Celebrating Black History Month with Cloretha Gibbs, Director of Environmental Services at Jackson North Medical Center
Cloretha Gibbs always wanted to work in medicine. After getting her medical assistant certification, she applied for a nursing program and thought she would embark on a career providing care at the bedside.
While waiting to hear about her application, she took a part-time job in hospitality in Michigan.
“I fell in love with the cleaning industry and felt that was my path,” Gibbs said.
After a 30-year tenure working in hospitality, she saw an opening managing cleaning crews at Jackson North Medical Center. Gibbs saw it as an opportunity to blend her two passions, and brought her expertise to Jackson Health System.
Today, she’s the director of Environmental Services, where she manages 65 employees caring for the 382-bed, full-service hospital.
“When I got my chance to work in the hospital, I saw that it would enable me to provide service to patients and ensure a safe and clean environment. I got a dual blessing to do both,” she said. “And it’s been rewarding ever since.”
Gibbs was excited to see so many people of color in leadership positions at Jackson North, and was honored to join their ranks in September 2022 She views Black History Month as a chance to celebrate those who paved the way for her to become a Black female leader, one of the first to hold her current title.
“For me, Black History Month means we can celebrate people of color, the trailblazers who made way for people like me and my generation and generations to come,” she said. “We celebrate those iconic moments and times and the people who strode on despite the adversity. Black History Month allows us to celebrate it freely, which hasn’t always been the case.”
Gibbs hopes the movement toward more corporate and organizational leadership continues.
“People have many different expertise gifts, and talents, and as long as we can treat everyone as an individual, we will continue to trend forward and bridge that gap so segregation is not felt,” she said. “As I witness a transition taking place, I’m encouraged by what the future will hold.”