Familiar Face Takes Over Kalamazoo’s Northside Association Of Community Development

Kalamazoo is one of the many cities in Michigan that thrives from the work that is done in the communities to make themselves better. Each side of town/neighborhood has a community association that is designed to help make improvements to the area and the residents within the neighborhood. They are often run by longtime residents that are looking to give back to their community.

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That's exactly what the Northside Assocation of Community Development (NACD) is getting with their new executive director. Jo

nathan Yarbrough accepted the role earlier this month and is looking forward to getting started. He says he is excited to be returning home and working to improve his neighborhood.

Do You Know The New Director Of The NACD In Kalamazoo?

He was afforded the opportunity because the former director left the position abruptly without much explanation either. MLive via MSN reports:

Elizabeth Washington, the former executive director of NACD, stopped working there in March 2025 after serving about 15 months in the role, according to her LinkedIn. She became executive director in December 2023. Washington could not be reached for comment about why she left the position. Yarbrough said he wasn’t familiar with the circumstances surrounding Washington’s departure. Raymond Ryan, NACD board president, declined to comment on the circumstances regarding Washington’s departure.

Yarbrough who won the job over 50 other candidates due to his experience with nonprofits and former employment as the operations manager at the Douglass Community Association from 2021 to 2024. He is committed to helping the young people of his community.

He says the gun violence has only gotten worse since he was a kid and many young people in his community are losing their lives far too early. He wants to find ways to keep them out of harm's way and encourage them to use the Kalamazoo Promise which he feels is a large reason he's in the position he's in currently.

A meet-and-greet will be held at the NACD, 612 N. Park St., on July 29 at 6 p.m.