Creative industries in Washtenaw County add hundreds of millions of dollars to the local economy. In the weeks and months to come, Deb Polich, the President and CEO of Creative Washtenaw, explores the myriad of contributors that make up the creative sector in Washtenaw County.

ABOUT LARRY KESTENBAUM:

Lawrence (Larry) Kestenbaum has been the Washtenaw County Clerk and Register of Deeds since 2005; he was elected in November 2004, defeating his predecessor, and re-elected unopposed in 2008.

Washtenaw County is located in southeast Michigan, immediately west of the Detroit area, and includes the cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. It has 710 square miles, about 350,000 people, and a taxable value of $14.5 billion. It is home to a number of educational institutions, including the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University. It is the most highly educated county in Michigan and the tenth most highly educated county in the nation, out of more than three thousand U.S. counties.

As Clerk / Register, Mr. Kestenbaum is the county’s chief election official, and is custodian of a vast array of public records, from birth certificates to mortgages. He also serves as co-chair of the Legislative Committee for the Michigan Association of County Clerks, and has testified before House and Senate committees on a variety of issues.

He is also the…