As the Director of Illinois Main Street, Erik coordinates the statewide effort to support Main Street communities through networking, educational, and programmatic activities. He serves as the key point of contact to public and private partners while leading the discussion on downtown revitalization, community preservation, and place-based economic development.
Erik is a community and economic development professional with more than a decade of experience leading nonprofit organizations, providing small business assistance, and marketing communities throughout central and northwest Illinois and southeast Iowa. He has helped stimulate investment in rural redevelopment projects, successfully launched startup business programming, created branded destination marketing campaigns, and developed new commerce-driven events to generate economic activity.
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He began volunteering with Pekin Main Street where his interest in the Main Street Approach grew and he later served on its board of directors. Erik’s transition from the financial industry into the nonprofit sector began at a newly established Local Initiatives Services Corporation (LISC) office in Peoria. His past leadership experiences includes serving as the Executive Director of the Downtown Rock Island Partnership, President & CEO of the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and President & CEO of Illinois Business Financial Services. Additionally, with his consulting business, Reader Area Development, Inc., Erik helped cities develop actionable strategies to invest in and improve their downtowns. Erik grew up in Geneva, Illinois, and is a graduate of Western Illinois University with a degree in Marketing. He currently resides in Peoria, Illinois.
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