Kalamazoo withdraws from Southwest Michigan First over hiring of Chatfield as CEO - Crain's Detroit Business

boonoor.blogspot.com

The Kalamazoo City Commission unanimously voted Monday to withdraw from Southwest Michigan First Council of 100 after the economic development organization hired former Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield as CEO.

City Commissioner Erin Knott, who is also the executive director of Equality Michigan, introduced a motion at Monday night's commission meeting to withdraw $10,000 in annual funding to the organization, MiBiz reported.

"Hopefully this will give other organizations having a similar debate an example to follow us," Knott said. "We're taking the lead and doing what's right for our community."

Knott also called on businesses and organizations to withdraw their memberships.

Last week, Knott in a news release blasted Chatfield's hiring for what she called his "anti-LGBTQ extremist" and said he does not share the values of Kalamazoo County or Southwest Michigan.

Chatfield's appointment has brought an unusual amount of political attention and backlash to an economic development organization.

"If (Southwest Michigan First) is changing its focus more on being a business advocacy group and maybe not so much on attracting businesses and job creation, then that would make sense hiring him," said Dean Whittaker, an economic development and real estate consultant and CEO of Holland-based Whittaker Associates Inc., told MiBiz. "If you want to turn the organization into a lobbying organization then that would make sense."

Chatfield, 32, assumed leadership of the more than 30-year-old economic development group on Monday, following the resignation late last year of longtime CEO Ron Kitchens, who took a similar position at an organization in Birmingham, Ala.

The former Republican lawmaker from Emmet County in northern Michigan was term-limited out of office after six years in the state House late last year, and until Thursday had not announced any further professional plans.

Chatfield doesn't have a background in economic development or business recruitment.

Before being elected to the state House, Chatfield was an athletic director, teacher and coach at Northern Michigan Christian Academy in Burt Lake.

Chatfield said he's "eager" to learn the economic development and planning business as the new leader of Southwest Michigan First.

"You never really know whether or not you're fully prepared for a job until you're fully in it and you're immersed in it and you're working every day," Chatfield said.

The native of rural northern Michigan said he and his wife would move their family of five children from Levering to Kalamazoo area after the current school year ends.

"We were really excited about this opportunity because it was a nonpartisan role where I could take some of the experiences I built in the Legislature, dealing with different economic developers, and put it to practice," Chatfield said Friday in an interview with Crain's. "... I'm eager to take some of that experience (in the Legislature) and some of the context I've built and incorporate it into economic development and learn all I can about it and see what we can do to make Michigan more on the map and more competitive with many of our surrounding states."

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"first" - Google News
February 16, 2021 at 07:02PM
https://ift.tt/2OEoXnD

Kalamazoo withdraws from Southwest Michigan First over hiring of Chatfield as CEO - Crain's Detroit Business
"first" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2QqCv4E
https://ift.tt/3bWWEYd

Bagikan Berita Ini