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Salvation Army of Metro Detroit names its first two women to lead at once in nearly 140 years

The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit has named Capt. Shanell Debela as divisional secretary and Clenetta Frazier as advisory board chair, the first two women to hold these roles at the same time in its nearly 140-year metro Detroit history.

J By Jamie Contributing Writer · September 16, 2026 · 1 min read
Salvation Army of Metro Detroit names its first two women to lead at once in nearly 140 years

New reporting from dBusiness says the Salvation Army of Metro Detroit has named Capt. Shanell Debela as divisional secretary for its Metro Detroit Area Command and Clenetta Frazier as chair of the Metro Detroit Advisory Board. Reporter Tim Keenan writes that they are the first two women to hold these roles at the same time in the organization's nearly 140-year history in metro Detroit. Debela will oversee 13 corps community centers across Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.

Why we're watching: two women leading a nearly 140-year-old service organization at the same time is a real Detroit milestone, and we will cover what the Area Command builds across the three counties next.

Jamie
Contributing Writer
Writer focused on the arts, galleries, and the rooms where culture happens.
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