Julia Dale, who has led Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency through significant scrutiny following the COVID-19 pandemic, is stepping down to take on the role of CEO at Civilla, a Detroit-based nonprofit dedicated to improving public institutions.
Dale, the longest-serving UIA director in more than a decade, will leave the agency Jan. 3 and begin her new position at Civilla later that month. The announcement was made via an email to UIA staff, which was shared with the Free Press. Civilla also announced the change in a news release.
“This has not been an easy decision, as this agency, and each of you, have been such an integral part of my life for over three years,” Dale said in the email. “However, the time has come for me to begin a new chapter, and I feel immense gratitude and pride as I look back on the journey we’ve shared.”
Julia Almendarez Dale
Details about who will replace Dale were not shared in the email to staff but Dale said she is “committed to ensuring a smooth handover.”
Appointed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2021, Dale took the helm of the UIA during a challenging period marked by a torrent of unemployment claims due to the pandemic. The agency faced criticism both for distributing benefits to fraudsters while also taking a long time to get benefits to certain claimants who lost work in the pandemic.
More on claimants waiting on benefits: Years post-pandemic, some out-of-work Michiganders are waiting on unemployment benefits
Dale spearheaded efforts to overhaul the agency’s unemployment benefits system, a major source of many of these issues. Dale selected Deloitte to replace the system, which will be implemented in two phases: tax and employers and then benefits and claimants. The tax rollout will be in 2025, the UIA said.
Another one of Dale’s initiatives was partnering with Civilla to offer a six-step guide to simplifying benefits access, called the UIA Claimant Roadmap, and the Employer Help Center, a toolkit that provides answers to questions on unemployment and tax obligations.
In August, the UIA and Civilla started a new project aimed at helping local organizations improve residents’ access to unemployment benefits through UIA’s Community Connect program, the Civilla news release announcing Dale as the CEO said.
“Civilla’s mission resonates deeply with my own commitment to exceptional public service,” Dale said in the news release. “I look forward to working with Civilla’s team and partners to bring new possibilities and lasting change to the communities we serve.”
Founded in 2015, Civilla’s work started in Michigan when it partnered with state leaders to streamline what it says is the longest public benefit application in the U.S.
Michael Brennan, Civilla’s co-founder and CEO, will become the nonprofit’s executive board chair.
“Julia has a fresh and informed perspective on the power of human-centered design, and her leadership aligns closely with our vision,” Brennan said in the news release. “I’ve watched her lead with strength, compassion and an unwavering commitment to public service.”
More on Julia Dale: How surviving on food stamps helped me lead Michigan’s unemployment system | Opinion
Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: UIA director Julia Dale will leave agency to become CEO of Civilla