Kalamazoo city manager to give update at community breakfast event

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The city of Kalamazoo will be the topic at the next Mercantile Bank of Michigan Breakfast Speaker Series event hosted by the Haworth College of Business.

Jim Ritsema, Kalamazoo city manager, will give a presentation titled "Kalamazoo's Foundation for Excellence" at 8 a.m. Friday, April 27, in 2150 Schneider Hall.

The event is free and open to the public and begins with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (269) 387-6059 or at wmich.edu/business/mercantile-rsvp. Free parking is available at Fetzer Center Lot 72F.

Ritsema

Ritsema has more than 25 years of experience in public services, previously serving as finance director in the cities of Marshall and Battle Creek and as assistant city manager in Battle Creek. He was appointed the city manager of Kalamazoo in November 2013.

Ritsema holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Calvin College and a master's degree in program evaluation, urban administration and finance from the Ohio State University School of Public Policy and Management. He is a credentialed manager of the International City Management Association and is a member of Michigan Municipal Executives.

Haworth College of Business

Western Michigan University's Haworth College of Business, one of the largest schools of business in the United States, is the academic home to more than 3,500 undergraduate students majoring in 18 specialized areas of business. An additional 500 graduate students study business administration and accountancy.

The Haworth College of Business is among an elite group of fewer than 5 percent of business schools worldwide that are accredited at both the undergraduate and graduate levels by the AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. It is among a select 1 percent of business schools worldwide that have additional specialized AACSB accreditation for their accounting programs.

Upcoming presentations

• May 18, Dr. Edward Montgomery, president, Western Michigan University

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news