DUANE
GRIGSBY JR.
DPSCD graduate. Parent. Volunteer. Business owner. Community builder. I believe leadership means showing up, solving problems and helping people understand what is happening.
A leader who works with his hands and listens with both ears.
Duane Larry Grigsby Jr. is a proud DPSCD graduate of Mackenzie High School, Class of 1993. He came through Detroit public schools himself. Today, he continues serving school families as a parent leader, PTA leader, DPSCD volunteer, business owner and community builder.
Duane has spent years working with families, schools, businesses, properties and community organizations. He brings a hands-on way of thinking to public service: find the problem, understand it, bring people together and work toward a solution.
Parent Leadership
He works with parents and school communities and knows families need clear information they can use.
Volunteer Service
He has served as a DPSCD volunteer and stays involved in schools, meetings and community events.
Business Experience
He has built businesses for about 20 years and understands budgets, customers, workers, property and getting the job done.
DPSCD Graduate
He graduated from Mackenzie High School, Class of 1993, so his connection to Detroit public schools is personal.
L & L Distribution taught me how to build, fix and serve.
L & L Distribution is the foundation of Duane's business experience. Over roughly two decades, the work grew beyond one service into a connected group of businesses and community projects.
The lesson is easy to understand: a business must solve real problems. People call because something needs to be delivered, repaired, improved, managed, promoted or connected to the right resource. That same problem-solving mindset is what Duane wants to bring to the Board of Education.
Business experience matters on a school board because the district deals with contracts, buildings, vendors, budgets, workers, timelines and accountability. Duane understands that a plan is only good if it gets completed and people see the result.
Different businesses. One goal: solve problems and help people.
Think of the ecosystem like a tree. L & L Distribution is the trunk. The other businesses and programs are branches that serve different needs.
L & L Distribution
Business operations, distribution, contracting, property work and hands-on service. This is where the long-term business experience was built.
Square One Full Circle
Youth mentoring, literacy, family support, workforce development and community programs designed to connect people with opportunity.
Housing and Property Services
Property rehabilitation, rental housing, maintenance, neighborhood improvement and practical experience with buildings and land.
HelpWithACarOnline
A resource-focused part of the ecosystem built around helping people find transportation solutions and access information.
JR Management
Artist management, consulting, distribution and entrepreneurship. It adds experience in contracts, marketing, talent development and business growth.
One Connected System
Business, housing, youth, transportation, mentoring and community development all connect because families do not live one problem at a time.
Running a business teaches lessons that matter in education.
Know where the money goes.
A business cannot survive if money is wasted. A school district also needs clear spending, strong oversight and measurable results.
Listen to the people you serve.
Customers tell businesses what is working. Parents and students should also have a strong voice in how schools improve.
Finish what you start.
Promises do not fix a building, move a student or improve communication. Completed work does.
Explain decisions clearly.
People trust leaders more when they can understand the plan, the cost, the problem and the result.
Six things I want families to understand right away.
No complicated political language. These are the issues I will keep talking about.
1. Better Parent Communication
Parents should know about school events, programs, resources and important changes before they miss them.
2. Strong Accountability
Ask where money is going, whether contracts are working and whether students are getting the promised results.
3. Transportation
Students need dependable ways to get to school and families need clear answers when transportation breaks down.
4. Family Stability
Housing, homelessness, food, mental health and other family needs affect whether a child is ready to learn.
5. Reading, Mentoring & Opportunity
More children should have access to literacy help, mentors, STEM, after-school programs and workforce exposure.
6. Buildings & Neighborhoods
School buildings, closed school properties, grass, safety and maintenance affect the whole neighborhood.
I do not only talk about work. I know what work looks like.
Duane's property and contracting background gives him a practical eye for maintenance, repairs, vacant property, contractor performance and project completion.
That experience matters when a school district owns buildings, manages large contracts and makes decisions that affect entire neighborhoods.
The campaign did not create the record. The record came first.
See the experience behind the words.
Business experience. Parent leadership. Community service.
This campaign is about connecting the people who make decisions with the parents, students and neighborhoods who live with those decisions every day.
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