Iris Taylor, leader in Detroit health care, DPSCD board member, dies at 74

July 31, 2026

Iris Taylor, a 74-year-old Detroit Public Schools Community District board treasurer and healthcare veteran, passed away just one week after filing to run for another school board term. Throughout her distinguished 45-year career, Taylor served in leadership positions at Detroit Medical Center, including as president of multiple hospitals and chief nursing officer, before becoming nursing director for the City of Detroit during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was instrumental in establishing the district's Health Hubs program, which has provided food and resources to families while helping reduce student absenteeism since 2023.

Who is affected

Detroit Public Schools Community District students and their families
DPSCD board members, particularly President LaTrice McClendon and friend/former board member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo
DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield and former Mayor Mike Duggan
Detroit Medical Center staff and nurses Taylor mentored
Wayne State College of Nursing Dean Ramona Benkert and other colleagues
Detroit Health Department staff
DPSCD Foundation board members
The broader Detroit community

What action is being taken

The DPSCD Foundation honored Taylor with an Instagram post
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield released a statement about Taylor's passing
Former Mayor Mike Duggan released a statement about the loss
DPSCD superintendent Nikolai Vitti and board President LaTrice McClendon issued a joint statement

Why it matters

Taylor's death represents a significant loss to Detroit's education and healthcare systems because she was a unifying force who brought together leaders across multiple sectors to create lasting community change. Her strategic vision and servant leadership approach resulted in concrete improvements, including the establishment of Health Hubs that have distributed resources thousands of times and reduced chronic absenteeism. Her passing leaves a void in DPSCD board leadership at a critical time, particularly given that two other current board leaders were recently disqualified from the November ballot, potentially affecting stability and continuity in district governance.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com