mission to inspire people to make a difference in the lives of children by working with area hospitals to aid in research and/or access to health care.
Papas is a graduate of the University of Michigan. She also received a culinary degree from the French Culinary Institute in New York City. Papas was appointed to the Wayne County Airport Authority Board by Wayne County Executive Warren Evans. Her term on the Airport Authority Board expires October 1, 2026.
The Wayne County Airport Authority has regularly scheduled Board and Audit Committee meetings that are open to the public.
Explore past meeting minutes and documents below.
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) is Michigan’s busiest airport, connecting over 30 million passengers annually through world-class terminals and global flight routes.
