March 11, 2003
Keeping her commitment to run government “smarter, faster and more efficiently,” Governor Jennifer Granholm today announced that seven “executives on loan” have begun their work with Michigan’s state agencies and are hard at work looking for more ways to streamline government services and to efficiently spend state dollars. The business executives are volunteering their full-time services to the state, and their companies are paying their full salaries and benefits. The Governor hosted the first official meeting for the group last week.
“These men and women – and the businesses who loaned them to us – exemplify the spirit of hard-work and ingenuity that has made Michigan an international leader in modern technology and industry,’’ Granholm said. “They bring a kind of energy and purpose to their jobs that is an inspiration to both the public and private sector communities.”
Though the executive on loan program, business executives will volunteer their services to help Governor Granholm identify areas within state government where savings can be generated through a more efficient use of manpower and the streamlining of government operations. Governor Granholm met personally with the group and underscored her commitment to private sector/public sector partnerships as the key to the future success of Michigan’s economy. She explained that she is looking for every opportunity to utilize private sector expertise.
“The executives on loan will bring the best practices of the private sector to government and help us streamline, root out waste, and find creative ways to do the people’s work,” Granholm added. “I thank them for their commitment to making state government stronger than ever and I applaud the companies who loaned them for their leadership.”
The meeting kicked off Phase I of the Executives on Loan program by placing the executives in seven state departments where they will use their expertise to help staff identify ways to work more efficiently. The second phase of the program will
include bringing in more executives to work along side other department heads throughout the state. The goal is to eventually match executives from the private sector with each of the 19 state departments.
Participating in the program are executives from the following companies:
Krause has been on loan to the state for the past month. He told his colleagues he was surprised to find how easy it was to bring a business mind-set to the operations of state government.
“In my first month working with the FIA, I found that there is a tremendous number of business practices and approaches that are relevant for use in the public sector to help meet the needs of our citizens as customers,’’ Krause said.
Along with the Governor, other officials attending the meeting were David Fink, Director of the Office of the State Employer; Mitch Irwin, Director of Department of Management and Budget; and Lynn Jondahl, Executive Director of Michigan Prospect.
