News Story

Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said Thursday he is hiring a new financial team of one chief financial officer and two deputy CFOs, recruiting from the cities of Detroit and Flint and a nonprofit museum, but the nominations are subject to county commission approval.

Evans is appointing John Wallace, a current Detroit financial official, to become the county's chief financial officer. He would replace Hughey Newsome, who resigned in November to become the chief financial officer for the Piston Group, founded by Chairman Vinnie Johnson.

Wallace comes from the city of Detroit, where he was the agency CFO for the city’s Public Infrastructure group that includes the Department of Transportation, Department of Public Works, Municipal Parking and the Airport.

“I am excited to join the Evans Administration and begin the next phase of my career with Wayne County,” Wallace said in a county-provided statement. “The county has made strong financial strides over the last several years and I look forward to being a part of its future and positively impacting the residents of Wayne County.”

Two other appointees are Flint Chief Financial Officer Robert Widigan, who would become the county's deputy chief financial officer, and Sharron Rose, the CFO for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit who would become the deputy finance director of financial reporting and compliance for the Health, Human and Veterans Services Department.

Widigan has been in public service for almost 15 years, including working for the state of Michigan, Genesee County and city of Lansing. He had been chief financial officer of Flint since August 2021.

Two other appointees are Flint Chief Financial Officer Robert Widigan, who would become the county's deputy chief financial officer, and Sharron Rose, the CFO for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit who would become the deputy finance director of financial reporting and compliance for the Health, Human and Veterans Services Department.

Widigan has been in public service for almost 15 years, including working for the state of Michigan, Genesee County and city of Lansing. He had been chief financial officer of Flint since August 2021.

Wayne County's finances haven't been problem-free. Last year, the county failed to submit an external audit to the state and missed a March 31 deadline. County officials got an extension from the Michigan Department of Treasury through May 5.

"It's a bad signal," Newsome told county commissioners at a March 30. "There's a significant risk this could lead to declination in our bond ratings."

The county ended up meeting the later deadline.