Von Washington, Jr.

Chief Executive Officer

Growing up the son of a college professor and professional actress, Von was exposed to love and expertise in written and verbal communications from an early age. As Chief Executive Officer of The Kalamazoo Promise, Von is tasked with being the spokesperson for The Kalamazoo Promise, which includes responsibilities to key community stakeholders, media relations, and promoting a system of communication and information around a common vision of becoming an education community.

Prior to working with the Kalamazoo Promise, Von was an associate-vice president at Southwest Michigan First and concentrated his efforts on business development by partnering with existing regional companies on their job creation efforts. On behalf of the organization, he was also responsible for developing collaborations between educational institutions and businesses in order to best prepare the region’s future workforce.

Von arrived at Southwest Michigan First from the Kalamazoo Public Schools where he served as principal of Kalamazoo Central High School from August 2007 to July 2012. Von holds a bachelor’s degree from Western State College of Colorado and a Master of Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University.