DETROIT — The Wayne County Board of Commissioners officially approved the appointment of new Corporation Counsel James Heath on Wednesday, January 30.

Heath is the successor to Zenna Faraj Elhasan, who is now the lead counsel for the Kresge Foundation.

The Department of Corporation Counsel provides legal representation, advice and counsel to Wayne County, its departments, elected officials and employees to help them fulfill their official duties.

The services handled by the corporation counsel include state and federal litigation and appeals, civil rights claims, automobile negligence, breach of contract claims and worker compensation claims.

“I’m very glad that James Heath is joining our team at Corporation Counsel in a permanent capacity,” Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans said in a press release.  “He has already been doing great work for us these past few months. With his background, experience and accomplishments, he brings a lot to the table to help us continue to improve our level of service to Wayne County.”

Heath has previously served on the Detroit City Council, where he became the city’s first inspector general and served a six-year term. Before that, he was the assistant attorney general in the Criminal Division of the Michigan Department of Attorney General, where he prosecuted embezzlement, environmental and fraud cases. He’s also worked in health care fraud.

“I look forward to serving as Wayne County Corporation Counsel and contributing to a strong team of lawyers,” Heath said. “My entire career has been focused primarily on public service, and I view this as an opportunity to continue that work to serve the people of Wayne County.”