Kalamazoo hires longtime Grand Rapids parks and recreation director
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — The city of Kalamazoo has hired a new deputy city manager, who comes to Kalamazoo from Grand Rapids.
City leaders on Monday announced the hiring of David Marquardt. He has been Grand Rapids' director of parks and recreation since 2015.
'David leaves us with a capable department of dedicated employees, a thriving parks system and numerous community partnerships,' stated Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington. 'I appreciate his service and wish him well in this management role for our neighbors in Kalamazoo.'
As deputy city manager, Marquardt will be responsible for departments like parks and recreation and public services. He will also oversee communication projects.
In a statement, Marquardt said he was 'genuinely thrilled' to be joining the City Manager's Office.
'Kalamazoo has the charm of a smaller community as well as many amenities found in larger cities,' he said. 'With its thriving college and university institutions as well as its numerous well-known businesses and corporations, I am looking forward to contributing to and uplifting the strengths of Kalamazoo's community fabric.'
Marquardt is set to leave his position in Grand Rapids on July 4 and join the Kalamazoo City Manager's Office on July 7. Leaders in Grand Rapids say they're working on a plan for interim leadership.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Microsoft Stock (MSFT) Shrugs Off Macro Blues and Returns to Record Highs
Microsoft (MSFT) is rapidly solidifying its leadership in the AI race, fueled by the strength of Azure's cloud platform, the transformative impact of Microsoft 365 Copilot, and strategic investments in AI infrastructure. These growth drivers are delivering impressive revenue and earnings momentum, helping justify the stock's premium valuation, especially for long-term investors. In an AI-driven future, Microsoft's position at the top appears firmly secured. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Looking at the tech giant's share price in recent months is a far cry from where sentiment was back in March, when Donald Trump's trade policies with China and fears of a U.S. recession unsettled the stock, sending it back to $350 per share. Given the strong bounce-back, I remain bullish on the stock. Today, every Fortune 500 CEO is racing to integrate AI into their business, and Microsoft's Azure has become the engine powering that transformation. Azure's revenue soared 33% last quarter—well ahead of Wall Street's 30% estimate—with AI services accounting for nearly half of that growth. Microsoft reported $26.75 billion in cloud revenue, up 21% year-over-year, thanks to Azure's ability to deliver customized AI solutions, from predictive analytics in retail to real-time fraud detection in finance. At Build 2025, Microsoft showcased updates to its Maia AI chip, reinforcing its role as an innovation leader in the space. What stands out is the real-world impact. For instance, Walmart (WMT) is using Azure to streamline its supply chain through AI models that anticipate demand surges. Microsoft CFO Amy Hood noted on the latest earnings call that the company is working to expand data center capacity to meet what she called 'insatiable' demand. While infrastructure constraints remain a challenge, they serve as a testament to Azure's accelerating momentum. Simply put, Azure has become the digital backbone of the AI era—and Microsoft is making sure it stays that way. Let's turn to Microsoft 365 Copilot, the company's AI-powered productivity assistant that's rapidly becoming an indispensable tool for modern workplaces. Capable of drafting emails, analyzing data in Excel, and even assisting with real-time coding, Copilot is transforming how employees interact with everyday software. In the most recent quarter, Microsoft's Productivity and Business Processes segment, which includes Copilot, generated $29.94 billion in revenue, marking a 10% year-over-year increase and surpassing analyst expectations. Notably, Barclays' decision to roll out 100,000 Copilot licenses highlights growing enterprise adoption across multiple industries. What sets Copilot apart is its deep integration within the Microsoft ecosystem—seamlessly functioning across Teams, Outlook, Word, and more. This embedded approach provides users with enhanced functionality without disrupting existing workflows. At the Build 2025 conference, Microsoft showcased Copilot's ability to automate routine desktop tasks, positioning it not just as a tool but as a true digital collaborator. CEO Satya Nadella highlighted use cases in sectors like healthcare, where organizations are leveraging Copilot to streamline administrative tasks such as managing patient records, despite some initial concerns about data privacy. While the $30-per-user monthly fee may give some decision-makers pause, the potential for significant time savings makes a strong case. Ultimately, Microsoft is redefining productivity by embedding AI at the core of the digital workplace. Microsoft is allocating a massive $80 billion toward AI infrastructure this year, accelerating its data center expansion at a rapid clip. However, last quarter marked a slight decline in capital expenditures—from $22.6 billion to $21.4 billion—signaling a shift from sheer scale to strategic efficiency. Rather than cost-cutting, this appears to reflect Microsoft's growing confidence in its internal AI capabilities. As the chart indicates, MSFT's R&D spend remains the most considerable portion of its operating expenses. A prime example is the Discovery platform, which recently identified a non-toxic data center coolant in just 200 hours, showcasing how AI is already improving operational efficiency. CEO Satya Nadella has also emphasized that refining AI models, whether developed with OpenAI or independently, is significantly reducing costs while enhancing performance. This disciplined investment approach seems to be paying off. Major clients, such as Siemens, are already leveraging Microsoft's AI for advanced manufacturing processes, underscoring the tangible, real-world impact of these efforts. Microsoft's bet on more innovative AI-driven infrastructure appears not only calculated but increasingly validated. Here's where the investment case for Microsoft becomes especially compelling. Azure and Copilot aren't just driving revenue—they're fueling significant profit expansion. These high-margin segments are helping lift Microsoft's net margins toward the 45–50% range, up from the high 30% level earlier in fiscal Q1 2025. Analysts project earnings per share will grow by 13.5% this year, with Q3 FY25 already posting an impressive $3.46 per share—a robust 18% year-over-year increase. Microsoft's bottom-line growth is clearly accelerating, powered by the scalability of its AI initiatives. Yes, Microsoft stock trades at a premium P/E of 35, but exceptional companies rarely come cheap. With strong execution across cloud, AI, and productivity tools, the market's valuation reflects real momentum, not just hype. Investors waiting for a significant pullback may find themselves on the sidelines as Microsoft continues to outperform its peers. This is a business in its prime, and the long-term upside remains firmly intact. Despite trading near its highs, Wall Street remains extremely bullish on MSFT stock. MSFT features a Strong Buy consensus rating, with 31 analysts currently bullish and five neutral. Not a single analyst is bearish on the stock. MSFT's average stock forecast of $514.93 indicates upside potential of about 10% over the next twelve months. Microsoft's AI-powered rise is a standout example of strategic innovation and flawless execution. With Azure, Copilot, and well-timed infrastructure investments driving both top-line and bottom-line growth, the company's premium valuation looks well-earned. Backed by $80 billion in AI-related investments and a clear commitment to staying ahead of industry trends, Microsoft is firmly positioned at the forefront of the AI revolution. I continue to view MSFT as a premier tech holding—operating at peak performance with strong momentum and no indication of slowing down. Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dave & Buster's (PLAY) Q1 Earnings Lag Estimates
Dave & Buster's (PLAY) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.76 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.96 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.12 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -20.83%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this owner of Dave & Buster's, a chain of restaurants and arcades would post earnings of $0.64 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.69, delivering a surprise of 7.81%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times. Dave & Buster's , which belongs to the Zacks Retail - Restaurants industry, posted revenues of $567.7 million for the quarter ended April 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.74%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $588.1 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Dave & Buster's shares have lost about 12.4% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 2.1%. While Dave & Buster's has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Dave & Buster's: unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.81 on $549.08 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $1.69 on $2.14 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Retail - Restaurants is currently in the bottom 25% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. One other stock from the same industry, Darden Restaurants (DRI), is yet to report results for the quarter ended May 2025. The results are expected to be released on June 20. This owner of Olive Garden and other chain restaurants is expected to post quarterly earnings of $2.92 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +10.2%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.6% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. Darden Restaurants' revenues are expected to be $3.25 billion, up 10% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. (PLAY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Stitch Fix (SFIX) Reports Q3 Loss, Tops Revenue Estimates
Stitch Fix (SFIX) came out with a quarterly loss of $0.06 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.12. This compares to loss of $0.15 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 50%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this online clothing styling service would post a loss of $0.11 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.05, delivering a surprise of 54.55%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. Stitch Fix , which belongs to the Zacks Retail - Apparel and Shoes industry, posted revenues of $325.02 million for the quarter ended April 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.07%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $322.73 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Stitch Fix shares have added about 9.7% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 2.1%. While Stitch Fix has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Stitch Fix: mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is -$0.14 on $287.79 million in revenues for the coming quarter and -$0.35 on $1.23 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Retail - Apparel and Shoes is currently in the bottom 35% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. (JILL), another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended April 2025. The results are expected to be released on June 11. This retailer of women's clothes, shoes and accessories is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.88 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -27.9%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.5% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. revenues are expected to be $156.67 million, down 3% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Stitch Fix, Inc. (SFIX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Inc. (JILL) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
