"It’s Time For Each One Of Us To Step Into and Fully Embrace Our Power": Meet Dr. Jean Accius
Dr. Jean Accius recently accepted a position as President and CEO of Creating Healthier Communities. Previously, Dr. Accius was the Senior Vice President, Global Thought Leadership and International Affairs for AARP. He currently serves on the Executive Leadership Council for GlobalMindED. You can see Dr. Jean Accius
interviewing Micheal Render Aka "Killer Mike" at GlobalMindED's Resolve to Solve event in Atlanta.
What is your personal story, and how does it inform your personal and professional purpose?
My grandmother-single-handedly raised me in my first four years of life. I saw firsthand her resolve to raise a child she hadn’t expected to raise and provide every opportunity she could. She instilled a strong work ethic, a sense of justice, perseverance, humility, and the ability to solve problems and serve others. One lesson my grandmother taught me was the Haitian Creole proverb, “Tout moun, se moun,” which means, “every person is a human being.” I learned at an early age to always think bigger than myself. Meaning, always remember who your work is for, the impact you can have on others, and that you need to go out of your comfort zone to do more, do better, and do good for others. None of us achieves success or feels fulfilled on our own. There has to be community and a mutual understanding that “interdependence” and not “independence” is the highest form of maturity.
Many Washington, D.C. debates involve people who talk a lot and do very little. When addressing inequities, I prefer to talk a little but achieve extraordinary results for people in our society who are often overlooked. My impact has been and will continue to be making sure all voices are heard, that we meet people where they are and involve them in creating solutions, that needs are met, and that our public policy systems and programs support those who need it most. We need more young men and women of color in public policy careers. We need more people of color to run for office, become lobbyists, and be the ones in Washington writing and passing laws. The more inclusive Washington’s halls of power become, the better off our nation will be. As a Black man, I know how powerful the Black community is. Our history reminds us constantly of our strength, ingenuity, and destiny. It’s time for each one of us to step into and fully embrace our power and do it in a city where laws change lives.
What inspires you as the incoming President & CEO of Creating Healthier Communities?
My entire career has been dedicated to addressing the inequities that rob people of the opportunity to live healthier and more prosperous lives. Every person is a human being and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Right now, in our culture, we have an amazing opportunity to eliminate disparities and ensure that every person has a chance to live a longer, healthier, and more prosperous life. All residents of all neighborhoods deserve the same number of years to grow old with their spouses, play cards with their friends, and watch their grandchildren grow up.
Health equity and the work CHC does is a social, moral, and economic imperative. In addition to it being the right thing to do and the most important thing to do, closing health disparities gaps could generate an additional $8 trillion to our GDP by 2050. It would also increase federal tax revenues by $450 billion and state and local tax revenues by $100 billion yearly. Think about this for a few minutes. If we treat every American equally and provide equal access to jobs and health care, the federal government would get $450 billion more in tax revenue yearly, and states and localities would get $100 billion more yearly. That money could fix traditional infrastructure like potholes in roads and weak beams in bridges. It also could support our soldiers and veterans, provide our kids with better schools and pay teachers what they deserve. It could fix a variety of wrongs and contribute to addressing other areas of racial and socioeconomic disparities.
You are currently in the Black Board Bound cohort group. What do you most want to contribute on corporate boards where you will serve, and how will your leadership open the doors for others?
I am a social impact and results-driven executive, board member, university professor, and an accomplished writer with over 25 years of experience helping organizations elevate bold solutions that advance equity, foster greater health security, and build financial resilience, so everyone has the means to match their life aspirations.
Corporate boards have a responsibility to address and eliminate barriers that limit opportunity. They also have a responsibility to help build and support equitable systems so that no community suffers the burdens of inequity. My leadership of CHC will focus on cultivating unprecedented levels of collaboration across industries to scale for impact and accelerate the pace of change.
Why do you value the GlobalMindED community, and how can GlobalMindED’s Inclusive Success Network support your goals in the various professional and personal roles you lead?
Great movements happen because somewhere, somehow, someone decides it’s time to pivot from resistance to action. We are in the midst of unprecedented change and disruption in our country. For better or worse, it is changing lives and communities and reshaping industries. We need strategic risk-takers with the courage to hear a diversity of thought and harness a strong entrepreneurial spirit to convene and engage with nontraditional partners to instigate real change. I fundamentally believe that the GlobalMindED community can be a disruptive, “good trouble” force where leaders of every profession and background come together to create a new normal because the status quo isn’t working. We all are suffering as a result.
What legacy do you most want to leave the world at the end of your life?
Family is very important to me. I credit my grit and work ethic to growing up in Haitian culture where, despite the odds, we would wake up every day and get to work, contributing to providing for our family. I am blessed and fortunate to have the opportunity to be a dad to two beautiful kids - Christian and Parker. My wife and I are working hard as parents to teach our children these same principles. My kids and my family are my biggest accomplishment and most important my legacy. They will, one day, become transformative leaders and game changers in their own right who will make their mark in this world.
