Dearborn Mayor Michael A. Guido appointed David J. Norwood as Director of the Building & Safety Department in March, 2002. Norwood served as the Citizen Liaison in the Mayor's Office for four years, working closely with neighborhood associations, managing residents' issues, coordinating special projects between city departments, and strengthening the ties between community groups and City Hall. He worked in the Mayor's Office from September 1994 to March 2002, carrying out administrative and ombudsman duties that encouraged him to interact with a variety of community groups and city personnel. He took a leadership role in the Building & Safety Department beginning in November 2000, when former Building & Safety director Lou Duncan retired from the position. Norwood also earlier replaced Duncan in the Mayor's Office. Norwood has been an attorney since 1995. He distinguished himself early in his career when he was a Law Clerk in the city's Legal Department from 1992 to 1994. Norwood earned his law degree from the Detroit College of Law and his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. He also attended Wayne State University and graduated from Annapolis High School in Dearborn Heights. He and his wife, Sheila, reside in Dearborn with their two children.