KALAMAZOO, MI – U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, issued the following statement after learning of the death of Anna Whitten, of Kalamazoo, on Friday. Whitten was a long-time member Kalamazoo Community College Board of Directors, for whom one of the downtown Kalamazoo campus buildings is named. She was also an advisory committee member with the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, and had worked with numerous local organizations championing issues of education, civil rights, health care, and those incarcerated.

“Anna Whitten was more than a legend in Southwest Michigan,” said Upton, who has known and worked with her for decades. “She had the biggest heart and passion for so many in our community – particularly the most vulnerable. She demanded the very best and held us all accountable. We, indeed, have all lost a friend.”