The Right Fit
“The liberal arts education and experience I had at Central prepared me to succeed.”
– Kimberly Watts ’88
Hometown: Peabody, Massachusetts
Major: Business Management
Student Activities: Student ambassador, Phonathon, Student Union Activities Board, intramural soccer
Career: Executive Director, Washtenaw Contractors Association
Current Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Community Service: Board member, Build Institute and Welding Artisan Center; Commissioner, Planning Commission Huntington Woods, Michigan
Service to Central: National Advisory Council Member
“Growing up near Boston I’d not initially heard of Central College but was impressed by its strong study abroad program,” Kimberly Watts ’88 says. “I fell in love with Central’s campus and the warm reception. I had lots of great choices for college near my hometown, but I knew Central was the right fit.
“I had such great experiences at Central, engaging with other students, faculty and administrators on a level I could have never achieved at large school,” she says. “I was able to explore different classes and activities that really helped me grow and overcome some shyness and become a more extroverted introvert! Working as a student ambassador and on the Phonathon foreshadowed my career as a nonprofit fundraiser.”
In addition to her day job, Watts founded Owen & Abbey, a social enterprise focused on creating jobs by making furniture and home goods using materials salvaged from abandoned homes.
Owen & Abbey was recognized in the 2014 Michigan Social Entrepreneur Challenge as the Jaffe Right Start Prize winner and as a Michigan Economic Development Corporation Community Ventures Honor Roll company. In 2017, Owen & Abbey was the second prize winner of the Michigan Women’s Foundation (MWF) Dolphin Tank Pitch Competition in the lifestyle category and is a 2019 Finalist in the launch category of MWF’s EmpowerChange MI competition.
Watts brings her successes back to Central.
“I have supported Central since I graduated and am happy to extend that to my estate plans,” she says. “The liberal arts education and experience I had at Central prepared me to succeed as a result of the skills and mindsets I developed — including curiosity, resiliency, a broad range of interests and knowledge that instilled a lifelong love of learning and the ability to communicate well.”