Domonique Clemons was born and raised in Flint. A graduate of Flint Southwestern High School, Clemons moved away from Genesee County to attend Michigan State University. After college, he stayed in Lansing and began working for a state legislator. However, he was drawn to come back to the community that raised him. 

“I missed the closeness of the community, and I recognized that young folks were moving out of Genesee County,” says Clemons. “I wanted to be the opposing force to that, so I moved back and started commuting for a few years.” 

Then, Clemons made some changes that kept him rooted in this community. In 2020, he ran for county commissioner in his district after the previous commissioner retired. After securing that seat, Clemons was elected Chair by the Board of Commissioners. There, he felt he was able to start making a positive change in his community.  

“My goal was to provide residents with strategic economic development and placemaking in order to make Genesee County a great place to live, love, and play,” says Clemons.

Then, another opportunity arose. With the resignation of the former County Clerk and Register of Deeds for Genesee County, Clemons was appointed to the role by the Genesee Circuit Court Judges. With that appointment, he has been able to broaden the work he started as a County Commissioner. 

“In this role, my number one goal is to make government more accessible to residents,” says Clemons. “I work to make it easy and convenient for individuals in our community to access our services and I protect the rights of individuals to vote safely and securely.” 

He has done so over the last few years by expanding the right to vote and ensuring that voting results are quick and accurate. He has also worked to get his office into more public-facing events so that they can be embedded in the community. Another initiative he passed was making Genesee County vital records free of cost to low-income individuals.  

Being a County Clerk-Register was not his initial trajectory when he left Flint to attend MSU. But his passion for helping people led him to his role and now he is running to hold the seat for another four years.  

“I don’t have any intention of leaving Genesee County at this point,” says Clemons. “We have so much to offer including a world-class cultural center with arts and music. This county has a little bit of everything from its urban core to the suburban shell. We also have the largest county parks system in Michigan with a ton of recreation.” 

To Clemons, the area is unique compared to other places he’s experienced.  

“The people in Flint & Genesee are different than anywhere else,” says Clemons. “No matter if you’ve been here your entire life or just moved here, we’re quick to wrap around and help each other. I have not seen that outside of Genesee County.” 

When he’s not making moves as the County Clerk-Register, he spends his time in the community.  

“I do quite enjoy downtown Flint,” says Clemons. “I will spend an evening  out on Saginaw Street, eating dinner at Spectacular Spudz, having drinks at X, and catching a show at the Capitol Theatre.” 

Even though he keeps Flint close to his heart, he still finds time to explore the rest of the county like in Fenton where he suggests spending a night out at The Laundry or Fenton Fire Hall and catching a performance by the Fenton Village Players. On weekends, Clemons enjoys his time exploring the outdoors and frequenting Genesee County Parks.  

“My current favorite hidden gem in Genesee County is the Mundy Miracle Commons operated by Mundy Township,” says Clemons. “It has paved walking paths and I go there to walk my dog. But the hidden gem of it is its beautiful Tai Chi and tea gardens where you can go to meditate.” 

Between work and recreation, Clemons has found that Flint & Genesee is a great place to “live, love, and play,” and he hopes that others might discover the same.  

Are you interested in the possibility of making the move back home? Complete this quick form and someone from our team will follow up with you to discuss your goals, interests, and why moving back to Flint & Genesee is right for you.