As Detroit continues to build on years of resilience and reinvention, leaders across the city are helping strengthen the connections between workforce development, community engagement, and opportunity. One of those leaders is Robert Shimkoski, Director, Planning and Resource Development at Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC), and a member of Midwest Urban Strategies (MUS), who was recently recognized by the State of Michigan for his longstanding community service and leadership through the Mary Turner Center for Advocacy.
This recognition follows another recent honor for Shimkoski, who was also selected as a 2025 Michigan Works! Association Shining Star Award recipient for his contributions to workforce development and service through the Michigan Works! network.
While these awards recognize different aspects of his work, both reflect a career rooted in service to Detroit communities.
Robert currently serves as Board President of the Mary Turner Center for Advocacy, a community-based nonprofit organization connected to the office of Michigan State Senator Stephanie Chang, who represents Michigan’s 3rd Senate District and has long focused her work on neighborhood engagement, environmental justice, immigrant rights, and community advocacy. The organization supports residents across Detroit and surrounding communities by connecting low-income families to resources, services, leadership opportunities, and civic engagement initiatives designed to strengthen neighborhood and community wellbeing.
The Mary Turner Center for Advocacy serves communities throughout Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, including Detroit, Highland Park, Hamtramck, Hazel Park, Madison Heights, and portions of Warren, Clawson, Royal Oak, Troy, and Sterling Heights.
The organization was inspired by the legacy of Mary Turner, a longtime Southwest Detroit community advocate known for helping immigrant families navigate life in the city and connect to needed resources. During a recent interview with MUS, Shimkoski described her as “a linchpin for the community,” whose impact continues to shape the organization’s work today.
Under Shimkoski’s leadership, the organization has supported initiatives including the Girls Making Change fellowship program, community resource fairs, baby showers for new mothers, and neighborhood outreach efforts serving residents across the region.
“There are a lot of people who do a lot of different things for the community and sometimes it seems like they’re unnoticed,” Robert shared. “But people do notice.”
That philosophy also carries into his workforce development work through DESC and the broader MUS network. Shimkoski emphasized the importance of partnerships and communication between organizations, noting that communities are best served when groups share resources, knowledge, and connections rather than working in silos. He noted that DESC has participated in community events connected to the Mary Turner Center, helping connect residents to workforce services and job opportunities.
After more than two decades in workforce development and years of community leadership, Robert says the continued momentum across Detroit keeps him motivated.
“It’s wind in our sails,” he said. “It just gives you energy and motivation to keep working.”
