Photo Caption: Discover Kalamazoo President and CEO Jane Ghosh (far left) presents an Industry Partnership Award to (from left to right) CEO Jonas Peterson, Partner Mason Everett, and Chamber Director Clarence Lloyd from Southwest Michigan First at a ceremony on Wednesday, December 14.
Discover Kalamazoo (DK) announced that Southwest Michigan First has been selected as a recipient of this year’s Industry Partnership Award. The purpose of the award is to recognize accomplishments related to promoting the hospitality and tourism industry in our great community. Discover Kalamazoo team members recognized Southwest Michigan First for their work on a variety of initiatives designed to encourage even more people to visit Kalamazoo, including their work on the downtown event center, Amateur & Youth Sports Facility, sponsorship of and participation in their annual golf outing, and more. In addition, Chamber Director Clarence Lloyd served as Chair of the DK Board in 2022. Both Downtown Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan First are passionate about promoting economic prosperity for everyone in our local community.
The awards were presented during Discover Kalamazoo’s annual meeting, which was held last week at Bell’s Eccentric Café. Several team members from Southwest Michigan First were there to accept this award in person, including Jonas Peterson, CEO; Clarence Lloyd, Chamber director; Melissa Fish, director of public policy; and Mason Everett, partner, marketing and communications. In addition to Southwest Michigan First, three other organizations were recognized for their partnership and involvement over the past year: Kalamazoo Experiential Learning Center, Kalamazoo Battle Creek International Airport, and Kalamazoo Optimist Hockey Association.
About Discover Kalamazoo
Discover Kalamazoo is the official destination marketing organization for Kalamazoo County, with a vision of sharing Kalamazoo with everyone, inspiring visitors and residents to discover Kalamazoo.
About Southwest Michigan First
Southwest Michigan First is an organization of privately funded and economic development advisors who act as the catalyst for economic success in Southwest Michigan. Founded in 1999 with the mission that The Greatest Force for Change is a Job, our team members work across all industries throughout the seven counties of the Southwest Michigan region.
