Downtown Kalamazoo Inc. Names Board Member Andrew Haan President

BY BTL STAFF
KALAMAZOO – Downtown Kalamazoo Incorporated has named board member Andrew Haan as its new president, according to an MLive.com report.
"Andrew comes to this position with a pronounced passion for downtown Kalamazoo, an understanding of the strategies that have worked across the country to grow downtowns, and the capacity to guide this organization into its fourth decade," Jim Bridenstine, chair of the DKI Board of Directors, said in a news release.
Steve Deisler announced in late November that he will resign as DKI president at the end of this year, after more than 17 years with the organization.
Deisler served as president for the downtown strategic planning and promotional organization since 2014 and was interim president for two years prior to then.
Haan, who will take office on Feb. 6, most recently served as associate director of the Office of Urban and Metropolitan Initiatives under Gov. Rick Snyder.
He partnered with the city of Kalamazoo to convene and design Kalamazoo's Urban Growth initiative, a partnership between the city, local institutions, downtown businesses, philanthropy, state departments and economic development partners to identify ways to grow the economy.
Haan served on the 21-person Blue Ribbon Revenue Panel appointed last year to study revenue options for the city of Kalamazoo.
Prior to his time in the governor's office, Haan was executive director of Downtown Muskegon Now, the lead promotion, events and development entity in Muskegon.
"I'm humbled and honored to have the opportunity to serve the community in this capacity," Haan said in the release. "Downtown Kalamazoo has seen incredible investment and revitalization over the last several decades. I look forward to strengthening the strategic partnerships that it will take to maintain and accelerate this momentum."