Jim Full, Memorial Healthcare’s new CEO, (Courtesy Photo)

Memorial’s New CEO

Memorial Healthcare’s Board of Trustees announced Thursday that Jim Full of Tampa, Florida, has accepted the position as Memorial’s permanent President and CEO. That announcement followed an extensive search process involving multiple candidates and extensive input by the board, physicians, leadership and employees.

“We are confident Jim will lead us successfully though the exciting times and challenges that lay before us,” said Thomas Teal, M.D., interim CEO. Full will be relocating from Florida and will start his duties effective March 15. Teal, who will step down from the CEO role upon Full’s arrival, will continue to serve Memorial in an administrative support role.

Full was born and raised in Chicago, Ill., and is the youngest of three boys. He has a bachelor’s in Psychology with a Sociology minor from Marquette University, a master’s in Social Work from George Williams College, and a master’s in Business Administration from DePaul University.

He started his career as a social worker with the Veterans’ Administration, where he worked in various capacities, including acute psychiatry, oncology, acute medicine/surgery and ambulatory care. He was promoted to Program Coordinator for Geriatrics and Extended Care, where he coordinated the construction of a model teaching nursing home and spearheaded the first VA/private partnerships nationally.

During his career, he has worked as either a Chief Operating Officer or Chief Executive Officer at nine other hospitals throughout the country, including Chicago, Colorado, California, Alabama and at three hospitals in Indiana. Over the past four years, Full has served as the Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer overseeing the operations of the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children and its Corporate Office in Tampa, and as a rural health care consultant.

In Tampa, Full serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development and is also an active member of the Tampa Bay Partnership, served as Chairperson for the Life Science Subcommittee, and is a Paul Harris Fellow with Rotary International. He was a Big Brother in the Big Brother/Big Sister program, and his “little brother” became the first in his family to graduate from college and is now working in the Information Services department for Marion County in Indianapolis. He is involved in many other church and civic activities.

Professionally, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Indiana Hospital & Health Association, and was President of the Eastern District. He is the Past-President of the Indiana Rural Health Association, a Fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), a mentor with ACHE, and participates on the Regent's Advisory Board for Western Florida.

Full enjoys playing basketball, racquetball, fishing and tennis, and is a die-hard Chicago Cubs and Bears fan. His wife, Karen, works for the Admissions Department at the University of Tampa.

“Please join us in welcoming Jim and Karen to Michigan and to the greater Shiawassee area community. We are confident that Jim's expertise and energetic outlook will help Memorial Healthcare move forward in our efforts to provide the quality, compassionate healthcare our community has learned to expect from us,” said Denise Bannan, Ph.D., chairperson of the Memorial Healthcare Board of Trustees.

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Interim City Manager

By Jackie Leone, staff writer

Donald Crawford, a native of Missouri but who has worked in a leadership position in several Michigan communities, including Hamtramck, as well as DeKalb and Streator, IL and Boca Raton, Fla, was tapped by the Owosso City Council at the Tuesday evening, Feb. 16, council meeting to serve the city’s interim city manager.

He was one of three candidates considered during a close to two-hour interview session prior to the regular agenda. Also applying were D. Wayne O’Neal and George Strand.

In response to questions posed prior to the interviews by Mayor Ben Frederick and asked by Human Resources Director Jessica Unangst, Crawford, she said, advised he could begin immediately and that he was willing to “camp out here.” She also related he expected to receive current City Manager Joe Fivas’ $85,000 salary, with no benefits.

Unangst also reported that Crawford said he “may be” interested in the position full-time; he would not rule that out.

Asked to tell about himself and why he applied, Crawford replied, “I have been a city manager most of my life.” He went on to say, “I have reached the point in my life” where he could take an interim position, adding, “I’m not ready to be shelved… I enjoy doing different things.”

Each councilperson had an opportunity to ask the candidate a question, primary of which was developing a balanced budget and the candidate’s ideas on a public safety department.

Regarding the budget, Crawford, in response to Chris Evelenth’s question, said he would “try to bring about efficiencies,” as well as “a restructuring of revenue receipt.” He said this would involve “shifting; getting other communities to pay their fair share.”

Answering Councilman Tom Cook’s question regarding public service reforms, Crawford said that “quick response” is paramount. He also said that in the country he was serving at the time, most of the fires were small and/or minor ones in senior citizen housing projects and one of the things he did was move Code enforcement into the Fire Department.

Asked by Mayor Pro Tem Cindy Popovitch how he would see himself tackling short-term problems, Crawford responded, “Every city manager’s greatest accomplishments (things they started) show up when they are gone.” He said he would “keep things moving according to the plans in place,” as well as keep in close communication with staff “and make sure proper information gets to the council.”

Crawford added, “I have got to make my presence known. I can’t be here just keeping the seat warm…”

In response to Councilman Mike Erfourth’s inquiry as to Crawford’s thoughts on where Owosso is now and what should be done, Crawford responded, “The core of the city is terrific. The core has been held together. That is one economic stimulus you have downtown. Your problems are with (encroachment by) adjacent governments and how to work together with them

Asked by Councilwoman Joni Forester what he hopes to accomplish, Crawford responded, “Not let anything underway fall through the cracks, go by the wayside.”

Saying Crawford’s management skills are documented but not his communication skills, Councilman Gary Martenis asked Crawford to comment on those skills. Crawford said, “My door is always open.”

Mayor Frederick asked Crawford how he would go about facilitating inter-government cooperation. He said that the first priority would be effecting the start of conversation for a regional partnership and start bringing communities together. “We all have the same problems…”

Working together is one thing, he went on to observe, “Who’s name is on the truck is another” – and that often becomes an obstacle in such talks.

It was estimated that the interim city manager position would have a three- to six-month duration while the search continues for a full-time manager.

City Attorney Bill Brown and Unangst are to negotiate a contract with Crawford and share details with the council, possibly, at the Feb. 20 special goal-setting meeting.

Crawford holds a bachelor’s in Political Science, Economics and another from Nebraska Wesleyan University. He went to Northern University and earned his master’s in Public Administration and a second Master’s degree in advanced study. He has had numerous training courses and had taught at Oakland University in the Public Administration Program and at U of M-Dearborn in the Public Administration Program.

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