Chris Praedel

Chris Praedel was first elected to the Kalamazoo City Commission in November 2019 and is currently serving his second four-year term following his re-election in 2023. During his tenure, he has served as liaison to several key bodies, including the Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB), Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS), and the Pension Board.

He has also served on the Search Subcommittees responsible for selecting the current City Attorney, Aaron Leal, and City Manager, Malcolm Hankins—two vital appointee roles that report directly to the City Commission. In addition, he served on the First Amendment Subcommittee formed in response to the public protests of 2020. In 2015, Chris was appointed to the City of Kalamazoo’s 21-member Blue Ribbon Panel on Revenue, tasked with researching and recommending revenue options to address the City’s structural budget imbalance.

A lifelong Kalamazoo resident, Chris’s roots run deep in the community. He is a proud graduate of Kalamazoo Central High School and Western Michigan University, where he earned a BA in Management. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout with BSA Troop 205 and spent many years delivering the Kalamazoo Gazette to hundreds of residents in the Burke Acres neighborhood.

Chris and his family have lived in the Milwood neighborhood for more than a decade. He is married to Erin, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and together they are raising three young boys: Lincoln, Simon, and Felix.

Chris is especially passionate about strengthening housing, infrastructure, and opportunities to invest in our youth in Kalamazoo.

Professionally, Chris serves as Executive Director of a local nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families thrive in their existing homes through critical home repairs, empowering education, and tool lending. Previously, after graduating from WMU, he committed two years to national service through Teach for America, teaching in self-contained third-grade classrooms in South Chicago and Los Angeles while earning an MA in Teaching from Dominican University. He has also served as a mentor to two local teenage boys through Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Chris has remained active in numerous area nonprofit organizations. He served on the board and campaign cabinet of the Kalamazoo Literacy Council from 2011 to 2022 and was honored as the organization’s 2016 Literacy Advocate of the Year. He also serves on the Boards of Directors for the 41st State Representative District Service Office (DSO) and Community Services Charity (CSC), which helps constituents remain connected to their elected officials in Lansing.

Chris also enjoys finding creative ways to bring the community together through special events. In 2016, he organized a Guinness World Record attempt for the most marriage vow renewals in one place at Western Michigan University. During his tenure at WMU, he was honored with the 2018 WMU Spirit Award and the 2017 Make A Difference Award—both peer-nominated recognitions. He also served as student body president of Western Michigan University from 2007-08 and co-founded a statewide student advocacy association.