Pistons Public Affairs VP talks about community impact in his native Detroit

DETROIT (FOX 2) - During the month of February in honor of Black History Month, FOX 2 wants to take a moment to introduce some Detroiters who are trailblazing new ways and changing energy and spaces that uplift the community.

People like Stefen J. Welch, who works for the Detroit Pistons, is literally changing the future.

"We're literally planning with the community for this amazing $3 billion investment in the City of Detroit, in the New Center Area," he said.

Welch is helping to build the future of affordable housing and health care in a city he loves. But if you ask him, it's a job he prefers to do out in the community. More on that in a little bit - let's start from the very beginning.

"You'll never hear me say that Detroit is in a resurgence, or that Detroit is in a comeback," he said. "I often say, you know, we're in our continuation."

The backstory:

Welch is the vice president of Public Affairs for the Detroit Pistons. He's also a proud Detroiter, born and raised on the west side.

"My parents tell me all the time, i used to ask a lot of questions, and they didn't necessarily get discouraged by those questions. they just wanted to figure out, like, why is he always asking questions?" he said.

Stefen says he learned about social responsibility at a young age, first from his family.

"My grandmother worked for a small branch of the NAACP as well, too," he said. "So I remember going into her office at time in Highland Park."

And later he got to watch and learn from some historic Black figures.

"I remember being a kid and going to see Nelson Mandela speak at Tiger Stadium," Welch said. "I would see folks like Martin Luther King III speak at church."

Considering his grandma's legacy in the community, one might say Stefen is fulfilling his destiny, giving back to the very community that raised him.

Stefen J. Welch

"One of the reasons why I stayed is because so many folks left," he said. "And I said, if I leave, who else is there to stay? Right?

"And I actually happened to run across someone's bio, and I saw that they had a master's of community development and I instantly applied."

Fast-forward to 2025 and to that multi-billion dollar project, Stefen leads a team that's part of the expansive Future of Health Project by Henry Ford Health, which is already breaking ground, outside of the Pistons Performance Center.

"And this space here will have 662 units of inclusive housing," he said. "We want to make sure that the units are going to be affordable."

He realizes his position is one of influence, which for him means being more available and accessible to those following in his footsteps.

"I have to be more vulnerable, as we know in our community, mental health has a stigma to it. I have a therapist and I utilize my therapist," he said.

The bottom line for Stefen, it all comes down to knowing who you are.

"At the end of the day, my job is not only to represent the company," he said. "My job is to help represent you."

Stefen J. Welch