Kalamazoo Deputy City Manager Rebekah Kik Resigns After 11 Years, Heads to Notre Dame

*Rebekah Kik, the deputy city manager who helped reshape downtown Kalamazoo streets and guide the city's strategic master plan, has resigned. She will leave local government to take a teaching position at the University of Notre Dame*.

Kik submitted her resignation letter to the city on Tuesday, May 26. Her last day in office will be July 10, according to a release from the City of Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo radio station WKZO reported her effective date as July 3.

A Key Architect of Downtown's Transformation

Kik is widely recognized for leading two of the most visible changes to Kalamazoo's downtown in recent years. She oversaw the Streets for All initiative, which converted one-way downtown streets back to two-way traffic. She also led the implementation of Imagine Kalamazoo, the city's Strategic Vision and Master Plan.

"This decision comes with a deep sense of gratitude and reflection. Over the past 11 years, my City of Kalamazoo colleagues and I, along with community partners and residents, have shaped plans, advanced projects, and navigated challenges with a shared commitment to building a stronger, more equitable Kalamazoo," Kik said.

Kik started with the city in 2014 in the planning department, according to WKZO. She rose through the ranks to become deputy city manager.

Notre Dame's Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative

Kik will join the University of Notre Dame faculty this fall. She will serve as co-director of the Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative at the School of Architecture.

The initiative helps municipalities and nonprofits build social infrastructure and develop walkable, human-scale communities, according to WWMT. Kik earned her second master's degree from Notre Dame in Architectural Design and Urbanism.

Students from that Notre Dame department did the design work that led to the current restructuring of downtown Kalamazoo streets as part of the city's master plan implementation, according to WKZO.

No Replacement Named Yet

City officials have not yet announced a plan to fill Kik's position, according to WKZO.

The resignation comes during a period of transition for Kalamazoo's top leadership. City Manager Jim Ritsema retired in November 2025. Malcolm Hankins took over as city manager in January 2026 after an extensive search process, according to MLive.

Kik's departure leaves a gap in the team that has managed downtown projects including the recently approved $3.2 million grant to redesign railroad crossings in downtown Kalamazoo.