Blue Cross MA partners with GenUnity to launch new community leadership program in honor of outgoing CEO

BOSTON, Dec. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Andrew Dreyfus, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Blue Cross), is stepping down at the end of the year. To honor Dreyfus' leadership and commitment to community engagement and diversity, equity and inclusion, Blue Cross is partnering with GenUnity to launch the Andrew Dreyfus Community Fellowship – a leadership accelerator that will foster the growth and impact of Boston's next generation of civic leaders.

Through $300,000 in funding from Blue Cross, GenUnity's new Andrew Dreyfus Community Fellowship, launching in the spring of 2023, will provide emerging leaders from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to continue their leadership journey beyond its signature three-month development program. With access to additional seed funding, community-building events, and direct connections to a pipeline of community and civic leaders, the Fellowship will provide GenUnity graduates with the tools needed to implement their plans to drive lasting change in communities across greater Boston.

"GenUnity is an incredible organization that is helping create the next generation of community-focused, empathic and collaborative leaders," said Dreyfus. "I am honored to be a part of their work and excited to see how these leaders will make Boston a healthier and more just place to live and work."

Since GenUnity's inception in 2020, Blue Cross has been a strategic supporter of the organization's civic leadership programming and its community-centered approach to building the next generation of community leaders. GenUnity's three-month development program convenes diverse cohorts of aspiring leaders – including business professionals sponsored by companies like Blue Cross, nonprofit employees, and community members – to learn from each other's lived experiences and the systems and power structures that cause inequities. Participants conclude their participation by incorporating what they've learned to develop action plans that address the issues that are important to them.

"We're deeply grateful to Blue Cross for selecting GenUnity to honor Andrew's inspiring legacy," said Jerren Chang, GenUnity's co-founder & CEO. "This Fellowship program enables us to create a lifetime community of practice – further investing in our aspiring leaders to come together and build trust, collective knowledge, and power to drive change on community issues."

"GenUnity's focus on building solidarity across differences to solve complex problems is an ideal tribute to Andrew's legacy here at Blue Cross," said Lucy Darragh, Blue Cross' director of strategy and social impact. "Andrew has always ensured that our work is community-informed and driven by multiple perspectives. Doing so has made Blue Cross a better company and Massachusetts a leader in affordable, quality health care. We're excited to continue this work and honor Andrew's impact through this new Fellowship."

The Andrew Dreyfus Community Fellowship will be open to GenUnity participants from 2020-2025. GenUnity is currently recruiting participants for its next Health Equity Leadership Development program starting in the spring of 2023. To learn more about the program and how to apply, click here.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (bluecrossma.org) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are committed to the relentless pursuit of quality, affordable and equitable health care with an unparalleled consumer experience. Consistent with our promise to always put our members first, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

GenUnity (GenUnity.org) is building towards a vision of "A Community By Everyone, For Everyone" by strengthening the capacity of everyday adults to drive positive change on community issues. We know when we are all involved in shaping our communities, we are all better off. That's why our locally-focused programs elevate proximate experts, promote equity in decision-making, and build solidarity across difference–so that, together, we can shape our policies, institutions, and systems into ones that benefit us all. Connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts