Western alumnus honored by Chamber for ‘making our community stronger’
Alumnus Jamauri Bogan is the recipient of the inaugural 2022 Chamber’s Choice Alumnus of the Year award.
Kristen DeVries, University Advancement vice president and executive director of the WMU Foundation, talks with Kalamazoo business person and alumnus Daniel May.
Left to right, Daniel May, Jamauri Bogan and WMU Alumni Association President Greg Dobson celebrate at the Chamber of Southwest Michigan First event.
Buster Bronco gets in on the celebration with, from left to right, Clarence Lloyd, Chamber director and partner at Southwest Michigan First, Greg Dobson and Jamauri Bogan.
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Real estate developer and Western Michigan University alumnus Jamauri Bogan is the 2022 Chamber’s Choice Alumnus of the Year, the inaugural recipient of the award established by the Chamber of Southwest Michigan First aimed at acknowledging and celebrating business leaders who have made a significant impact on the community during the past year.
“Jamauri represents the best of our community. It’s cool to see us rally around him, once as an athlete and now again as a business owner and Western graduate who decided to stay here and invest in making our community stronger,” says Clarence Lloyd, Chamber director and partner at Southwest Michigan First.
He added Bogan was nominated by members of the entire Kalamazoo County community and then narrowed to the top alumni finalists from all educational institutions in the county by a final vote from all active Chamber members.
“We want the Chamber’s Choice Awards to tell the story of what’s happening in our community, to strengthen our sense of community pride and to recognize leaders like Jamauri who are out here alongside us continuing to invest in making our community better,” Lloyd says.
Bogan, CEO of Bogan Development, launched the real estate development company in 2020, which is focused on tackling the needs of moderate- to low-income communities through mixed-income developments. This year, Bogan Developments will be breaking ground on a 14-unit project with child care in partnership with the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo.
“I am humbled to be a recipient of a Chamber Choice Award. But the award means more coming from Western Michigan University's Alumni Association. My experience at Western Michigan academically, athletically and socially has been crucial in my personal development,” says Bogan.
“I love the Kalamazoo community! Kalamazoo's heart for serving and giving makes it unique. Being a part of this community made me realize that we are all better when we put others first. In all my pursuits, I aim to remain outward-focused, ensuring I serve this elite community!”
Bogan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in personal financial planning in 2017 and a Master in Business Administration degree from Western in 2019.
A former Bronco running-back standout, he joins fellow Western alumni and award finalists Daniel May, B.B.A.’14, owner of Dabney and Co. cocktail lounge, and Adam McFarlin, M.M.’08, owner of Kalamazoo Candle, as contenders for the award’s inaugural year.
“The WMU Alumni Association is proud of the success of our alumni and particularly those in Kalamazoo who are making a difference in our region. We congratulate Jamauri on this award and thank him for his work to transform our city by creating new mixed-income developments,” says Greg Dobson, WMU Alumni Association president.
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