KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The City of Kalamazoo announced the hiring of David Marquardt as its new deputy city manager, effective July 7. Marquardt joins Kalamazoo from the City of Grand Rapids, where he served as the director of parks and recreation since 2015.
“I am thrilled to be joining the City of Kalamazoo team that has a real passion for community and a team that is genuinely warm and welcoming,” said Marquardt in a press release. “Kalamazoo has the charm of a smaller community as well as many amenities found in larger cities. With its thriving college and university institutions as well as its numerous well-known businesses and corporations, I am looking forward to contributing to and uplifting the strengths of Kalamazoo’s community fabric.”
Kalamazoo City Manager James Ritsema expressed enthusiasm for Marquardt's addition to the team, emphasizing his extensive experience in parks and recreation, public services, and communications.
“Marquardt’s extensive municipal experience in parks and recreation, public services, and communications will be a great asset to Kalamazoo. We believe he will play a crucial role in helping us achieve our strategic vision and guide Kalamazoo to become a stronger social and economic force in the region,” Ritsema said.
During his time in Grand Rapids, Marquardt managed an annual budget of $20 million and led over 300 employees within the parks and recreation department. His tenure included overseeing multiple divisions, such as finance and administration, operations, planning and capital projects, and youth development.
He played a key role in several major initiatives, including relocating a city facilities campus and developing two new community facilities. Marquardt also led a successful seven-year capital campaign and initiated the “Forever Capital Campaign,” which achieved over 73% voter approval.
Mark Washington, the Grand Rapids City Manager, noted the significant improvements made in the parks system under Marquardt's leadership and praised his efforts in building partnerships and gaining political support.
Washington said the City of Grand Rapids is working on a transition plan for interim leadership before David departs July 4.
Prior to his work in Grand Rapids, Marquardt served as the planning division manager for Denver Parks Planning, Design, and Construction, managing a $500 million capital asset portfolio and a $10 million annual capital planning program.
Marquardt earned a master's degree in public administration from the University of Colorado–Denver and a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
