Five Questions With: Michele Lederberg

CULTURAL EXPERIENCE: "Volunteerism is at the heart of our culture," says BCBS Executive Vice President Michele Lederberg. / COURTESY BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD
CULTURAL EXPERIENCE: "Volunteerism is at the heart of our culture," says BCBS Executive Vice President Michele Lederberg. / COURTESY BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD

Michele Lederberg, executive vice president, general counsel and chief administrative officer at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, joined the insurance provider 17 years ago as a health care attorney. Her areas of oversight include legal affairs, corporate compliance and ethics, enterprise risk management, audit, information assurance and information security, human resources, community relations and public affairs. She manages BCBSRI’s relationships with government, community and business leaders including ongoing collaboration on health care reform. In addition, she serves as secretary of BCBSRI’s board of directors. Outside of BCBSRI, Lederberg serves on the board of directors for United Way of Rhode Island.

PBN: Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its companywide volunteer day – in what ways do you think the company has strengthened its position in the community by dedicating one day a year to serving those in need?
LEDERBERG:
In all aspects of our company, we take seriously the idea that we can achieve more by working together. We are honored that Blue across Rhode Island has become not only a signature event for Blue Cross employees, but an invaluable day for the 43 community partners we have supported over the past five years. The event stands as the largest single-company volunteer day in the state, with more than 70 percent of our employees participating in the event each year. It’s a privilege to team up with organizations across the state to create stronger, healthier communities through a powerful day of activities that make a lasting impact.

PBN: What impact has the company made since it began the companywide community service day program?
LEDERBERG:
Between 2012 and 2015, Blue Cross donated nearly 15,000 employee volunteer hours, along with $180,000 in corresponding grants, in $5,000 allotments, to organizations dedicated to helping Rhode Islanders live better, healthier lives. This year alone, our team will provide more than 3,500 volunteer hours and $65,000 in grant funding to 13 organizations. Over the five years, we’ll have spanned 21 cities across Rhode Island to benefit over 50,000 people.

PBN: How many volunteer days have you been a part of and how much of an impact do you think they have on the community?
LEDERBERG:
Blue across Rhode Island is one of my favorite days of the year and 2016 will be my fifth annual day of service. We seek out projects that we know will deliver real value for the organizations in a lasting way. Everyone at the company feels proud of what we accomplish as we leave the comfort of our offices and routines to roll up our sleeves and work together on projects that would otherwise take weeks or months for our community partners to complete. I encourage you to follow the hashtag #BlueacrossRI to hear from our employees and partners themselves what Blue across Rhode Island means to them.

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PBN: Can you explain what goes into choosing which nonprofit organizations Blue Cross collaborates with for its annual volunteer day?
LEDERBERG:
Each spring, Blue Cross invites Rhode Island-based nonprofits to apply to participate in Blue across Rhode Island. We consider organizations that align with our mission to improve the lives of all Rhode Islanders by improving their health. Over the last few years we have given special consideration to organizations whose missions or project ideas focus on children. A review committee, comprised of past Blue across Rhode Island project captains and employee volunteers, scores all proposals based on everything from project design and feasibility to the organization’s need.

PBN: Will the day come when Blue Cross hosts companywide volunteer days more frequently?
LEDERBERG:
We enjoy this as a signature annual event, volunteerism is at the heart of our culture, with more than 50 percent of our workforce donating their time and talents to the community over the course of each year. In 2015, our BlueAngel employee volunteers donated more than 7,200 hours to more than 50 different organizations in the community through events coordinated by Blue Cross. We encourage participation with paid time off for volunteering as a benefit offered to all employees and we recognize our employees’ efforts through a variety of programs and incentives. Giving back to the communities in which we live and work is a core priority for Blue Cross year-round.

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