The 2017 class of winners includes a wide range of influential African American men in metro Detroit. These individuals serve as leaders and mentors who are actively contributing to the region’s economy and community.
“I’ve been mentoring people on a personal and professional level for nearly five decades,” said Derick Adams. “I’ve found that the most important thing you can do to help an employee is to listen and take even the smallest concern seriously.”
As vice president of human resources for HAP, Adams leads succession planning processes, leadership evaluation and development, and a variety of cultural development projects. He is a founding member of the HAP Diversity Committee, which supports his personal mission to ensure that HAP optimizes the value of its diverse employees and customers. He has also implemented industry-leading employee engagement, diversity and cultural initiatives.
Adams is a trusted colleague to the 1,300 employees who work at HAP. In his management role, he communicates with a diverse group of employees that includes salaried, hourly and union workers.
“Derick is well-respected at HAP for serving as the voice of employees,” said Terri Kline, president and CEO, Health Alliance Plan. “Employees listen to Derick with the confidence that the critical information he provides is accurate, fair and carefully considered.”
Adams serves as a board member of the Michigan Colleges Alliance and the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Michigan. He is also an active member of the board of directors of the Oakland Schools Education Foundation and House of Prayer and Praise Ministries. In the past, he was a gubernatorial appointee on the Michigan State Council for Labor and Economic Growth and selected to the Southfield Employee Retirement Systems Board.
Adams will officially be inducted into the Men of Excellence Class of 2017 at a celebration hosted by The Michigan Chronicle on Friday, June 30, at MotorCity Casino Hotel.
About Health Alliance Plan
Health Alliance Plan (HAP) is a Michigan-based, nonprofit health plan that provides health coverage to more than 650,000 members and companies of all sizes. For more than 50 years, HAP has partnered with leading doctors and hospitals, employers and community organizations to enhance the health and well-being of the lives we touch. HAP offers a product portfolio with six distinct product lines: Group Insured Commercial, Individual, Medicare, Medicaid, Self-Funded and Network Leasing. HAP excels in delivering award-winning preventive services, disease management and wellness programs, and personalized customer service. For more information, visit hap.org.
# # #
Pictured: Derick Adams, vice president of human resources for Health Alliance Plan (HAP).
Contacts: Ebony Dooley
Health Alliance Plan
(248) 443-7847
edooley@hap.org