Our mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
We believe greatness exists in every child.
Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo (CIS) fuels personal potential so that all students can take charge of their story and define their success for life. We see potential coursing through every child, a promise waiting to be realized. So we go where they need us—understanding their needs and listening to their dreams from the inside-out and the outside-in.
And in every step we take together, we help them find the strength and confidence to look within and see what we see—a bright future that’s theirs for the taking. Community by community, school by school, child by child—we are all in this together.
Diversity, equity and inclusion
Diversity, equity, and inclusion means different things to different people. At CIS of Kalamazoo, we embrace this work. It’s embedded in our very mission—that all children have an equal opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed no matter what cultural, economic, or societal barriers stand in their way.
This work is ongoing and it takes all of us working together to create a more equitable world for our children. This collective work means we must identify and dismantle the systematic and structural barriers and create systems that increase educational opportunities, enhance student outcomes, and nurture an environment where all students feel safe and connected.
Diversity means...
the similarities and differences among people, not limited to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and religion. A person is not diverse—they are a unique, individual unit. Diversity is about a collective or a group and can only exist in relationship to others.Equity means...
recognizing people have different access to resources because of systems of oppression and privilege. Equity requires us to acknowledge the root cause of those disparities and work to make sure everyone has access to the same opportunities.Inclusion means...
celebrating and lifting up voices that have been marginalized and/or disadvantaged.Meet some of the people behind the mission
James Devers
Executive Director
Kimberly Nemire
Senior Director of Development
Artrella Cohn
Senior Director of Community Engagement and Student Investment
Tamiko Garrett, Ph.D.
Senior Director of Site Services
Debra Newsome
Senior Director of Finance, HR and Administration
Our board members
| Kimberly Babineaux Customer Experience Manager, Family Health Center | Michael Blum Chief Strategy Officer, President - Studio 431, Landscape Forms | James Curry Vice President, Senior Wealth Management Advisor, Greenleaf Trust | James Devers Executive Director, Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo | Gustavo Echavarria Director, WMU TRiO Upward Bound | Susan Einspahr Retired, Kingscott Associates, Inc. | Kwame Gyimah Income Partner, Lennon Miller | Michael Horrigan President, W.E Upjohn Institute For Employment Research | Diana Hernández Retired, Western Michigan University | Geoffery Howe Director of School Improvement, Title 1 and Assessments, Kalamazoo Public Schools | Jyllian Liggins Community Member | David A. Maurer President, Humphrey Products | Candy McCorkle, Ph.D Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, Western Michigan University | Terry Morrow Vice President of Development, Bronson Healthcare Group | Scott Nykaza, Ph.D. Retired, Kalsec Inc. | Doug Phillips Senior Vice President, Plante Moran Cresa | Dominic Pullo Senior Scientist, Zoetis Veterinary Medicine Research and Development | James Ritsema Kalamazoo City Manager; Ex-Officio | Rikki Saunders Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, Kalamazoo Public Schools | Patti Sholler-Barber Kalamazoo Public Schools Board Member | Dr. Darrin Slade Kalamazoo Public Schools Superintendent | Joshua Sledge Director of Impact Investment, Kalamazoo Community Foundation | Linnaea Thomas Community Member | Darren M. Timmeney Market Manager and Community President, Chase | Sheri Welsh President and CEO, Welsh & Associates, Inc. | Sara Williams Community Member | Eric Wimbley Chief Executive Officer, Pretty Lake Camp |
CIS Kalamazoo annual report
Thanks to the support of our community, friends, partners, donors, and volunteers, we are committed to the future of every Kalamazoo student.
Read more about what we’ve accomplished together in our recent annual reports.
Get in touch
Interested in learning more about CIS Kalamazoo? We’d love to connect.