Yolanda C. Haynes was appointed by City Council to replace Linnie Taylor at the December 18, 2023 City Council Meeting. She will fill Mrs. Taylor's seat which expires in November of 2025.

Councilwoman Yolanda C. Haynes, (Yolanda Chambers Haynes), is a longtime volunteer, supporter, resident and servant leader in various organizations in the city.  In her role as Business Developer for the Southfield Area Chamber of Commerce, she connected and built relationships with many of the businesses in the community. She also hosted and led networking events that created long-term membership. As a presenter and speaker for various programs, she bridged the gap between large and small business of diverse cultures and industries.

She also assisted in the success of many Chamber signature events and was a recipient of the Chamber’s Volunteer of the Year Award.

As a Communication Co-Chair Member of the Greater Detroit National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), she implemented the first introductory program to onboard new members and attract prospective members. She also directed and hosted programs from large corporations to small businesses to help educate and enrich the membership body.

Councilwoman Haynes is the former Chair of Southfield Youth Assistance where she helped to support programs for families and children in the community. During her time as chair, she sought to provide programs for at- risk youth and students in the Southfield Public School District. 

Councilwoman Haynes has served as a director on the state board of the Friends of the Michigan Library (FOML) for the past five years, and sha has been President of the Friends of the Southfield Public Library since 2008. In this role, she was able to assist in providing funding for the famous Marshall Fredrick’s “Boy and Bear” statue to be relocated to the lobby of the Southfield Public Library. Her other responsibilities include maintaining a membership role to help sustain funds for programming and educational enrichment for the library staff. In support of the library’s mission to “Help people succeed,” the Friends have created the mission to, “Help the library succeed.” The Friends Southfield Public Library have been a long-time focus and priority since her introduction to the organization while spending lots of time in the library with her homeschooled children.

Each election, Councilwoman Haynes has been actively involved in the election process, serving as an both and Election Inspector and Chair. She also trained her children to serve along with her and has received training in voter registration, campaign management, and assisted in the election process as a Precinct Delegate.

Councilwoman Haynes attended Jackson State University and is a 2001 Michigan Political Leadership Program Alumni. She is the mother of nine children and has been married for 39 years to Houston Haynes III. She considers herself a trained servant leader that will do the best she can to uplift any organization or cause that she supports.

“I consider it an honor to serve on the Southfield City Council,” commented Councilwoman Haynes. “I am very humbled to be appointed by my peers that are familiar with the work that I have done in the community.”