A view of the city of Kalamazoo on Oct. 27, 2021. Phone Number: (772) 475-ODTP +5 phones. Supporters of the foundation say the setup is democratic because the city commission, which is elected by voters, has to approve each years grant from the Foundation for Excellence. Worldwide, the Stryker name evokes a sense of medical innovation and quality. Already, 60 additional acres have been purchased for the clubs property allowing for the new infrastructureclubhouse, pools, underground parking (! He said, "This tournament is a part of the fabric of our city. When I asked Haywood what he thought about the Foundation for Excellence, he brought up the property tax breaks. In previous terms, the Republican majority successfully staved off any attempts at passing the legislation. Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. Eclipse 2020 by Arnold Johnston & Deborah Ann Percy - Kalamazoo, MI ESP by John Doble - NY, NY Flying Fish by Jim Lunsford - Valley Village, CA For the Record by F. J. Hartland - Johnstown, PA Grace Finds Kel by Rex McGregor - Auckland, New Zealand He is Benjis by Matt Talbott - Santa Barbara, CA Higher Than the Tetons by Stephanie Grilo . With more people at home this spring, SEMCO has experienced an increase in line hits caused by people digging before calling MISS DIG. NPQ is the leading journal in the nonprofit sector written by social change experts. She completed WMUs signature program in Diversity and Inclusion. And if we had made that harder, he says, it would have gone probably catastrophic.. A 2022 Michigan Supreme Court decision interpreted the law as prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation under the category of sex. Moss said his bill would clear up the law while providing additional resources for LGBTQ community members facing discrimination. The property tax may benefit white people more, but there are more white people than Black people in Kalamazoo, he says. Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo MI 49008-5200 USA(269) 387-1000Contact WMU, WMU Notice of Non-DiscriminationLand Acknowledgement Statement, Masters degree in political science, WMU, 1974, Favorite book: Good to great, by Jim Collins. Subscribe today and get a full year of NPQ for just $59. The two Bills have long been at the center of this philanthropic community. M2JlYzkxMTEyOWRmZWNlMzc2OGYyMzA0NzQ0Y2FmNjRlODVhZGYwMTRkMjUx The former teacher and her husband, William Johnston, gave $100 million to Western Michigan University in 2014 to build a medical school named for her grandfather . Once-cash-strapped nonprofits are expanding their missions, helping residents get job training, do their taxes and adjust to life after prison. Rental Properties, businesses, apartments, condos and/or other real estate associated with William Johnston in Kalamazoo, MI. What could go wrong is [if] the billionaires dont like what the city is doing, and say, Were not going to keep giving you money unless you do things differently, Callahan says. MDNlZDA5ZGRiYTVmZDVlOWY3NjJlYzA4NmU1MjEyODEzM2NlOTU4NzE3M2Iz This Week - 40 Total. I dont see anybody else gaining other than our children, our neighborhoods, the folks that need jobs, our businesses that we were able to help get through COVID, Hopewell says. Currently, we invest in and collaborate with organizations and initiatives working towards the elimination of intergenerational poverty in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Contact List Directories Trustee Johnston is the chairman of Greenleaf Companies, which include Greenleaf Trust, Greenleaf Hospitality Group and Catalyst Development LLC. KCC member Bill Johnston put the Invitational in perspective. The two will provide $70 million in seed money for the Kalamazoo Foundation for Excellence over the next three years. Many followers of the . A network of great golf and travel writing. WMU Notice of Non . Lawmakers adopted none of the amendments, but that didnt stop Republicans from continuing to make their case on why they oppose the legislation. The program has more than doubled the number of students it helps since getting a grant from the Foundation for Excellence, and it now serves around 350. All documents about the foundation live on the citys websitethe Foundation for Excellence does not have a separate website. Information 269-337-7000 Admission 800-253-3602 . We sell some of the best brands for a great golfing experience. That statement is worth a closer look, as it links the investment to the development of a 10-year plan for the city called Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 that will involve volunteers and nonprofit organizations, as well as city staff and officials, in setting goals. Despite this wealth, Kalamazoo has been struggling. ; Senate Bill 79 would provide for penalties for storing or leaving a firearm where it may be accessed by a minor. Read more: Inside the Nations Largest Guaranteed Income Experiment. Golf Show, Moore serves as a Governor for the Golf Association of Michigan and Chair of the Communication Committee. My grandfather always focused on patient outcomes, said Stryker, worth an estimated $3.4 billion. The firm includes Greenleaf Trust, Greenleaf Hospitality Group and Catalyst Development, L.L.C. Rick Snyder and Jennifer Granholm. Our intrepid journalists report in from the world's best golf destinations. Ronda E. Stryker & William D. Johnston Foundation . Michael Johnston, co-founder of record label Audiotree and the son of Kalamazoo billionaires William Johnston and Ronda Stryker, has been arrested and charged for allegedly using a hidden camera . Advertisements. Its to help make Kalamazoo a community that will attract and retain families, including business executives. School of Medicine. There are more and more cities that need help to fund public services that have been cut, Callahan says, and more and more rich people who have money to give. Executive Director. As one person described it, Kalamazoo CC will begin with a clean slate, with a new course and new facilities that will rival any property in the country. Ronda Stryker is 68 years old today because Ronda's birthday is on 05/01/1954. Stephanie Williams, a former Kalamazoo city commissioner and a community activist, stands outside the Graphic Packaging International paper mill in Kalamazoo, Mich.., which some residents say has benefited from big tax breaks while polluting surrounding areas. MGY0MDBlYTNkYmIzYTlkMWNiY2E3ZWNlY2EwYjU1NmQ1NmMyMGYifQ== University Advancement | Western Michigan University | 1903 W Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5403, University Advancement | Western Michigan University1903 W Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5403. Subscribe to NPQ's newsletters to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. You cant walk a few blocks without seeing a building with names of prominent philanthropists like Upjohn or Stryker. William is related to Grant Grant Johnston and Bette J Johnston as well as 2 additional people. Your access to this site was blocked by Wordfence, a security provider, who protects sites from malicious activity. YjQ5Y2ZhODQ4YTBmNDg0NGMwOGVjMjNmY2ZhYzhjYjg1OTg1OGNmNjEyMmRk On the steps of city hall, Mayor David Anderson hollered a guttural Wahhh!! Its a completely different way of doing government and communityits unheard-of. MTgyMWIwMzA1MzcxY2MzYjJiOGQ1NGQ5YjA0NzQxMjVlOWIwYzI3ZGMxZGIy Responding Democrats made it clear that they are simply accomplishing a long overdue goal for many Michiganders. EPISODE 50 | June 21 | K-Wings Owner Bill Johnston- Challenges of navigating through the pandemic- Attending the games as a fan in the stands- Importance of . Horton's Haberdashery. Bill Johnson was born on 16 December 1951 in Texas, USA. He began selling his inventions in 1941. But its the foundation staff and board who decide exactly how the money is spent. Email Address: w DHGO @radisson.com +2 emails. I think we need to be innovative and creative and try something., Michelle Miller-Adams from the Kalamazoo-based W.E. Every year, the foundation gives a grant to the city; this year it gave $25.78 million. Their fundraising goal is to raise $500 million as an asset base at the foundation to help fund the operations of the city, but the initial investment will be sufficient to help cut property taxes and forestall an income tax for the time being. Construction at the Kalamazoo Farmers Market, where a renovation is being partially funded by the Foundation for Excellence. Johnston Jr., Walter William Kalamazoo Passed away on Saturday, July 22, 2017 at Rose Arbor Hospice Residence in Kalamazoo. 7 months ago. The new KCC clubhouse will be located to the SW portion of the property. Johnston, a former school principal and teacher, is married to Ronda Stryker, an heir to the Stryker Corporation, a medical equipment company. Many voiced their concerns at a city commission meeting on October 18, though they could only do so by leaving voice mails that were then played in front of the council. MTk0ZWM1Y2M3NzZkZTVmNjliYzExYjgyYTU1MDgzYWYzZjJlMzIwYzU5N2Ex Known Addresses for William Johnston. Beginning in the mid-1980s, Ruth spent a decade at the Boston Foundation, developing and implementing capacity building programs and advocating for grantmaking attention to constituent involvement. All rights reserved (About Us). Sykes-Nehring, who was a city commissioner at the time, says there were some advantages to such a tax. Every single one of us in this room has to recognize that granting those around us more rights and more protections does not mean to strip away our own rights and protections, said Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak. The eldest of four children to Martha G. Parfet (nee Gilmore) and Ray Theodore Parfet, Parfet attended Lawrenceville High School in New Jersey. He retired from Clarage Fan in Kalamazoo Michigan. The guiding principle was two shalls and a may, Dannison says. When they created the foundation, Parfet and Johnston required the city to scrap a proposed income tax and to decrease property taxes. Extreme wealth has always had a comfortable home in Kalamazoo. She serves as the Grants & Operations Administrator at the Stryker Johnston Foundation. Among Dr. Strykers many patents and most famous innovations were a turning frame to prevent bedsores in bedridden patients and an oscillating saw to remove casts. As a child, Johnston learned the game caddying at Ogden's El Monte Country Club, where he recalled being able to play . Main address. which collectively employ more than 900 people. Date of Birth: The firm includes Greenleaf Trust, Greenleaf Hospitality Group and Catalyst Development, L.L.C. I walked around the citys Northside neighborhood, and many of the people I asked about the Foundation for Excellence had never heard of it. ), short course, practice rangeto be moved to the southwest. Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell told Michigan Radio that the city needed private aid to get out of debt because the state of Michigan was abandoning cities. As a change agent and thought leader, Yolonda embodies the principles of trust based grant making and works towards continuously improving the sector and beyond. Her husband, Bill Johnston, is the chairman of Greenleaf Companies, which include Greenleaf Trust, Greenleaf Hospitality Group and Catalyst Development LLC. A sign on the city limits of Kalamazoo, Mich., Oct. 27, 2021. It's one of the events that make Kalamazoo a different and special place to live." Thank you to all the members, contestants, families, volunteers and KCC employees who have made the Invitational a "bigger and . Four! She believes that to eliminate philanthropys inherent power dynamics, we have to name and claim the power in the room. The state civil rights act protects against discrimination in housing, real estate, public accommodations, public service, education and employment based on religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status and marital status. MWVlMTFmYmNiYWEzZWI5YmRmNmUzODYwN2JiMTEwNjZlOWNlYTkyMGU2ODc3 Johnston and Stryker are longtime philanthropists with deep roots in Kalamazoo. It wont be unattainable or ultra-exclusive.. However one feels about the foundation, Kalamazoo is a case study of the power of the super rich at a time of growing wealth inequality. Johnson, as well as Sens. Anonymous donors had just given what is thought to be the largest-ever gift to support a municipality, and for city officials, it felt like winning the lottery. I say this humbly: we are able to be innovative, and its kind of a scary word, Steve Brown, the manager of the Foundation for Excellence, says as we drive from project to project, baking in 95-degree heat. Democrats made this issue a top priority as the new majority, and this is the first time the legislation successfully made it through either chamber. This is going to save lives, Moss said. Around 81% of Kalamazoo workers lived outside city limits, and an income tax would capture some of their earnings. Johnston is a quiet, large-framed man who sits powerfully behind his desk at Greenleaf Trust in downtown Kalamazoo. In a small city like Kalamazoo, with not that many resources of its own, the power of big donors giving tens of millions of dollars is that much greater.. OGZhNTJkZTE2ZjZhYjQwNjE3YTNlYzJlZDRjY2VhZDJjYTc5ZTEwYTRlODg1 YmVhNDU3ODhhYTc2N2JiNGQwNzU1NmY1OTIwZDQzMzBkMDcyNGFiNWMxZDNl William D Johnston. Meanwhile, in Kalamazoo, this new way of funding a government has begun to seem so normal after five years that candidates for city commission in the citys election on Nov. 2 didnt even talk about the Foundation for Excellence. The Bills say that an income tax was the opposite of what Kalamazoo needed. Michigan State Finds a Path Forward in Wake of Shooting. The best result we found for your search is William Douglas Johnston age 70s in Kalamazoo, MI. Jennifer is from Gary, IN. '74, is president, CEO and chairman of the Greenleaf Companies, headquartered in Kalamazoo. Since the city planned to lower property taxes to offset the creation of the income tax, some residents would actually pay less in taxes than before, Sykes-Nehring says. The Foundation for Excellence is much more than an alternative to an income tax. The city commission then votes on the suggested board members, but the Foundation for Excellence board can reject the proposed stakeholder applicants. In a roughly 30-minute filibuster speech, Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, spoke about the history of Christian ideals and the demonization of those who stand in opposition to approved politics., The idea is, if you live your truth, Ill live mine, McBroom said. Age 51. . (1988) and Ultima VII: The Black Gate (1992). They are worth $5 trillion, two-thirds more than the total wealth held by the bottom 50% of Americans. They had an alternative proposal: if the city scrapped the income tax, theyd fund Kalamazoo with money from a new foundation. After a series of panels examined ways for the city to turn itself around, the commission concluded in 2016 that it would have to ask voters to pass an income tax. In addition to his membership on the WMU Board of Trustees, he is past chair of Southwest Michigan First, an area economic development agency, and he has served on a variety of other boards, such as those of the Bronson Healthcare Group, Donald and Genevieve Gilmore Foundation, Special-Lite Corp., Softech Inc., HUMANeX and the WMU Foundation. Johnston and Parfet pledged to raise enough money to keep the foundation going in perpetuity, but if those funds dont materialize, the city risks insolvency. YzIyZGRmZDJjOWNkN2IxM2ZjNTc4YjBiYTE1ODNjMDRmMTA5NWViNmE3ZDU5 Originally constructed by phil. Megan's goal is to reimagine and build a philanthropic sector that is rooted deeply in shared power, trust, authentic relationships, and abundance., Jennifer DouglasResource & Relationship Partner. 211 S Rose St Kalamazoo MI 49007 1925 Idlewild Dr Richland MI 49083 12627 E D Ave Augusta MI 49012 7014 Lovers Ln . OTA4ZTI5MzQwZmYyMWEyNmYwNDg0Nzk0OGU4Yjg1ZjUzMGVmYjRjNWNkNzRm 180 East Water Street Suite 3000. NDQ2NDRmMjljYzVhY2Y0YjNkOTZjYmM0ZmUzZTA4ZWZhOTkzMTY4MWQ0NzI2 '70, M.A. His next Masters will be his 37th as a credentialed golf writer. A member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame and founder of the West Mich. Other colleagues stopped telling her when meetings were being held, she says, which meant shed have to inspect the fine print of every piece of paper that came into her office to make sure no meetings had been scheduled. New affordable housing under construction in the Northside neighborhood of Kalamazoo, a project receiving funding from the Foundation for Excellence. YzdjMGEyYWFmYjkzNTJiN2RlM2ZiNGJmZWIwMjlkZjBlMGZmNTVlNWViMzI3 Newport News Thomas, William "Bill" Langeland Family Funeral Homes Aivars, Irma. We have money; we can serve more students.. School of Medicine is the ideal name for a school that is being developed around the principle of medical innovation that serves the needs of patients.. Make sure to check Kalamazoo county records. When the bill passed 23-15, his . According to the agreement signed between the Bills and the city, Kalamazoo then must spend the money in two ways. She began her career in the nonprofit sector, as an anti-racist facilitator and organizer, working with institutions to eliminate systemic racism. Founded in 1995 by Ronda Stryker and Bill Johnston, we partner with organizations and initiatives working to strengthen and build thriving, equitable communities. Yzc5OTFkM2UwZmNlMDAyNzcwZGExNzQ1MjBlNzU0MTNmMTg2YjYwOGY2OTY0 She is a reflective and curious learner that believes truth telling and acknowledging power are key to transformative justice. Both the Northside and Eastside are majority renters, who do not benefit at all from the tax breaks. They have three adult children. 300 Portage Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007 ZTkwNjRhNDkwMTFjZmFmN2NkMGI5MTJkNTAyMGY3YzhjNGIyNDJiZjVlMTRk While only a handful of people know where the additional $400 million announced over the summer is coming from, suspicion falls on none other than the Two Bills, which would give them even more control over Kalamazoo and its people. Over the past few decades, wealthy white residents fled to the suburbs, while companies moved outside of city limits. Their generosity is allowing our community to create a medical school that will enable generations of young people to make their own marks in the same arena he helped revolutionize. Bethel Church's pastor Bill Johnson's wife and co-pastor, Beni, sadly passed away on July 13, at the age of 67. This is a wonderful development for our community and for this new medical school, says Borgess President and CEO Paul A. Spaude. Bill Walsh, 8-time Kalamazoo Men's All-City Champion was my uncle. Get Metronet's Unlimited Phone Plan and enjoy unlimited local and long-distance calling in the United States and Canada. Here we are, putting sticky notes about infrastructure and bike lanes, says Smith, who is white, but are you actually engaging low-income folks, Black folks, renters?, Read more: How One Day Made the Rich So Much Richer. Reputation Score: 2.68 - 4.09. NTIzOWNjY2VhNTEyMTRiMzJiNzdmYzk2MjJmYjFhZDEzZTY5NDY0NzhlNzFk In fact, itll be a total transformation of the 122-year-old club. 211 S Rose St Kalamazoo, MI 49007. Enjoy in-person and virtual performances March 3-4, 2023, at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum and Kalamazoo Valley Community College's Anna Whitten Hall in downtown . Michael Johnston, 38, owns venues Lincoln Hall . MWZiNjBhYTNhNzE4Y2M0OTM5ZjMzMjg4OTdkNjU3MjE1YzVlM2M2ODkyYzY2 If the only future for this country is Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg on Mount Rushmore, and titans of capital have this never-ending gilded age, then the municipal endowments at least is a way to have some kind of local autonomy, says Dannison. Tax returns filed by nonprofit organizations are public records. Resides in Springfield, IL. They have also lived in Holdrege, NE and Cortland, NE. MzRiZTY2MjAzM2YwNzZhODkwODIyZjNjZjcyNmFmMWZlZGFhY2UwMDJhYTUw As soon as anyone whos antiracist or curious about equity hears the word[s] tax breaks, it is so obvious to us that thats immediately going to be racially inequitable, says Smith, who argues that the foundation could instead use money to try to solve the problems of infant mortality, poverty, homelessness and other issues worsened by the countrys wealth gap. Full Summary. Before taking this role in 2017, Megan spent over a decade working in nonprofit and public policy spaces with organizations in the United States and abroad. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research observed, Other communities do have philanthropists and they make choices all the time about how they spend their money. Became CEO of Stryker Corp. in Kalamazoo in 1976. Jon Stryker. Lindsey has been working in the nonprofit sector for over 10 years. N2E5YTU2M2YyZGJmZmQ1YWI3ZTc3MzE3ZmUwNmUxZTczZmRlYmRiMzk4NWUz His great-grandfather founded the Upjohn pharmaceutical company, which was acquired by Pfizer in 2002; the Upjohn family also founded an employment-focused research institute in Kalamazoo. For years and yearscenturies to comewe can improve, grow, invest, create, aspire differently than weve ever been able to do before, Bobby Hopewell, Kalamazoos longest-serving mayor, who stepped down in 2019, told me recently. The rest include the city manager, former mayor Bobby Hopewell, and applicants from various stakeholder groups like arts and business who are hand-picked by the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, a separate philanthropic organization that has a Parfet and an Upjohn on its board. Please contact the SJF team at info@strykerjohnstonfoundation.org or 269-488-8484, Megan Johnston is the Executive Director of the Stryker Johnston Foundation. As Chairman, Bill focuses on culture, vision, mission and high-level strategies for Greenleaf Trust. A century-old private dining club perches by the front steps of City Hall, where a crowd of mostly white patrons dined at white tablecloths on a summer evening. Have You Heard the News About Kalamazoo CC, Part 2? I do think this is unique, innovative and in some ways a test, said Carrie Pickett-Erway, president and CEO of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Weve never thought about the two Bills, he tells me while sitting in the garden of a bar in Kalamazoo, talking over the music from a festival a few blocks away. Upon graduation, he accepted a teaching and coaching position at Kalamazoo Central High School and began a 14-year career in public education while also earning a masters degree. 0 Ratings. Western Michigan University Kalamazoo MI 49008-5200 USA (269) 387-1000 Contact WMU. My biggest fear around this is that you can now buy influence in a city, says Shannon Sykes-Nehring, who was a city commissioner when the Foundation for Excellence was approved and who has remained a vocal skeptic. Their fundraising goal is to raise $500 million as an asset base at the foundation to help fund the operations of the city, but the initial investment . . LaRoy, James 6/22/1946 - 2/20/2023 Zephyrhills Zephyrhills - James P LaRoy, 76, born June 22, 1946 passed away on February 20, 2023. Bill Johnson. As for asking philanthropists to fund a city, Hopewell says it might be an unusual approach, but that doesnt mean its bad. . His innovation work and research was never about himself but always about the patient, better health care outcomes and better equipment for doctors. But to Sykes-Nehring, the creation of the foundation institutionalized the Billss influence at a time when the city commission was finally getting more progressive. Copyright 2022 Stryker Johnston Foundation. Johnston, 38, is the co-founder of the record label Audiotree, the owner of music venues Schubas Tavern and Lincoln Hall, and the son of Kalamazoo billionaires William Johnston and Ronda Stryker. That infrastructure build-out will take place prior to the new golf course. I brought some of these concerns to Bobby Hopewell, who was Kalamazoos mayor for 12 years and who is the founding director emeritus of the Foundation for Excellence. William Johnston. In October, the city cleared Kalamazoos homeless camps, including the one where Haywood was living, enraging many residents. Ron Kitchens, the former head of Southwest Michigan First, the regions economic development organization, calls this type of public-private partnership community capitalism, and wrote a book about it. Last spring, as the nations focus turned to racial inequity in the wake of the death of George Floyd, some residents calculated that the money wasnt being distributed in a racially equitable way. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Social Work from Western Michigan University. Yolonda earned her undergraduate degree in Sociology with a focus in Nonprofit Leadership and a Masters in Public Administration from Western Michigan University. N2Q5ZDc5ODNhMWQ1NzYwODY2Y2U1YmI4MDVjY2E5NjU2OGU5NzE2OGZjNjkz In 2011, the couple gave $100 million to create a new medical school in Kalamazoo named after Rondas grandfather, Homer Stryker. Johnston majored in political science as an undergraduate and played football for three years. The city declined to comment on Heads allegation. And the Bills disagree with the idea that giving money to the city buys them influence. But those deals can set a dangerous precedent. 2. A second bucket goes to stabilizing the city budget; $4.2 million in 2021. NTM5OGQ0N2VlYTliOGUwMzdlMjJlMTViYjdmYWRlYWIxNzJlZGIwMTlkOTBm Then . We can pretend that it is not and hope that it will go away, or we can learn how to become bear trainers and start to get our hands around this thing., But Dannison doesnt want to be that bear trainer. Because of the pandemic, meetings that were supposed to be held with public comment are still held on Zoom, and the public can only comment by calling in before the meeting and leaving a voicemail. OGU1OTQ2Yjk3MWZjNTczMGUyYWRmZWI3MmIyYzYwNDA4MzFlOGQzNzJlNDE0 The youngest child is Annie Stryker who was born in 1991 and completed her graduation from the . William Johnston and Bill Parfet are two billionaires with a mission to stabilize the city of Kalamazoo in southwest Michigan. And some of the foundations most vocal critics have moved on. Dollars! he shouted, in July, to city residents in Bronson Park, a leafy plaza adorned with bronze busts and plaques honoring pioneers and philanthropists. The second best result is Peggy Ann Johnston age 70s in Fort Collins, CO. Jennifer brings experience in grant writing and creating organizational processes. We were already in a hard spot. MGEyOWRkZWNiODZlZDQ3ZTc3NWU1ZmQ0NGE0ZjZmY2JmNDQyYzdkZDZlM2Y5 After his military service, he earned a medical degree from the University of Michigan in 1925 and later completed a residency in orthopedic surgery at U of M. While still a medical student, he began developing devices to better meet patient needs. The donors are concerned with the long-term viability of the City of Kalamazoo and its ability to meet not only the basic needs of its residents but also its inability to invest in efforts to help create a dynamic and growing city, Parfet and Johnston wrote in a Statement of Donor Intent last month. So far, his achievements include cutting red-tape . He remembers being invited to a white friends house and being asked about his vision for the city. But none of these will approachin terms of massive changeswhats in store for Kalamazoo Country Club (KCC) over the next four years. Current Address: MLHV W Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI. Their names are Anne Elisabeth Johnston, Megan Johnston, and three others. For Sale: 5 beds, 5 baths 5413 sq. Some People Say They Made It Worse. They wonder why property owners are getting tax breaks from the Foundation while low-income neighborhoods still struggle. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The medical technology company he founded now sells $9 billion worth of joint replacements, medical devices and software. The Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. Kalamazoo College 1200 Academy Street Kalamazoo, Michigan 49006-3295 USA. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, Preventing LGBTQ discrimination in Michigan just moved a step closer to reality. The biggest chunk goes toward reimbursing Kalamazoo for reducing property taxes$13 million in fiscal year 2021. In addition, he is Chairman of Greenleaf Companies (inclusive of . Though the foundation was created with the pledge to end generational poverty, the largest chunk of the money is going toward property tax breaks for the people who have already accumulated wealth through homeownership, some of whom own property in Kalamazoo but dont live in the city. ); Bill serves as trustee of Western Michigan University as well as the Genevieve and Donald S. Gilmore Foundation. But maybe they can tame them. are involved in philanthropic activities with the Ronda E. Stryker and William D. Johnston . 7145 Moorsbridge Road, Portage, MI 49024 | Phone: (269) 323-5800 | Fax: (269) 323-5890 When she saw an early diagram showing that the foundation would be funded by big companies like Stryker as well as by universities and hospitals, Sykes-Nehring says, she suggested that these organizations could instead just pay some fees to the city, since some are exempt from property taxes. House sends $1.3B spending bill to Whitmer; $630M going to Ford battery plant, Conservancy seeks helpers to battle invasive species at rare prairie fen preserve, Michigan lawmakers restart bipartisan effort to enact National Popular Vote, Red flag, safe storage bills get first hearing in Michigan House, $180 checks bounced from Michigan tax plan now headed to Whitmers desk. Related To Deborah Johnston, Bette Johnston, Laura Johnston, Grant Johnston. William D. Johnston Chairman. I write about industrial innovation and the global auto industry. Greenleaf Trust manages in excess of $7 billion and has offices in the Michigan cities of Birmingham, Traverse City, Petoskey, Holland and Kalamazoo.