Cinnaire has announced the promotion of Lucius Vassar to Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary. Lucius joined Cinnaire in 2018 as Detroit Market Lead and was soon promoted to Corporate Counsel and EVP, Equitable Engagement. Lucius has served as a trusted advisor for Cinnaire in both legal services and advancing the organization’s goals of equitable and inclusive community development across the organization. As Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, he will serve as the liaison for executive leadership, the Board of Directors, outside legal counsel and regulatory agencies as well as continuing to drive the organizations equitable engagement efforts.
“Lucius brings decades of experience in law, government relations and advocacy for social justice to this position,” said Mark McDaniel, Cinnaire President and CEO. “He is a trusted advisor and has been an instrumental voice on our leadership teams who knows our business, culture and goals as an organization as well.”
Lucius has more than 30 years of legal, government and advocacy experience and he is deeply engaged in Detroit, representing Cinnaire on the boards of a number of organizations, including leadership positions with the Detroit CDFI Coalition and Community Development Advocates of Detroit. Before joining Cinnaire, he spent several years in private legal practice advocating for clients at the local, state and federal levels as Director of Government Affairs for an Am Law 200 law firm. A committed servant-leader, he has also held several leadership positions in local and state government. He served as Director of the Detroit Workforce Development Department, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Detroit and Director of Corporate and Civic Affairs. Lucius’ previous public-sector experience includes serving as Chief of Staff for the Michigan Senate Democratic Floor Leader, where he forged partnerships across the aisle. In the private sector, Lucius also worked as a multi-client lobbyist with one of Michigan’s largest firms.
Lucius earned his B.A. from Michigan State University and his Juris Doctor Cum Laude from the Michigan State University College of Law. As a resident of Detroit for more than 20 years, Lucius has served on many boards and commissions including the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, Downtown Development Authority, Arts League of Michigan, City Connect Detroit, Detroit Police Foundation, and the Detroit Metro Conventions and Visitors Bureau. Invested in the community through youth development and the arts, he regularly volunteers in the Detroit Public Schools Community District and currently serves on the board of the Plowshares Theater Company.
