Editor's note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan's Second Wave's On the Ground Kalamazoo series

KALAMAZOO, MI — Growing up in Kalamazoo’s Northside Neighborhood, there was always lots to do and there were always good people around, says Jonathan Yarbrough.
 
“It’s such a great place to live,” the 26-year-old Kalamazoo native says. His family lived on North Church Street, and then Lulu Street, near Cobb Street.
 
“There’s so much more (than outsiders think),” he says. “It’s more of a walkable place. There’s so much good community. Among the people who live over here, we all know each other. We’re all close-knit.”
 
As the newly appointed executive director of the Northside Association for Community Development, Yarbrough hopes to build on that sense of community as he works to address the needs and wants of area residents.

“I chose this job really because I grew up on the north side of town and I’ve been involved with the NACD in different capacities and in multiple ways,” he says.

He says he was also inspired by the work of former NACD Executive Director Mattie Jordan-Woods, and "I wanted to come over and kind of amplify that even more. And be able to just kind of take it to new heights from where she was able to take it.”

Jordan-Woods led NACD for 36 years before retiring in late 2023. She was a tireless advocate for the neighborhood, spearheading community events, promoting the development of more housing, and organizing educational opportunities, including job training programs.

Among other things, she is credited with bringing significant new investment to the area, including the development of a neighborhood supermarket. What is now Park Street Market, which has been in business for 15 years, was a result of years of planning and work by the NACD under Jordan-Woods.

Yarbrough is a 2017 graduate of Kalamazoo Central High School who earned a bachelor’s degree in Recreational Sport Management from Western Michigan University in 2021 and a master’s degree in Sports Leadership & Administration from Michigan State University in 2023. But he says, “In a million years, I didn’t think I would be where I am now.”

He was sure he wanted to be a running back in the National Football League after choosing football over basketball in high school. But later decided to pursue a career as an athletic trainer.
 
“Just like any kid, I wanted to go to the NFL. That’s what I wanted to do,” he says with a laugh. After he stopped playing football, he says he wanted to be a trainer in order to stay around the game.
 
After years of doing volunteer work, he says he realized he had a passion for serving others. Among other things, he has helped Loaves & Fishes provide food to those in need. Through other organizations, he has worked to provide hats, coats, and winter clothing to children in need and provide diapers to families who have limited financial resources.
 
Through such work, he says he met many people, networked with them, and in August 2021 was named Director of Operations for the Douglas Community Association. In March of 2024, he was named Assistant Director of Alumni & Donor Relations for Michigan State University’s College of Social Science. As such, he did fundraising and worked to build relationships with MSU alumni and donors.

He relocated back to Kalamazoo from East Lansing last week to join NACD.
Yarbrough says he will start his tenure by talking with people.

“I think what I’m looking to do really is to listen and learn,” he says. “I will most likely meet with current residents and community organizations, get some insight from the community, and find out what are the wants and needs.”

He says he will also address the organization’s Ransom Street housing project, getting tenants into four houses that were finished early this year on West Ransom Street. They are about a quarter-mile west of NACD’s 612 N. Park St. offices.

The Northside Neighborhood is bordered on the east by Douglas Avenue, on the west by part of the Kalamazoo River, on the south by Kalamazoo Avenue, and on the north by an area just below Dunkley Street, with portions that run as far north as Mosel Avenue.

After the retirement of Jordan-Woods, NACD was led from December of 2023 until March of 2025 by Elizabeth Washington, and since then by Anthony Poplar. He has been the organization’s property manager for many years and will continue in that capacity. Washington is now the Interim Chief of Staff and Associate Vice President of Collaboration & Analytics at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

NACD Board President Raymond Ryan describes Yarbrough as someone who has built a reputation “as a connector, bridge-builder, and advocate for equity and access.”

“Jonathan is a leader who not only understands the history of the Northside — he’s lived it,” Ryan says. “He brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit operations, leadership development, youth engagement, and fundraising, and we believe he’s uniquely equipped to carry our mission forward.”

“I care about this side of town,” Yarbrough says. “I really truly do. I care about the community, and I just want to see it be bigger and better.”

A community welcoming event and listening session is expected to be scheduled soon to give neighborhood residents an opportunity to meet Yarbrough and share their vision for the neighborhood.

Yarbrough’s parents, Sarah Taylor and Cory Yarbrough, continue to live in the Northside Neighborhood. And his older sister, Jalissa, a 2009 graduate of Kalamazoo Central, continues to live in the greater Kalamazoo area. She is married and has two children.
 
What does Yarbrough want people to know about him?
 
“I want people to realize that I’m a forward thinker and I’m a solutions-based leader,” he says. “I’m here to move the needle. That’s my focus — moving us forward. And so I hope that individuals on the Northside and in the (Greater Kalamazoo) community can see that and just get on board with what I intend to do.”