Jorth has been with The Kalamazoo Promise since the start, but has served as its Executive Director for just the last year after founding director Dr. Janice Brown stepped down last July. And Promise has made a huge leap in his tenure, announcing that the current Kalamazoo high school seniors will now be able to cash in their Promise at 15 in-state private liberal-arts colleges in an agreement with the Michigan Colleges Alliance.

Named as the initial Executive Administrator of the Kalamazoo Promise scholarship in early 2006, Jorth established all of the processes, procedures and infrastructure for the implementation of this groundbreaking nationally recognized scholarship program.

In Kalamazoo he served on the Interfaith Strategies for Advocacy and Action in the Community organizing committee and executive board for three years. He also was head of the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) Region 211 board for 2 1/2 years. He has a Masters in Public Administration from Western Michigan University and a bachelor degree from Wartburg College. His two children who were educated through the Kalamazoo Public Schools and he has been a resident of the city for more than 25 years.