Jackson Business Briefs April 29, 2022

Lassiter Announces Departure as Henry Ford Health CEO

Henry Ford Health President and CEO Wright L. Lassiter III this week announced that he will be leaving his role as the head of the health system in late July to assume the CEO role at Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the U.S. After conversations with the Henry Ford Health Board of Directors and senior leadership team, Lassiter shared the news with Henry Ford’s 33,000 team members in a personal note.

“It has truly been one of the great honors of my life to lead the incredibly relentless, resilient, innovative, diverse and compassionate team that is Henry Ford Health. It has been said that when you need heroism at scale, when you are faced with a seemingly insurmountable challenge, when others say ‘no,’ you come to Henry Ford. I found this to be true – every day. I am incredibly proud of the transformative work we have done together in and across communities in Michigan and far beyond. I have no doubt that the influence and impact of Henry Ford will continue to grow and flourish long after my final day here,” said Lassiter.

The Henry Ford Board of Directors announced it will conduct a national search for Lassiter’s successor. President, Health Care Operations and COO Bob Riney will lead during the transition period throughout the CEO search process.

Lassiter joined Henry Ford Health in December 2014. Under his leadership, Henry Ford Health completed two successful mergers, including the one with Jackson’s Allegiance Health (now Henry Ford Jackson Hospital) ,expanding its geographic footprint, and expanded globally with the 2020 opening of partner hospitals in Saudi Arabia and India.

 Jackson YMCA Welcomes Two New Board Members

At its annual meeting this month, the Jackson YMCA Board of Directors welcomed two new members and advanced a slate of officers for the following year.

Joining the Board are Becky Waldron, Regional Director Orthopedics, Podiatry, Rehab and Sports Medicine for Henry Ford Jackson Hospital, and Dan Bishop, retired as the Director of Media Relations for Consumers Energy.

In addition to expanding its numbers, the Board of Directors elected a slate of officers; Matt Curfman, President and Co-Owner of Richmond Brothers, remains Board President – the Y’s Chief Volunteer Officer. Elected Vice President, in line for the presidency, is Scott McIntosh, Vice President, Tax, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer for CMS Energy and Consumers Energy. McIntosh, who joined the Y board in 2018, has served as chair of the Y capital campaign for a new downtown YMCA for the past three years. Claire Powell, Occupational Health Manager at Consumers Energy, who had previously served as Vice President, stepped down from that role to focus on her work as chair of the Resource Development Committee. The committee oversees the Strong Kids Strong Communities annual campaign and the Y signature event, Party for a Cause.

“I am pleased to welcome Becky and Dan to our board. I am thankful they and all our volunteers are willing to donate their time and expertise to our YMCA,” said Jackson YMCA CEO Shawna Tello. “We have the right people in place to help lead our organization forward as we work to bring a new healthy living campus to downtown.”

New Board Members

In health care for nearly two decades, Waldron brings a wealth of professional and volunteer experience to the Y, including service as an American Heart Association Champion. Last year the Y and Henry Ford Jackson announced the healthcare provider would be co-locating services in the new Y. Waldron said she looks forward to joining the Y leadership team to continue to expand the impact of the partnership between these two aligned service providers.

“As a lifelong Jackson resident, I believe in our community and have a desire to make it better.” Waldron said. “My desire is to meet people where they are to provide the healthcare they need and deserve. That goal will be realized through the partnership and the exciting programming we’ll develop together.”

A longtime member of the YMCA, Bishop has served as the capital campaign’s Marketing and Communications Committee chair since 2019. “I see and appreciate the vital and unique role that the Y plays in bringing the Jackson community together,” said Bishop.

Retired from Consumers Energy in 2017, Bishop’s career as a communications professional spanned 35 years. An active community member, Bishop currently serves as the Board President for Catholic Charities of Jackson Lenawee and Hillsdale Counties. Along with his work leading that organization, he also is a volunteer driver for seniors. When not engaged in other charity and community service work, Bishop can often be found at the Y playing basketball and pickleball.

American 1 Credit Union named Best Credit Union, MemberXP

American 1 Credit Union was recognized this week as one of North America’s best credit unions in the Best Loan Experience category this year by MemberXP, a member experience solution from CU Solutions Group. 

The Best of the Best award is given annually to credit unions that have consistently provided exceptional member service, as reported by members. Based on specific and rigorous criteria, only the highest-performing credit unions utilizing the MemberXP platform receive this honor.

 “It’s an honor to be named one of North American’s best credit unions in the Best Loan Experience category by MemberXP,” said Carolyn Duncan, American 1’s Chief Member Experience Officer. “At American 1 Credit Union, we are member-focused and always committed to being boldly convenient and uncomplicated as we provide personal everyday banking services in our communities. Our members are more than just an account number – they are part owners of our credit union, and creating a great member experience is one of our top priorities.”

MemberXP, a platform that allows credit union members to provide immediate feedback on their service, serves credit unions in the United States and Canada. The platform uses mystery shoppers and member surveys to gauge the overall member experience across multiple delivery channels. 

Consumers Energy Proposes Investment to Modernize Grid, Improve Customer Reliability and Lead Clean Energy Transformation; Seeks Rate Increase

  Consumers Energy this week proposed a $272 million investment in Michigan’s energy future to support a more reliable, resilient, and increasingly clean energy system for its customers. The company is seeking approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission for this plan.

“The main priority of our plan is simple: fewer, shorter and less frequent power outages for our customers which requires a modernized grid,” said Guy Packard, vice president of electric operations. “Like any tool that people use to power their lives – whether that’s a car, cell phone, an appliance or a house – the energy grid needs care and investment to work properly without interruption. We’re committed to powering our customers’ lives with reliable energy now and in the future with this requested investment.”

Consumers Energy’s five-year, $5.4 billion Electric Distribution Infrastructure Investment Plan (EDIIP) is a blueprint for serving Michigan today and innovating to meet the challenges of the coming decades. Investments such as trimming trees, replacing poles and wires and upgrading substations and key equipment are top priorities, especially with climate change causing more frequent and severe weather events. The company plans to invest roughly $1 billion annually to upgrade the power grid and improve reliability and resiliency through 2025. Consumers Energy is also bringing its distribution system into the 21^st century with smart meters, sensors and automation devices working together to serve customers and provide enhanced reliability and efficiency. 

Other major components in the rate change request include:

·       Making it easier for residential customers to purchase and install an electric vehicle charger and provide other EV incentives;

·       Expanding a proposed economic development rate which would help attract new business and encourage existing businesses to expand and grow jobs in the Great Lakes State;

·       Increasing clean energy investments, including doubling the size of its distributed generation program which would bring more solar energy to Michigan;

·       Expanding demand response programs that help customers save money and reduce energy waste by using electricity at optimal times; and

·       Support the purchase of the Covert Generating Station, a cleaner, highly-efficient, 1,176-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant in Van Buren County. 

“To protect Michigan’s environment for future generations, we have proposed to eliminate coal as a fuel source for electricity by 2025 – but this plan will take every ounce of effort to ensure we can reach this goal while making sure electricity is more reliable and affordable for all,” added Packard. “Additionally, we are focused on growing businesses here in Michigan and want to get ahead of the global marketplace to attract and retain jobs which requires competitive electric rates for our largest job-creators.”

The final impact on customer bills will not be determined until the MPSC makes its decision in early 2023. If the plan is approved as proposed, an average household will see its electric bill increase by about $7.50 per month. Through our reliability plan, we plan to reduce the average length of time that customers are without power by nearly 15% from 2020 to 2025. 

Additionally, to help support those customers struggling, in January 2022, Consumers Energy contributed $3.5 million to establish a new percent of income payment program pilot to help 1,500 low-income customers beginning in October 2022. The Company also contributed this winter $1 million to United Way of Jackson County and TrueNorth Community Services, two Michigan nonprofits with long histories of partnering with the Company to assist customers who are having trouble paying their energy bills.