Kurt L. Heise is one of the Council's Co-Chairs, and is the Director of the Wayne County Department of Environment and serves as the Wayne County Drain Commissioner. He was appointed in January 2003 by Wayne County Executive Robert A. Ficano.
The Department of Environment has approximately 160 employees and an annual budget of $190 million. The department is responsible for all aspects of watershed and land resource management in the County. The department also operates wastewater and combined sewer overflow facilities, including the Downriver Wastewater Treatment Facility in Wyandotte, Michigan's second largest.
Mr. Heise was the former Chairman of the Rouge River Remedial Action Plan Advisory Council and currently serves on the Rouge Watershed Alliance Executive Committee and the Michigan Groundwater Conservation Advisory Council. He was instrumental in the development of the original Rouge Assembly charter and Michigan's Watershed Alliance Act of 2004.
From 1994 to 2003, he served as the Mayor's Deputy in Dearborn Heights, and as the Assistant City Attorney. During that time, he represented the city on its Rouge River stormwater management plans, Downriver sewer system consent decree, and its stormwater permit compliance issues.
He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Wayne State University Law School. He is married to Catherine Heise and has two school-age daughters.