NEW: Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Ri Names Kim Keck President
Thursday, May 19, 2016
GoLocalProv Business Team
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island has announced the appointment of Kim Keck as the president and chief executive officer. She is currently the senior vice president at Aetna.
"I am excited to have this opportunity at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, and to work with the physicians, hospitals and other healthcare stakeholders in Rhode Island to improve the health of the community. To succeed in the future, Blue Cross must also transform the members' experience to meet their needs and expectations by providing simple and affordable options in the market," said Keck.
Keck will be the 7th president and CEO of the 77 year old company. She will join the company in June, succeeding Peter Andruszkiewicz.
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Keck with Aetna
Keck was with Aetna for more than 25 years. She was most recently involved in integration planning in connection with Aetna's anticipated acquisition of Humana.
During her career at Aetna, she held numerous leadership roles in the company, including president of the northeast region, interim president of the southeast region, head of enterprise strategy and mergers and acquisitions integration, and vice president of finance.
She also served as the chief of staff to Aetna's former chairman, CEO and president, Ronald Williams.
"Kim¹s strong industry experience, leadership skills and strategic thinking made her the clear choice as Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island¹s next president and CEO. We¹re pleased to bring her back to Rhode Island in this critical role. Kim fully supports our mission to provide Rhode Islanders with access to affordable, high quality healthcare. Her ability to build relationships and plan for the future will help position Blue Cross for continued growth and long-term success," said Randy Wyrofsky, board chair.
Prior to Aetna
Before joining Aetna, Keck served as an analyst with Fidelity Investments in Boston.
She was born, raised and educated in Cumberland, Rhode Island and holds a bachelor degree from Boston College and an MBA in finance from the University of Connecticut.
She is on the board of directors at the Connecticut Business and Industry Association.
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WalletHub
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WalletHub
Rhode Island has been ranked as the 8th most eco-friendly state in the country, according to a recent study by WalletHub.
Rhode Island ranks third in environmental quality and 16th in Eco-Friendly Behaviors Ran landing them in 8th overall.
RI is behind Washington and New Hampshire who are in the six and seven spots respectively, and in front of Connecticut and Hawaii who come in at the nine and ten spot.
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WalletHub
Rhode Island is 2015's 4th Worst State to be a taxpayer, according to a recent WalletHub report.
Rhode Island ranks 48th of 51 with an average state and local tax price of $7,159 which is good for a 27% difference from the national average.
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WalletHub
Rhode Island has the highest vehicle property taxes in the country, paying an average of $1,133 according to a report from WalletHub.
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Gallup
Providence-metro ranks at the bottom for job creation in 2014
Rhode Island has been ranked amongst the worst in job creation, according to a recent survey done by Gallup.
Gallup gives the Prov-metro area an index score of 23, the lowest score is the New York- New Jersey area with 20.
Salt Lake City, Utah and Austin-round Rock, Texas rank the highest with a score of 37.
See the rest of the rankings here.
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Forbes
The 2014 state rankings by Forbes has just been released and Rhode Island moved up two spots from #48 in 2013 to #46 in 2014.
What does Forbes say about RI's business environment"
After Michigan and Illinois, Rhode Island has experienced the third worst net migration out of its state in the country over the past five years. With a recent unemployment rate of 7.6%—lower than only Georgia and Mississippi—residents are leaving the state in search of jobs. Rhode Island has been stuck in the bottom five overall for six straight years. One plus: labor costs are 5% below the national average, which stands out in the expensive Northeast.
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Tax Foundation
Findings from The State Business Tax Climate Index were released this morning by Tax Foundation which found Rhode Island to have the 45th best tax climate for businesses for 2015. The state's rank has not changed since last year after The Index analyzed 100 different tax variables in multiple categories.
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Thumbtack/Kauffman
Providence is the second worst city in America for small business, according to a new survey conducted by Thumbtack.com and the Kauffman Foundation.
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The Economist
Small Business Friendliness Grade: F
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Forbes
Forbes ranks each state in business costs, economic climate, and growth prospects. RI is third worst in 2013.
The most damning in the commentary:
After Michigan, Rhode Island has experienced the second worst net migration in the country over the past five years.
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Tax Foundation
#46 Tax Foundation
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ALEC
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Kauffman Foundation
#50 Kauffman Foundation
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Free Enterprise
#47 Free Enterprise
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Gallup
10th Worst in Gallup's Annual Ranking of State Job Markets 2014
Rhode Island has been ranked 10th worst for job creation in Gallup's annual ranking of state job markets in 2014 with a job creation index number of 21
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See the full list of rankings here.
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