The Kalamazoo City Commission no longer has an empty seat. On Monday Board members voted five-to-one to appoint Patrese Griffin in the place of former Commissioner Shannon Sykes-Nehring, who resigned in May after moving out of the city.
Griffin spoke to Commissioners at a special meeting Monday.
“I believe that we can improve the conditions of this community such as health, wealth, education, childcare, employment and transportation as well as our environment,” she said. “I believe in this community and I believe that people like myself help make a difference in this city.”
Griffin is the vice chair of the nonprofit Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan. She told the Board that she wants to improve Kalamazoo’s housing and make it more accessible.
“It’s not just about building new homes, it’s about making sure that people can get into the homes that are already in existence as well as the ones that will be built in the future,” she said.
Griffin’s seat is up for election in November.