Kalamazoo commissioners cancel membership with Southwest Michigan First over CEO selection
Updated Feb 16, 2021;
KALAMAZOO, MI — The Kalamazoo City Commission has distanced itself from Southwest Michigan First after the organization hired a new CEO with a high-profile political resume and views that commissioners say they do not agree with.
Former Michigan Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield has been hired as CEO of the economic development nonprofit Southwest Michigan First, the organization announced on Thursday, Feb. 11.
At the Kalamazoo City Commission meeting on Monday, Feb. 15, Commissioner Erin Knott made the motion that the city withdraw from Southwest Michigan First’s Council of 100, which includes other entities such as Western Michigan University, Bronson HealthCare, Millennium Restaurant Group, Greenleaf Trust, Stryker, and others, according to the Southwest Michigan First web site.