Whirlpool executive Jeff Noel will have the opportunity in the near term to anchor the team at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, a job he was once offered by former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. Noel has been named alongside MEDC Executive Committee Chair Awenate Cobbina to serve as interim head of the organization while the search continues for a new CEO there.
Noel was actually offered the job by Granholm in 2004, had tentatively accepted the offer, and was even house hunting in the Lansing area when then Whirlpool CEO David Whitwam offered him a role in the executive suite of the world’s largest appliance manufacturer. At the time of both offers, Noel was the President of Cornerstone Alliance.
On Tuesday, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Executive Committee announced that the national search for filling the role of CEO of the organization is progressing on schedule and as planned.
Cobbina, serving as Executive Committee Chair, indicated that, “Last year we engaged a search firm to conduct a thorough national search process that has included completing a needs analysis for the role and interviewing stakeholders to agree on the key attributes this leader must possess. Thanks to the excellent reputation of the MEDC and its staff, almost 150 diverse and highly respected candidates and referrals were identified from 26 states and Puerto Rico.” He added, “As Chairman, I could not be happier with the tremendous quality of all the applicants, as evidenced by the countless hours the search team has spent narrowing the field. We expect that we will announce the person chosen for the role of CEO soon as we continue to bring closure to this disciplined and extremely thoughtful process.”
MEDC Board Vice Chair Jeff Noel says, “On behalf of the entire Executive Committee, let me again thank Mark Burton for his outstanding leadership in filling the role, and we especially want to recognize the entire MEDC team for all they have done this past year, especially given there was no playbook on how to deal with a pandemic,” while adding, “The people of Michigan, our great employers, the local economic development practitioners and especially our professional staff deserve a national search to find the best candidate, and we have done that and more in this process.”
Mark Burton stepped down from the role officially on March 12, 2021. In order to best fill the leadership void until a new CEO is named, the MEDC Executive Committee unanimously voted to have its Chair and Vice-Chair jointly serve in that capacity. Cobbina and Noel will be offering guidance, serving in the formal capacity of CEO, and approving all necessary actions to continue to keep the MEDC fully operational, in support of the residents, communities and businesses of Michigan. As resolved Tuesday, Noel will serve as the official CEO, as legally required, with decisions and approvals being concurrently executed with Awenate Cobbina.
Cobbina concludes, “We want all stakeholders working with the MEDC to know we remain fully open for business and that the priorities of our state will continue to be met with a seamless leadership transition that has the full Executive Committee and staff attention until the new leader is named.”
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and their initiatives, you can visit http://www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan tourism information, your trip begins at http://www.michigan.org . You can also join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn , and Twitter.
