Eric Coleman

Eric Coleman, an Oakland County Commissioner, has represented the 23rd District since 1996. Mr. Coleman is a business executive and a former elementary, high school and community college educator. Mr. Coleman is a former President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Southfield School Board (1986-1990), a former Oakland County Parks Commissioner (1999), Co-Chairman of the Tri-County Economic Development Task Force, and member of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG). He serves on the Executive Committee and chairs the 20 member Finance and Budget Committee.

Mr. Coleman was recently elected to the executive committee as First Vice President of the National Association of Counties (NACo). The National Association of Counties (NACo) was created to ensure that counties have a voice in the nation’s capital. NACo has more than 50,000 members, representing more than 3,000 counties and 80 percent of the nation’s population. Mr. Coleman is the first member elected from Oakland County and only the second from the State of Michigan. As First Vice President, Mr. Coleman chairs the all important 24 member Affiliate’s Council. He is also the liaison to the Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC) which represents 100 of the nations largest counties, and he is Vice Chairman of NACo’s Homeland Security Task Force.

Mr. Coleman has been actively involved in community affairs, including but not limited to: former Chairperson, City of Southfield's’ Parent-Youth Guidance Commission; former President, Southfield-Lathrup Village Optimist Club International; founder and former advisor Southfield Youth in Government Club; Founding member and former First Vice President, South Oakland County NAACP; founder and former President, Southfield Schools Educational Foundation; former member Southfield Community Foundation; former member, Citizens Advisory Council for Fiscal Responsibility and Policy; former member, Southfield-Lathrup Village Multi-cultural Coalition.

Mr. Coleman has been the recipient of numerous civic awards, including the prestigious Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award and the State of Michigan Service to the Community Award.

Mr. Coleman serves on the Board of Commissioners’ Personnel Committee as the minority Vice Chair. Previously, Mr. Coleman served as Vice Chair to the Finance and Personnel Committee and the Planning and Building Committee. He holds a B.F.A. degree from The School of the Art Institute in Chicago. He is also an MBA candidate in finance. Mr. Coleman is a Taubman Fellow, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government. The Commissioner and his wife Judy are parents and grandparents and have resided in Southfield for 30 years.