Mel McNea, who will retire as CEO of Great Plains Health in North Platte, Neb., in December, plans to run for a state Legislature seat, according to North Platte Telegraph.
Mr. McNea said he intends to run for the seat of Sen. Mike Groene of Lincoln, Neb. Mr. Groene was elected to the Legislature in 2014 and assumed office in 2015. He was reelected in 2018 but cannot run again because of term limits.
If elected, Mr. McNea would take over the seat in 2022.
"Serving as our local hospital CEO through this unprecedented pandemic has taught me many things about Lincoln County," Mr. McNea said in a news release cited by the Telegraph.
"Our community works together, we do what's best for our families, and we find solutions to the challenges we face. I'm running for the Nebraska Legislature to bring conservative leadership and vision to the challenges we face in western Nebraska," he said.
Mr. McNea has a history with Great Plains Health of more than 30 years. He has served as CEO since 2014.
Read more about Mr. McNea's career here.