On Monday morning, CEO of Southwest Michigan First, Lee Chatfield, shared his resignation letter on his Twitter account, along with a message attached to his tweet.
The former Michigan House Speaker resignation comes after facing community pushback after he was named CEO of Southwest Michigan First. He was CEO for less than two weeks.
Chatfield tweeted, "For the betterment of the Kalamazoo community, the businesses that the board of directors represent, the staff at SWMF and for the sake of my conscience, please see the letter of resignation I offered this morning. I remain grateful for having had this incredible opportunity."
He apologized for causing “some unfortunate controversy,” saying “it pains me to see my political past separate a welcoming community.” He specifically apologized to the employees of Southwest Michigan First, saying they should not have had to deal with negative backlash or the criticism of his politics.
Southwest Michigan First released the following statement Monday:
"The announcement of the Southwest Michigan First CEO position has caused a great deal of disappointment by our team members, community partners, investors, donors, and board members. This morning, the Board accepted the resignation submitted by our CEO, Lee Chatfield."
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