Congratulations to the Chamber’s Board of Directors Chair, Bob Riney, President and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Ford Health, who was awarded the 2026 Shining Light Award during a ceremony at MotorCity Casino on Oct. 7.
Chamber Board of Directors Chair, Bob Riney, Honored With Neal Shine Award for Exemplary Regional Leadership
October 8, 2026
“It’s an honor to lead Henry Ford Health. We have almost 52,000 team members and the brick-and-mortar advancements are wonderful. But as was articulated by other honorees, it’s about the other people who occupy those buildings that really matter.”
– Bob Riney, President and Chief Executive Officer, Henry Ford Health
The award, presented by the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition and the Detroit Free Press, recognizes leaders who are building bridges, fostering regional cooperation, and working to unite communities in the Detroit Region. Riney was honored with the Neal Shine Award for Exemplary Leadership.
“One of Bob’s superpowers (in addition to comedy) is to link organizations, sectors, and communities around a shared vision for Southeast Michigan’s future. Throughout his career, Bob has been a trusted civic leader and advocate for regional cooperation to shape a better future for Detroit and Southeast Michigan,” said Dan Shine, son of the award’s namesake, who touted Riney’s leadership on the Future of Health and Destination: Grand projects.
“There is no straight line to progress. There’s no straight line to success. It is a winding curving trip, and sometimes you even go a little back to go forward. You gotta be willing enough to do that and take a long-term view. But a series of small actions cultivates into big differences. We are going to do big things. Focus on communities. Change health. But the math has to work. We can’t pretend the math away,” said Riney in a video highlighting his leadership and Henry Ford Health’s impact.
In his acceptance speech, Riney touched on the power of big organizations’ ability to drive big results.
“A lot of us read about corporations getting bigger and bigger, and some of you may have mixed feelings about health care getting bigger and bigger,” he said.
“But bigger can solve a lot of problems – if, and it’s a big if – you maintain the heart and soul of a small company. You have to be really purposeful about that, and you have to have a lot of strategies and tactics that reinforce that we’re still an intimate group of people doing incredibly important and needed work.”
Other honorees include friend of the Chamber Laura Grannemann, Jeremiah Steen, and Dan Austin. The Chamber was a sponsor of the event.
Pictured left to right: Bob Riney, Laura Grannemann, Jeremiah Steen, Dan Austin