Midland's Terry Moore Inducted Into Michigan Military Hall of Honor

Terry Moore, a Midland resident whose career spanned from Army service to the helm of a regional health system, was inducted into the Michigan Military and Veterans Hall of Honor on October 23.

The ceremony, held at the Michigan History Center in Lansing, recognized Moore for both his military tenure and the leadership he provided to the Great Lakes Bay region following his active duty.

For Moore, the recognition serves as a bookend to a life defined by service. He credits his time as a U.S. Army lieutenant between 1966 and 1968 with providing a “180-degree difference” in his personal development. Before his commission, Moore described himself as an average person who struggled with a phobia for public speaking. The military, he noted, provided the confidence that underpinned his later professional success.

From Chemical Warfare School to Hospital Leadership

Moore’s path to the Hall of Honor began long before he became a familiar face in Michigan healthcare. After committing to the ROTC while an undergraduate at Central Michigan University, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1965.

His active duty service in 1966 included training at the chemical warfare school in Alabama and airborne school at Fort Benning, Georgia. This period of his life, he said, was “one of the best experiences of my life because I was with some of the best people I’ve been around in my life.”

12 inducted to Michigan Military and Veterans Hall of Honor

Upon leaving the service, Moore pivoted to hospital administration, earning a master’s degree from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He returned to his native Midland in 1977 to lead the Midland Hospital Center. By 1985, he had been named CEO of MidMichigan Health—now known as MyMichigan Health—overseeing an expansion that eventually grew to serve 26 counties across the state.

Following his retirement from the health system in 2008, Moore turned his attention to his family apple orchard in Ingersoll Township and continued to engage with the veteran community. He remains an advisor to the Great Lakes Bay Veterans Coalition, the organization that nominated him for the Hall of Honor this fall.

Moore Mentors Younger Generations of Leaders

The impact of Moore’s leadership extends beyond his administrative career. Eddie Kennedy of the Great Lakes Bay Veterans Coalition highlighted Moore’s commitment to mentoring younger generations. This includes Stephanie Kennedy, who went on to graduate at the top of her ROTC class at the University of Michigan and served as an Army Airborne captain.

Terry genuinely cares about teaching others and investing in their success. His passion for helping others represents the best of the military and the best of leaders. I am a better leader because of Terry, and I know I am not the only one who has been bettered by him.

As Veterans Day approaches, Moore’s perspective on the military remains unchanged. He characterizes those who have served as “the greatest fraternity in the world,” emphasizing that the kinship felt among veterans is rooted in a shared sense of selfless, hard-working patriotism. Moore was one of 12 individuals inducted into the Hall of Honor this fall, with six of those selections specifically recognizing contributions made after military service concluded.

What is clear is that for Moore, the transition from lieutenant to hospital executive was not a departure from his service, but a continuation of it.