Cultivating new volunteers and perspectives is an ongoing process for every local Main Street program, and this effort can even begin with high school students. Downtown Wytheville, Inc.’s (DTW) youth initiative started when Todd Wolford, Executive Director, was transitioning into the role from his previous career in recreation. Prior to joining DTW, Wolford ran a … More Adding a Youth Seat to Your Board

Last month, Main Street Lexington (MSL), a volunteer-based, non-profit organization established in 2013 that works to create a prosperous and welcoming downtown while preserving Lexington’s unique and historic character, celebrated its 10th anniversary with a reception at the Gin Hotel ballroom in downtown Lexington. The event honored past and present staff, board and committee members, … More Main Street Lexington Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Our blogger today is Rebecca Rowe, Associate Director of the Community Vitality Office and lover of shopping local all over Virginia. For a long time, I was quick to edit those words out of any blog, document, or email that I was asked to edit. To me, it seemed redundant. Why not just embed the … More “For More Information, Click Here!”

During the month of October, the Virginia Main Street (VMS) team published seven blog posts, highlighting the latest community vitality-related news, events and more! Here’s a recap: Training / Education Partner Spotlight Transformation Strategies Where Utility Meets Art 7 Actionable Principles Stay tuned for lots more great content in November!

Last month, Virginia Main Street (VMS) professionals from around the Commonwealth met in-person for an immersive half-day workshop on Main Street America‘s (MSA) fifth Accreditation Standard – Preservation-Based Economic Development. This standard highlights the importance of leveraging a community’s unique historic and cultural assets to promote economic development. Kathy Frazier, co-founder and Principal-in-Charge of Frazier … More Key Takeaways from Fall Rev Up Workshops

Our guest blogger is Matt Wagner, Ph.D. – Chief Program Officer for Main Street America, responsible for driving the organization’s field service initiatives. His professional background involves nearly 30 years of non-profit management and teaching experience in downtown revitalization, entrepreneurship and economic development. Brief Introduction by Jenny Crittenden, President and CEO of Retail Alliance: Wow! … More Reflection & Opportunity: Virginia Retail Matters

Main Street is Economic Development. Stay with me here. For most of us, the understanding of economic development involves recruiting major employers – manufacturing, tech, professional services. We think of suburban office complexes and Industrial Development Authorities and data centers. And we aren’t wrong, these are major components of economic growth and economic activity that … More Partner Spotlight – Virginia Economic Developer’s Association (VEDA)

Last week, part of the Virginia Main Street team traveled to Vancouver, WA for a Transformation Strategies Workshop where State Coordinators, local directors, and Main Street staff from all across the United States gathered to learn how to better understand and execute Transformation Strategies. Transformation Strategies are an essential tool of the Main Street program, … More A Deeper Dive into Transformation Strategies

Utilities and public art can be interconnected in various ways, often with the goal of improving the visual appeal of a community. The relationship that exists between the two highlights the potential for creativity, community engagement and cultural enrichment. Together, they can blend functionality with aesthetics, transforming otherwise utilitarian and visually unappealing structures into attractive … More Where Utility Meets Art: South Boston’s Fire Hydrant Walking Tour

Joe Borgstrom, half of the husband and wife team behind Place + Main Advisors and one of the founders of Downtown Happy Hour – a Facebook live chat with placemakers and storytellers around the country that kicked off during the pandemic lockdowns and quickly became a touchstone for main streeters as we sheltered in place, … More Is Your Community Development Ready?