KALAMAZOO, MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Jul. 1, 2026) – Jennifer Owens is going back to Kalamazoo.
On Tuesday, Southwest Michigan First announced that she has accepted the position of its Chief Executive Officer, effective on August 17th. Owens had been that organization’s vice president when she left 12 years ago to replace Randy Thelen as President of Holland-based Lakeshore Advantage.
During that time, the economic development agency supported expansion projects totaling over $2 billion in private investment, creating more than 2,300 jobs. Its revenue increased four-fold, and Owens helped raise more than $10 million to build the Next Center hub off of East 7th Street.
She will remain with Lakeshore Advantage through July 24th, and the Holland Sentinel is reporting in Wednesday’s editions that the board “has already begun identifying an interim president, with a broader search for a permanent successor to follow.”
Comments