KEES Recruits CEO for Covenant Community Care
July 27, 2020 – Executive search and non-profit consulting firm KEES (Kistner Eddy Executive Services) has placed Joslyn Pettway as the new chief executive officer of Covenant Community Care in Detroit. President and CEO Heather Eddy and project manager Octavia Daniels led the assignment for the search firm.
“It was a pleasure to meet Joslyn from Day One,” said Ms. Eddy. “Her passion for those served, as well as her perspective on the future, instantly set her apart from other candidates. Joslyn Pettway is an emerging leader who will take Covenant in the right direction. The board and search committee of Covenant Community Care have been excellent partners, and we see a strong, flourishing future for Covenant in the years ahead.”
Covenant Community Care’s board of directors retained KEES as its executive search partner in December. A comprehensive search was launched, attracting a large number of candidates from across the U.S. The search committee, led by board chair Dotti Sharp, ultimately selected Ms. Pettway from the group of top finalists.
“The search for a new CEO was a rigorous national process, and Joslyn quickly rose to the top of the pool,” said Ms. Sharp. “Her experience as a Covenant team member for the last seven years only enhances her commitment to the organization and ability to lead it effectively. The board of directors is sure that under Joslyn’s great leadership, wisdom and guidance, Covenant will strive to much greater heights and achievements.”
Ms. Pettway began her career in 2008 as director of primary care initiatives at Detroit Wayne County Health Authority and served as executive director of the Southeast region of the Michigan Area Health Education Center from 2011 to 2013 before joining the Covenant Community Care team.
Ms. Pettway started at Covenant as a program director/grant writer before becoming chief program officer in 2015 and then chief operating officer in 2018. In addition to her role as COO, Ms. Pettway has been acting CEO since September of last year, when former CEO Paul Propson stepped down after 12 years of leadership. Born and raised in Flint, MI, a large part of Ms. Pettway’s passion for working at Covenant stems from growing up in a community like those Covenant serves. She said she believes deeply in the mission of Covenant Community Care and is particularly fond of federally qualified health centers (FQHC) because of the unique governance structure that ensures patients have a voice in their care. When Ms. Pettway isn’t actively advocating for Covenant, she is making connections through professional associations and volunteer activities. She is a member of the University of Michigan School of Public Health – Health Management & Policy Alumni Network and serves locally as a member of Triumph Church.
“Seven years ago, I was drawn to Covenant Community Care because of its mission,” said Ms. Pettway. “The opening of our mission statement, ‘to show and share the love of God,’ serves as the foundation for all that we do at Covenant. It is the standard by which we measure our strategic decisions, operational expectations and day-to-day interactions. It has always resonated with me that Covenant’s mission clearly defines the type of care we want to provide to those we serve, and I look forward to advancing that mission throughout our community for years to come.”
Founded in the late 1990s as a community health clinic, Covenant Community Care has operated as an FQHC since 2007. The organization serves over 20,000 people every year through medical, dental, OB-care, behavioral health and vision services. Operating with a current budget of $14 million, Covenant provides a full range of healthcare and services to the people of Detroit and the broader metropolitan region. Over 190 full and part time staff at six locations fulfill the mission and provide compassionate care and healing.
Non-Profit Recruiters
KEES, based in Naperville, IL, focuses on building transformative teams and leaders in the non-profit sector. The firm was founded in 2013 as an expansion of Alford Executive Search. It is women-owned and operated and provides a wide variety of services, including executive search, specialty and interim staffing, HR consulting and leadership development.
Ms. Eddy has worked with non-profits and institutions to build capacity for more than 20 years. For the past 12 years, she has focused on strengthening executives, boards, managers and philanthropic leaders. She co-founded KEES and leads the organization’s team after serving for 17 years in multiple executive leadership roles with the Alford Group/Alford Group Executive Search, a national consulting firm that partners with non-profits and provides fundraising and organizational strategy consulting.
Ms. Daniels has experience across various sectors — including corporate, marketing and higher education — at JPMorgan Chase, WDB Marketing and Northwestern University. She specializes in presentation delivery, project and program coordination, account management, process improvement, digitization initiatives and auditing procedures.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
