New management structure aims to strengthen customer relations
LANSING – Michigan Virtual® announces the reorganization of its management structure with the appointment of Dr. David Myers as the leader of the company’s two educational programs: Michigan Virtual® and Michigan LearnPort®.
Dr. Myers has served as the Executive Director of Michigan LearnPort for the past five years and has been responsible for the development of that division as the state’s online learning portal and resource for Michigan K-12 educators. In his new role, Dr. Myers will also lead Michigan Virtual as the organization continues its efforts to reorganize around functional areas. That process began earlier with the creation of both a product development and an outreach team that serve the needs of both the virtual school and Michigan LearnPort.
“Combining our two main programs into one functional unit under the leadership of Dr. Myers will strengthen internal communication and better align functions, allowing us to provide improved service to our K-12 customers,” said Jamey Fitzpatrick, President of Michigan Virtual. “We continue to direct all of our resources to meeting the growing needs of online learning in Michigan schools by providing a total customer solution approach designed around each individual school’s needs.”
In the coming months, Michigan Virtual will continue to align its internal processes and procedures in order to develop better customer solutions, programs, delivery and service. Four transitional priorities have been identified:
- Improve internal operations and communications;
- Reduce management costs while increasing the capacity to deliver programs and services;
- Integrate and improve customer service; and
- Expand strategic planning, organizational partnerships and fundraising.
“Michigan Virtual is already a recognized leader in providing high-quality online products and services,” Dr. Myers said. “We are striving to become a company committed to growing long-term relationships with Michigan schools by becoming a stronger leader in total customer online and blended learning solutions.”
The opportunity for Michigan Virtual to reorganize its management team resulted with the recent departure of Robert Currie, former Executive Director of Michigan Virtual. Currie guided the online school for six years, during a period of tremendous growth. His 30 years of experience in K-12 education helped position Michigan as a leader in online education. Currie recently resigned his position at Michigan Virtual to assume new responsibilities of developing a statewide virtual school in Montana.
During the transition, current customers, school administrators and education leaders should continue to work with Michigan Virtual staff as they have in the past.
