[Community_garden] ACGA Welcomes Amy DeShon

[James Kuhns]

The Board of Directors of the American Community Gardening Association is pleased to announce Amy DeShon as the Association's new Executive Director. Amy has over 20 years experience in non-profit management, fundraising, event planning, project management, and marketing/communications. 

 

She has worked for an array of non-profits whose mission statements focused on such issues as women's equity, association management, neighborhood and community development, youth enrichment, health and wellness, the environment, and individuals with mental illness and disabilities. She has been an elected Public Library Board of Trustee in Kalamazoo, MI and the President of the Asylum Lake Preservation Association. She was a board member of Building Blocks, the Eastside Neighborhood Association, and Habitat for Humanity. And, she has been a Fund Allocation Team member for the United Way and a Kiwanis Club member. She is currently a member of P.E.O.

 

Amy's most successful campaign to date was to preserve 180-acres of open space on the Westside of Kalamazoo, MI as the President of the Asylum Lake Preservation Association. After a lengthy public lobbying campaign, the Asylum Lake Preservation Association agreed to relinquish interests in the Lee Baker Farm property and allow for its development as a Business Technology Research Park and focus its attention on establishing a conservation easement, management documents, and a research protocol for the Asylum Lake area that would be approved by the Western Michigan University Board of Trustees. A Master Planning Committee, called the "Asylum Lake Task Force" was convened and comprised of representatives from the City of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University faculty and staff, the Asylum Lake Preservation Association, other regional environmental groups and local environmentalists, and local neighborhood associations. The documents this Task Force created were ultimately approved by resolution of the Board of Trustees on April 19, 2004. This area is now called the Asylum Lake Preserve.

 

Amy has her Master's of Public Administration from Western Michigan University, School of Public Affairs and Administration and her Bachelor's degree in Justice, Morality, and Constitutional Democracy from Michigan State University, James Madison College. 

 

Until her home is sold in Bay City, MI, Amy will reside with friends. They own a lovely piece of the Hocking Hills that has been conserved through the Ohio Appalachian Land Trust. Her intension is to move into an older home in Columbus in one of our "hip-happenin'" neighborhoods and walk to work.

 

Amy loves to cook, needlepoint, ride bikes, walk, bird watch, lolly-gag, and giggle.



Amy can be contacted at adeshon at communitygarden.org; or 614-645-1537. 
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