WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – Detroit police chief James White has been named the new president and CEO of the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN).
The DWIHN is Michigan’s largest community mental health organization, which supports more than 123,000 people in Wayne County.
Last month, White confirmed to Local 4 that he had applied for the position. He said at the time that “it’s an extremely important role at a critical time for Detroit and Wayne County. We continue to have a mental health crisis in our community that needs to be addressed at multiple levels.”
White was named chief of the Detroit Police Department in 2021. White has a background in mental health. He received a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Wayne State University. He has previously served as the executive director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.
The DWIHN’s search for a new CEO began in July of this year. Out of the more than 60 candidates, interviews were completed with the top seven. The final two candidates, which included White, were interviewed in front of a group of panelists that included members from the organization’s provider network, community stakeholders, and staff.
It was announced on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, that White would be the DWIHN’s new president and CEO. The DWIHN board of directors named White the organization’s new president and CEO in a unanimous vote with one abstention.
“We are very pleased with the choice of Mr. White to continue leading DWIHN and we feel confident that he is the right person for the critical job of leading this organization as we enter this next phase of growth to help our region’s most vulnerable citizens,” said noard chairperson, Dr. Cynthia Taueg.
Interim CEO Manny Singla will continue overseeing all day-to-day operations with the Executive Leadership Team. White is expected to work with DWIHN board chairperson Taueg to transition into the new role and determine a start date.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan posted to X Wednesday afternoon regarding White.
I know he’ll take those same talents and dramatically improve mental health services to the people of Wayne County as the CEO of DWIHN.
— Mayor Mike Duggan (@MayorMikeDuggan) October 16, 2024