Thank You, Cyekeia
Cyekeia Lee will become the next Executive Director of the Detroit College Access Network effective February 1st, 2022
The Kalamazoo Promise extends our congratulations to our Director of Community Collaboration, Cyekeia Lee, who will become the next Executive Director of the Detroit College Access Network (DCAN) effective February 1st, 2022.
Cyekeia joined The Kalamazoo Promise team in September 2017, bringing over 14 years of experience in higher education at local, state, and national levels. In her role as Director of Community Collaboration, Cyekeia worked closely with community partners along the cradle to career continuum to align best practices, supports, and resources for Kalamazoo Promise Scholars.
During her time at The Promise, Cyekeia was actively involved in the community advocating for Promise Scholars and families. She served on boards such as FOCUS Kalamazoo, YWCA Kalamazoo (Cradle Governance, Policy and Advocacy Chair, & Co-Chair Health Equity Committee), Community Advocates for Parents and Students (CAPS), the Kalamazoo Youth Development Network (KYDNET), the Women’s Education Coalition (Kalamazoo Community Foundation), and Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo (Children and Youth Goal Team Chair).
Most recently, Cyekeia was appointed President of the Kalamazoo Literacy Council Board of Directors in July of 2021, making her the first African-American woman to hold the position in the organization’s 47-year history.
Cyekeia played a pivotal role in introducing many of the events and initiatives we’ve adopted over the past few years. EmpowerHER College Signing Day, in collaboration with YWCA Kalamazoo, celebrated over 100 young women in KPS high schools who made the commitment to further their education through use of The Kalamazoo Promise. These events featured opportunities for juniors and seniors to network with local professional women in leadership positions, hear from panels featuring Promise Alumni, and explore academic and career pathways with representatives from Promise-eligible schools.
Through United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, Cyekeia worked to help distribute $500,000 to support BIPOC businesses and organizations in 16 neighborhoods during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds helped ensure that 90 micro-enterprises were able to continue operations, fulfill payroll, and make necessary adjustments to continue providing products and services safely throughout the pandemic.
In her next chapter, Cyekeia will be joining the Detroit College Access Network as their new Executive Director. In this role, Cyekeia will continue the impactful work of ensuring that students have access to meaningful college and career opportunities.
DCAN is a collective impact model nonprofit working with local schools, foundations and the greater community to promote higher education in Detroit and make a college degree or credential a reality for students. Its mission is to increase college enrollment and graduation rates. Founded in 2014, DCAN is part of the Michigan College Access Network.
We can’t thank Cyekeia enough for the contributions and energy she has brought to The Promise and the Kalamazoo Community. The Detroit College Access Network is in good hands under Cyekeia’s leadership, and we look forward to following her work for years to come.
