"We are extremely fortunate to have someone who combines his wealth of experience in finance and banking with his reach throughout this community, which extends from the grass roots level to the largest corporations," Kilpatrick adds.
Watkins says he is proud to be asked to serve the city.
"I see this appointment as a great opportunity to use my background and experience to help rebuild our great city," Watkins says.
Watkins is chairman of the newly-created Detroit Black Chamber of Commerce and vice chairman of Detroit's Downtown Development Authority. He retired from Bank One in October 2000 after serving as head of the bank's middle-market banking activities in Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky.
"As I have traveled the country talking with mayors and others with experience in the field of urban redevelopment, I was repeatedly told, 'You have to have a strong relationship with the banks to redevelop your city'," Kilpatrick says.
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