Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership seeks community members looking to make an impact to join Citizen Coalitions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 5, 2020
Contact: Meghan Behymer, Communications + Marketing Manager
mbehymer@downtownkalamazoo.org | 269-344-0795
The Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership is seeking passionate, engaged community members to apply for a seat on one of four Citizen Coalitions by November 1, 2020.
Launched in 2019, the Citizen Coalitions were created to empower diverse community stakeholders in guiding the Partnership’s investments, programs and services in four areas of impact key to the success of the Downtown: People, Place, Experience and Growth.
Coalition members worked collaboratively to set goals and priorities for the work the Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership does in each area of impact, offering ideas to enhance ongoing initiatives and brainstorming innovative ways to approach Downtown challenges.
- The Coalition for People works together with local organizations to engage the diverse community that makes up downtown Kalamazoo. Members work on increasing inclusivity, getting feedback from local residents, and discovering new and better ways to make downtown welcoming for everyone.
- The Coalition for Place focuses on continuously developing downtown into an inviting place that everyone can enjoy. Members work on building a beautiful environment and developing public infrastructure, such as sidewalks, street lighting, and downtown signage, making it easier for everyone to get around downtown safely and keeping the community connected.
- The Coalition for Experience works to curate downtown Kalamazoo into an engaging social space. Members brainstorm ideas for events, programs, and public art—including murals and sculpture—with the goal to draw people into downtown. Members also work to promote downtown and its businesses with creative marketing ideas that showcase the unique beauty and diversity of the community.
- The Coalition for Growth supports entrepreneurship and investment downtown, working to create a place where businesses of all sizes can launch and thrive. Members actively support new businesses, help attract new businesses, and guide start-ups, and work closely with the downtown community’s anchor institutions to continuously develop and grow the downtown economy.
While each Coalition has a different area of focus, all work is guided by six key values identified by the Board: inclusion, engagement, transparency, collaboration, transformation and innovation.
Coalitions meet every other month, or six times annually. All Coalitions are currently meeting virtually.
Members are asked to commit to a term of two years. Business owners, employees, residents, students and community members alike are encouraged to apply. Each Coalition is limited to 20 members. Applications are due Sunday, November 1.
More information on the Coalitions and an application for membership can be found at https://downtownkalamazoo.org/citizen-coalitions/.
About Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership
Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership is a non-profit organization that works with both the public and private sectors in preserving and enhancing the economic health of Kalamazoo’s downtown area and, in turn, the Kalamazoo community. In conjunction with its affiliate organizations, it manages a full range of activities that include capital improvement projects, business development and recruitment programs, image marketing and event planning in order to establish Downtown Kalamazoo as an accessible, diverse, green, progressive and vibrant urban center. For more information, visit downtownkalamazoo.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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