Edward H. McNamara http://www.michigandaily.com/media/storage/paper851/news/2006/02/20/News/Ed.Mcnamara.Dies.At.Age.79-1619892.shtml served as Wayne County, Michigan

Wayne County, Michigan

-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...

 County Executive

County executive

A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...

 from 1987-2002, and also served as mayor of Livonia, Michigan

Livonia, Michigan

Livonia is a city in the northwest part of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Livonia is a very large suburb with an array of traditional neighborhoods connected to the metropolitan area by freeways. The population was 96,942 at the 2010 census, making it Michigan's 9th largest...

, from 1970-1986, and as a member of Livonia City Council from 1962 to 1970. He is probably best known for overseeing the $1.6 billion expansion of Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport....

; including two new runways and the new Edward H. McNamara Terminal.

McNamara was mentor to many leading Democrats, including Gov. Jennifer Granholm

Jennifer Granholm

Jennifer Mulhern Granholm is a Canadian-born American politician, educator, and author who served as Attorney General and 47th Governor of the U.S. state of Michigan. A member of the Democratic Party, Granholm became Michigan's first female governor on January 1, 2003, when she succeeded Governor...

, who was Wayne County corporation Counsel under McNamara, prior to becoming Michigan Attorney General

Michigan Attorney General

The Attorney General of Michigan is the fourth-ranking official in the U.S. state of Michigan and one of four great offices of state. The officeholder is elected statewide in the November general election alongside the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, members of the Senate and...

 and later being elected as Michigan Governor. McNamara also played a key role helping the election campaign of Kwame Kilpatrick

Kwame Kilpatrick

Kwame Malik Kilpatrick is a former mayor of Detroit, Michigan. Kilpatrick's mayorship was plagued by numerous scandals and rampant accusations of corruption, with the mayor eventually resigning after being charged with ten felony counts, including perjury and obstruction of justice...

 for mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 of Detroit in 2001, whose father, Bernard Kilpatrick, was McNamara's Chief of Staff

Chief of Staff

The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...

while county executive.

McNamara died on February 19, 2006.