September 14, 2018
Friday, Sept. 14, 2018
Scott Hiipakka to assume new duties on Sept. 24
LANSING – Gov. Rick Snyder today announced the resignation of Jeff Bankowski, director of the Office of Performance and Transformation (OPT) within the State Budget Office, effective Oct. 26. He also announced that Scott Hiipakka, currently the program management director within the Executive Office, will be Bankowski’s replacement.
Bankowski joined state government in January 2015 as the Chief Internal Auditor and was later promoted to lead OPT after it was established as part of Executive Order 2016-4, which consolidated the Office of Internal Audit, the Office of Regulatory Reinvention, and the Office of Good Government and Reinventing Performance in Michigan. Bankowski has led the systematic review of the state's regulatory environment as well as the implementation of performance management metrics, service process optimization efforts, employee engagement programs, and leadership education and training.
“Jeff brought a fresh perspective to government work and he has been a central force in leading our effort in the reinvention of state government,” Snyder said. “I know that Scott will step in and keep the momentum going as we enter these final months of my administration. I believe that many of the good government practices instilled by OPT will continue to bring benefits in the years ahead.”
Bankowski was named the recipient of the 2018 William R. Snodgrass Distinguished Leadership Award from the Association of Government Accountants, only the second recipient from Michigan to receive the award in its 21-year history, given in recognition of a state government professional who exemplifies and promotes excellence in government financial management and who demonstrates outstanding leadership.
“My time in state government has provided some of the most rewarding and meaningful work of my life,” said Bankowski. “I have had the privilege of working with many outstanding people across state government and I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish.”
The State of Michigan was recently named the winner of the Government Agency Employee Engagement Award at the North American Employee Engagement Conference in Chicago, where OPT accepted the award on behalf of the state. The award is presented for excellence in employee engagement and OPT is responsible for oversight of the state’s employee engagement survey where feedback is gathered from nearly 47,000 state employees. The participation rate in the last employee survey hit an all-time high of 76 percent.
Another recent accomplishment within OPT was the elimination of 41 obsolete reporting requirements, helping to reduce regulatory burden and make state government more efficient. The process of identifying obsolete, unnecessary, or burdensome reports occurred by working with each individual state department, resulting in reducing regulatory burdens and eliminating unnecessary paperwork for state employees so more of their time is spent working for and responding to Michigan residents.
“I couldn’t be more excited to continue the great work that has already been done,” said Hiipakka. “Residents and businesses in Michigan demand a responsive and efficient government with an engaged workforce and I am ready to help lead that charge.”
Hiipakka joined the Executive Office in 2016 and has played a lead role in several critical issues for the governor. He has worked on Mission Flint’s guidance of that city’s recovery, the state’s proactive response to PFAS, development of the Marshall Plan for Talent, and the collection and review of key metrics for the administration to track progress on Michigan’s comeback. Hiipakka has a distinguished military career and brings a tremendous amount of experience to the position, having served both in the public and private sector as a transformational leader. Hiipakka holds the rank of Colonel in the Michigan National Guard.
Hiipakka will start in his new position on Sept. 24, allowing for a one-month transition of duties before Bankowski’s departure at the end of October.
For more information about OPT, visit www.michigan.gov/opt.
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