Doug Ward

This year, the Midland Area Cultural Awareness Coalition is celebrating 30 years of working toward a more inclusive community. We’re marking the milestone by sharing stories, memories, and moments from the people who make this work meaningful.

Today, we want you to meet our friend, Doug.

Doug Ward didn’t set out to become a long-term member of the Midland Area Cultural Awareness Coalition. Like many good things in his life, it started with an invitation and a relationship.

A friend, Arthur Teot, asked Doug to join the Coalition. Arthur, alongside his wife Hazel, was deeply committed to the Midland chapter of the People to People organization and to the early work of cultural awareness in Midland. For Doug, that invitation opened the door to a community he hadn’t fully known existed. Looking back, he’s quick to say that you can’t talk about the Coalition’s beginnings without honoring the leadership and vision of Lin Dorman. Doug credits Lin as a foundational force whose influence shaped the committee’s direction, values, and staying power.

In those early years, the Coalition was still finding its footing. Members wrestled with big questions. What stories needed to be told? What formats would resonate? Some years leaned into films, others into books and discussion. Doug remembers those conversations as meaningful and necessary, even when they were difficult. They reflected a group that was trying to listen to the community and respond thoughtfully rather than chase trends.

What stayed consistent, though, was the commitment to engagement, especially with young people. Doug fondly recalls Kids Day at the Mall, a program that brought cultural awareness directly into a space families already occupied. Learning that Kids Day continues to thrive today fills him with pride. To Doug, its longevity is proof that when a program is rooted in community and curiosity, it can endure.

Schools also became an essential partner in the Coalition’s work. Doug was particularly impressed by a Diversity Day held at Jefferson Intermediate School for eighth-grade English and history students. The Coalition helped support the event by providing funds for guest speaker refreshments, a small but meaningful contribution to a much larger learning experience. Doug appreciated seeing students exposed to voices and perspectives that stretched beyond their daily routines.

That appreciation carried forward as similar programs took shape. Jefferson Middle School’s “Voices in the Community” initiative and efforts like the Human Library, supported by Midland High School and the Coalition, reinforced for Doug the importance of meeting people where they are and creating space for lived experiences to be shared openly.

Over the years, Doug also witnessed how individual members could shape the Coalition’s energy and momentum. He speaks highly of Kevin Kendrick, who joined later and brought renewed enthusiasm and consistency to the group. That energy mattered. Doug noticed the contrast between members who showed up because they were assigned a role and those who showed up because they believed in the mission. The difference, he felt, was palpable.

Doug also admires the work of fellow member Kim McMahan, an Adams Elementary teacher and Culture Club advisor. Watching her introduce fifth graders to multiple languages and cultures left a lasting impression. Doug was amazed not only by her knowledge but by her ability to translate complex ideas into lessons young students could grasp and carry with them.

When Doug reflects on how the Coalition changed him personally, he’s honest and direct. Before his involvement, he didn’t fully realize the extent of Midland’s diversity. Being part of the Coalition opened his eyes. It challenged assumptions and expanded his understanding of the community he thought he knew.

Inclusion, Doug believes, isn’t optional. It’s essential. Ignoring diversity doesn’t make it disappear; it only limits understanding. As Doug puts it, “You are ignorant of the real world if you ignore the reality of diversity.”

For Doug Ward, the Midland Area Cultural Awareness Coalition has been more than a committee. It has been a classroom, a community, and a catalyst for growth. Through relationships, programs, and honest conversations, it helped him see Midland more clearly and, in turn, shaped the person he is today.