Ken Harris

Commissioner Ken Harris was elected to the Detroit Charter Commission in 2009. Served as Vice President for Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council, Founded the Detroit Black Expo & is currently President/CEO of the Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce and serves on the board of the US Black Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC.

Born and raised in the City of Detroit, Kenneth Harris has been a passionate pioneer in helping African-Americans and other minorities attain economic equality. Harris has made tremendous strides and professional accomplishments despite only being 35 years old. For example, he was the first African-American Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant to the Mayor of Southfield and the first African-American Director of Greek Affairs at Wayne State University. Additionally, he was the first African-American Counseling Psychologist for St. John Community Health and is currently the first African-American Vice President of Business Development for the Michigan Minority Supplier Diversity Council, Inc. Harris is the President and CEO of the Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce.

Within the past few years, Harris received the U. S. Small Business (SBA) 2007 Minority Business Advocate of the Year award and was inducted into Crain’s Detroit Business Class of 2007 40 under 40 and Who’s Who in Black Detroit Most Influential. Harris was honored by the Michigan Women’s Marketplace & CEED as the 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year and also received the 2008 Excellence Award for Economic Empowerment by 100 Black Men of Greater Detroit, Inc. Recently Harris accepted the 2009 CBS-WWJ 950 Emerging Leader Under 40 Award for Black History Month, as well as the 2010 Alpha Kappa Alpha Exemplary Community Servant Award. Harris also received the 2010 Michigan Front Page 30 in their 30’s award. Harris was featured in DBusiness Magazine Class of 2011 30 in their Thirties and in Ebony Magazine Mr. Sexy Single 2011, November Issue.

Kenneth Harris graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia and Educational Specialist Degree from Wayne State University. He also received a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Detroit’s Lewis College of Business in 2008 and is a PhD Candidate in African American and African Studies Program at the Michigan State University.