FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 30, 2021

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, 2021.

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.

Each Coalition has a different area of focus, but all work is guided by six key values identified by the Board: inclusion, engagement, transparency, collaboration, transformation and innovation.

  • The Coalition for People works together with local organizations to engage the diverse community that makes up downtown Kalamazoo. We 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. We don’t only work on building a beautiful environment, we also work on developing public infrastructure, such as sidewalks, street lighting, and maps of downtown. This makes it easier for everyone to get around downtown safely and keeps our community connected.
  • The Coalition for Experience works to curate downtown Kalamazoo into an engaging social space. We brainstorm ideas for events, programs, and public art—including murals and sculpture—with the goal to draw people into downtown. We 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. We actively support new businesses, help attract new businesses, and guide start-ups. We also work closely with the downtown community’s anchor institutions to continuously develop and grow the downtown economy.

Coalitions meet every other month, or six times annually. Members are asked to commit to a term of two years.

Anyone committed to enhancing Downtown Kalamazoo is encouraged to apply to become a Coalition member. Applications are due Monday, 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 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works with the public and private sectors to preserve and enhance the economic health of the downtown area and, in turn, the entire Kalamazoo community across four impact areas: people, place, experience, and growth. In conjunction with its affiliate organizations, the Partnerships manages a full range of activities that include capital and mobility improvements, public space management, business development, and recruitment, and marketing and event planning – all with an eye toward establishing 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, or find more downtown news on our website.