DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit Police Chief James White has been hired as the new CEO of the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network.
At Wednesday's DWIHN board meeting, all members present voted for him, except for one abstention.
"I am very humbled and honored for this board's trust in me. I look forward to this journey ahead. I know it will be challenging, but I'm excited. We have a good team here. I'm excited to roll up my sleeves and make an impact on mental health," White said at the meeting after he was appointed.
Last month, White confirmed that he was applying to be the new CEO. On Monday, the CEO search committee heard from White and another finalist and recommended the full board hire White.
Speaking to our Sarah Michals after the meeting, White talked about why he was interested in the role.
"Mental health has no boundaries and borders, as we've just seen in our own police department," White said, referencing the shooting of two officers by another officer having a mental episode. "It's a lot to be done in the world of mental health, and I'm excited to be part of it."
WATCH: See more from his interview after the meeting in the video below
“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 Board Chairperson, Dr. Cynthia Taueg, in a statement.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan also expressed excitement for White's new role.
"It will be a great thing for the people of Wayne County to have a director who demands accountability and performance from the nearly $1 billion being spent on mental health services," said Duggan.
In September, White told our Carolyn Clifford that he will step down from his role as chief if he got the job. It's not clear when White would officially step down from the department.
"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 said in a statement last month.
White was appointed chief on June 1, 2021, and was officially confirmed by Detroit City Council on Sept. 21, 2021. He took over after former Detroit Police Chief James Craig retired.
Before becoming chief, White had led the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, and returned to the department where he had been an assistant chief since 2009.
According to DPD, White joined the department in January 1996 and served in a variety of leadership positions during his tenure with the department.
He's a Detroit native and graduated from Wayne State University and Central Michigan University, where he became a licensed mental health counselor.
In July, DWIHN's board named Manny Singla as interim CEO after former CEO Eric Doeh announced he was stepping down in June. The organization then began a national search for a new CEO.
DWIHN provides health services for more than 120,000 people in Detroit and Wayne County.
White has been a huge advocate for deploying mental health experts to scenes, which is something Detroiters like Sandra Turner-Handy say must continue. She admits she fears losing momentum if White takes another role.
“Change in leadership creates a problem of trust in relationship building,” Turner-Handy said. "A lot of what goes on is from mental health challenges.”
7 New Detroit also spoke to a member of the Detroit 300 group which helps reduce violence and crime in the city about White leaving DPD.
“I hate to see him go but God has taken him in another direction," said Arthur Edge of Detroit 300. “Chief White was very involved, I walked with him in what he called Walk a Mile with the Chief.”
