Today we’d like to introduce you to Renee Branch Canady.
Hi Renee Branch, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in a military family, traveling throughout my formative years. I had to learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable and to thrive amidst the new and unknown. These skills have served me well as an adult, especially in the many leadership roles I have been privileged to hold.
I developed a deep appreciation for relationships, especially across difference– different people, different places, different beliefs, and more. I often say that I looked for my first job and my subsequent jobs looked for me! Beginning my public health career in the mid-80s as the first AIDS Educator at my local health department honed my commitment to advocacy and justice and set a thematic trajectory for my 40-year career.
Whether practicing public health in local or state government, serving higher education as an administrator and professor, or leading in the non-profit arena, I have grown in service to others. Today, as a published author and CEO, I strive to motivate and challenge leaders– to push them to think keenly, listen deeply, and act intentionally. In other words, to lead with courage and humility to advance the change needed for every generation, in every era. Leading through relationship and difference has been my personal and professional purpose and I am grateful for the public health platform from which I have served.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My passion and purpose have been the fuel that propelled me through professional and personal struggles. My greatest challenge was the premature death of my first-born son when he was six months old. Ironically, this deep personal loss profoundly influenced my professional career. Infant mortality became the focus of my dissertation and research, as well as a key topic for keynote addresses. Loss in my life contributed to gain.
Professionally and personally, I have endeavored to squeeze the juice from every lemon in life. Challenges and struggles, including funding losses and worldwide pandemics, have brought lessons that made me a stronger leader. When driven by relationships, challenges are unavoidable, whether caused by miscommunication, disparate ideals, or misaligned aspirations. Thus, I expect challenges to come and strive to be prepared rather than see them as unexpected. Challenges can propel or prohibit. In my journey, rarely have they prohibited.
We’ve been impressed with MPHI – MI Public Health Institute , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At a time when governmental entities are often misunderstood and criticized, MPHI stands as a beacon of governmental innovation and a platform for transformation. MPHI was established in 1989 by the Michigan legislature as a quasi-governmental entity and partnership between academic institutions and the state to advance the health of Michiganders.
MPHI is one of 51 public health institutes in the nation, but the only one established in statute. We are a nationally engaged institute located in Michigan, dedicated to advancing population health through innovation, collaboration, and authentic partnership. We work alongside communities, government agencies, health systems drawing funding and lessons from a broad range of sources that benefit the public health needs of MI.
Our tag line is “working with you to promote health” and MPHI brings a deep bench to expand the capacity and success of partnering organizations with technical skills such at finance and technology as well as subject matter expertise applied as evaluators and project managers, to name of few of our broad skills. MPHI is committed to and strives to help create a world that is healthier for all. Our core values are a mirror for my own personal values and it is an honor to lead from that place of strength.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Although I consider myself at the conservative end of risk-taking, I must confess that in times of disruption and change, risk-taking is an imperative. I believe risk-taking requires courageous decision making, acting despite personal fear for the good of others. As a relationship driven leader, I am equally gratified when I meet the needs of others, even more than meeting my own needs. Giving and serving are more vital than receiving. As such, courageous risk taking has been a constant throughout my public health career. At the start of my career as the first Ingham County AIDS Educator, I found it necessary to speak up for all people suffering from AIDS and resist the narrative of “innocent victims” (vs. the assumption of guilty victims!) in order to illuminate the humanity of all those we were bound to serve in public health. Seeking to do good when it is in my power to do so often requires risk-taking. For example, my decision to take on a community violence interruption initiative that required my staff to engage directly with people whose lifestyles included active gun violence was an extreme risk. But trusting our chosen evidence-based model and the passion and dedication of our team proved the risk was worth taking as gun violence began to decline in our region. Risk is an unavoidable variable in relationships, especially in relationships with people who are quite different than you. But we must take risks to advance change, healing our societies and advancing health for the good of all, as we are dedicated to do in the field of public health. For me, risk taking never feels easy, but it always feels necessary and I invite all leaders, regardless of their role, to join me in risk-taking and leading.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mphi.org/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mphihealth/
