PRESS RELEASES

Meagan Dunn Joins YWCA Kalamazoo’s Leadership Team as the Agency’s First Vice President of Programs

(Dec. 21, 2020) Meagan Dunn joins YWCA Kalamazoo in the newly created role of Vice President of Programs, rounding out a year-long effort by the agency to build internal leadership capacity with the addition of three key leadership roles (Vice President of Development, Vice President of Operations, and Vice President of Programs).

With a background in programming, communications and government affairs, Meagan Dunn (pictured left) has spent over 15 years working with and for vulnerable populations in Detroit. Dunn comes to YWCA Kalamazoo from Henry Ford Health System, where she served as Director of Community Outreach and Partnerships from 2011-2020. Prior to joining Henry Ford, Meagan worked in the city of Detroit Mayor’s Office under three administrations.

Dunn has been recognized for her talent and leadership by the University of Michigan (“5 Under 10 Leadership” award), the Michigan Chronicle
(“Woman of Excellence” award) and Ebony Magazine (“30 Future Leaders Under 30”). Dunn holds an MBA in Integrative Management from Michigan State University and a BA in English, Language and Literature from the University of Michigan. She officially joined YWCA Kalamazoo in December 2020.

“In light of the recent events taking place across the country, eliminating racism, empowering women, helping families, and strengthening communities are key pillars to promoting racial equity and eliminating poverty,” states Dunn. “YWCA Kalamazoo wants to impact the lives of the most vulnerable populations in the region. I have spent my career working towards creating a vibrant, beautiful equitable Detroit. I welcome the opportunity to join the YWCA Kalamazoo team and continue this work in other areas of the state where there is a need for meaningful and life-changing programs.”

YWCA Kalamazoo leadership retained KEES as its executive search partner in Spring 2020. A comprehensive search was launched, attracting candidates from across the country. The Search Committee, led by YWCA Kalamazoo CEO Dr. Grace Lubwama, ultimately selected Meagan Dunn from an exemplary group of top finalists.

The Vice President of Programs Search Committee was comprised of the following Kalamazoo community members:
● Sandy Barry-Loken, Kalamazoo Community Foundation
● Rhonda Baxter-Todd, Kalamazoo County Prosecutors Office
● Cathy Brown, YWCA Kalamazoo (Retired)
● Wendy Fields, NAACP Metro Kalamazoo
● Heather Haigh, YWCA Kalamazoo (Board Chair)
● Rachel Roberts, Kalamazoo RESA
● Alyssa Stewart, United Way of Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region
● Cathy Wortham, Mt. Zion Baptist Church

KEES was also the executive search firm that placed Lubwama as CEO of YWCA Kalamazoo in 2014, and she has since more than tripled the staff and operating budget, thereby creating a 4-fold increase in programming and impact. Dunn’s hire completes a year-long effort to build internal leadership capacity at YWCA Kalamazoo after a 2019 agency assessment. She joins a leadership team of Lisa Rodriguez (Vice President of Development) and Alison Gumper (Vice President of Operations) to provide executive management to nearly 120 staff.

Lubwama comments, “Having a full leadership team in place at YWCA will allow us/me the time and energy to continue strategic partnership building and fully focus on advancing our mission of eliminating systematic racism, transforming the lives of women and girls, being a voice for all the marginalized populations especially people of color, and being a force in removing barriers that hinder impactful social change.”

KEES President and CEO Heather Eddy led both the search process to hire Dr. Lubwama in 2014 and this 2020 Vice President of Programs search. Eddy comments, “Working with the YWCA over the past several years has been a true joy and personally fulfilling. KEES strives to help build strong nonprofit teams and leaders through executive search partnerships, and we especially enjoy working with clients as they grow and evolve their team(s) to add strength for the future. The future holds boundless opportunities for Grace, the new leadership team, and the impact of the mission on so many women, children, and families.”

KEES is a nonprofit executive search firm that builds transformative teams and leaders. Founded in 2013 as an expansion of Alford Executive Search, KEES partners specifically with nonprofits to provide executive search, leadership development, interim staffing, and HR consulting services. For more information, please visit www.kees2success.com.

YWCA Kalamazoo is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. As a member association of YWCA USA, one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the nation serving over 2 million women, girls, and their families, YWCA Kalamazoo is the oldest association in Michigan, founded in 1885. Originally established to provide residential services to young women, today YWCA Kalamazoo serves as a primary resource for economic, gender, and racial justice for all women and girls in Kalamazoo. For more information, please visit www.ywcakalamazoo.org.