KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — Kalamazoo City Commissioners have approved most of the members for the board for the Foundation for Excellence and after interviewing half a dozen finalists last night picked an at-large Chairman for the first-of-its-kind panel.
They picked Pastor Nathan Dannison by a clear majority.
Mayor Bobby Hopewell says the board members will go through some training and orientation and then get to work to manage the funds they already have in the bank, and work with a fund-raising group to secure the estimated half-billion dollars they will need for a permanent endowment.
Their job will be to oversee the investments, manage the fund and make sure that its maintained as a permanent source of future funding, if enough capital is raised. The Kalamazoo Foundation has been helping to supply support services and staff, which will probably continue.
The other board members approved Monday night, following a screening and selection process administered by the Kalamazoo Foundation, and the community sectors they represent are:
-Affinity Organizations, Mia Henry, 2-year initial term • Arts, Alisa Carrel, 2-year initial term • Business/Banking, Adam McFarlin, 2-year initial term • Education, Von Washington, Jr., 3-year initial term • Faith Based, Matthew Zerwekh, 1-year initial term • Healthcare, Angela Graham-Williams, 3-year initial term • Housing, JoVaughan Head, 1-year initial term • Neighborhood 1 (Edison), Sandra Calderon-Huezo, 1-year initial term • Neighborhood 2 (Northside), Alice Taylor, 2-year initial term • Neighborhood 3, Barbara Miller (Oakland/Winchell), 3-year initial term
Also serving will be the City Manager and the Mayor.
