Dr. Geneva Speaks

Sheila Cockrel, former Detroit City Council member, doesn’t believe in the whole notion of ‘giving back to the community.’ “I'm not giving back.I'm part of the community,” she said. “This is my role.My responsibility is to be a part of improving the community, whether it's cleaning up the neighborhood park, protesting policy brutality, or going to the mayor's state of the city.Those are all things that you do because you're a member of a community.” Shortly after leaving the Detroit City Council, Cockrel founded Crossroads Consulting Group where she provides public policy/public affairs advice and counsel to people who are trying to get involved in business in the city of Detroit. In addition, part of her work includes civic engagement activities with Dr. Irvin Reid, President Emeritus of Wayne State University.Their current project, Citizen Detroit, is an extension of the kind of public policy and public/civic engagement that Cockrel was involved in for16 years on the city council. See the rest of the pos