With a new interim leadership team in place, Cornerstone Alliance is considering its current condition and priorities before searching for a new long-term leader.
Cornerstone President and CEO Rob Cleveland is leaving for a new position next month, and named as interim CEO is Cornerstone Board President John Janick. He tells us they’re not going to rush finding Cleveland’s replacement. Before a search begins, they’re doing some internal assessments.
“What are our strengths? What do we really excel at? How have we done over the last few years? And we’ll reassess whether those are all the things we need to continue to do within the community,” Janick said. “Are there things that maybe we ought to pick up that aren’t being addressed, or maybe there’s a duplicity?”
Janick says Cornerstone wants to understand all of those things before it finds a new leader. He says losing Cleveland won’t interfere with any ongoing projects. The organization has gone through leadership transitions before.
“There’s nothing in the process that if Rob steps out will cause that project to slow down or cease to move forward. I think we’ve collectively got team members across the Cornerstone spectrum involved in most of those projects, and although Rob may have been a point person, I don’t think his absence necessarily slows anything down.”
Janick has been on the Cornerstone Alliance Board for about 20 years, as board president for about nine years. While he’s acting as CEO, Cornerstone vice president of external affairs Christina Frank has been named interim president.
Janick tells us the goals of Cornerstone Alliance are the same as ever. They are capital investment in the community, growing businesses, making the region healthy and prosperous, and growing the population of Southwest Michigan.
