Topic Areas: Quality Design, Economic Vitality

Description: A good downtown or neighborhood commercial district plan can empower Main Street professionals to be intentional in how they approach design issues, from physical improvements to preservation and infill development. Initiating or participating in a planning process requires an understanding of the process, from leveraging resources and engaging stakeholders to aligning implementation steps with the Main Street Approach.

In Commercial District Planning, you will learn to:

• Advocate for your Main Street district’s needs as part of a comprehensive or commercial district planning process.
• Participate in the planning process as a commercial district professional through a solid understanding of terminology, timelines, and key players.
• Engage and work with municipal and community stakeholders to implement the plan and establish ongoing support.

Instructor: Nicholas Kalogeresis, a planning professional with over 25 years’ experience in planning for traditional commercial districts.

Get Started: Register for Commercial District Planning here >

Topic Areas: Sustainable Organization, Leadership Development

Description: An essential piece of building a successful Main Street program or neighborhood commercial district entity is a robust, sustainable funding structure. From developing your prospects to making the approach and planning for growth, you need a solid understanding of the tools and best practices at your disposal. 

In Funding Revitalization Programs, take a deep dive into these methods to ensure sustainability for your program to:

• Understand the structures you should have in place to develop funding sources.
• Identify, target, and acquire funding through various sources.
• Manage funding sources to ensure programmatic sustainability.

Instructor: Donna Ann Harris, principal of Heritage Consulting, Inc., a consultant with over 20 years of experience in education, government, and non-profit programs.

Get Started: Register for Funding Revitalization Programs here >

Topic Area: Economic Vitality

Description: A strong retail tenant mix is at the heart of a thriving commercial district. For commercial district practitioners, a clear strategy is essential to improve the retail concentration of districts and influence decision making processes of business and property owners.

In Getting Retail Ready, assess your district’s retail readiness and lay the groundwork for your tenant attraction plan. In this course, you will learn to:

• Diagnose district readiness for a retail attraction campaign and identify opportunities.
• Mobilize your district vision in cooperation with business and property owners.
• Celebrate success and evaluate your strategy.

Instructor: Larisa Ortiz, an expert in commercial district retail strategies who has worked in over one hundred communities, both nationally and internationally.

Get Started: Register for Getting Retail Ready here >

Topic Areas: Effective Promotion, Economic Vitality

Description: At the heart of a thriving Main Street economy, independent businesses look to their commercial district programs for resources and support to attract and retain customers. Orchestrating a successful ​“shop local” campaign requires a vision and plan, as well as a boots-on-the-ground mentality to bring people together around it. 

In Promoting the Local Economy, you will learn to:

• Champion the power of the local economy through national trends and utilize local-level data to bring the message home.
• Organize your district’s strategy for participating in national-level and grassroots shop local campaigns.
• Work with businesses and entrepreneurs in your community to implement initiatives and measure success.

Instructor: Elissa Sangalli Hillary, President of Local First, a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based leader in the movement to create and sustain local wealth.

Get Started: Register for Promoting the Local Economy here >

Topic Areas: Sustainable Organization, Leadership Development

Description: For a revitalization-focused organization, one of the most important relationships impacting its success is the one between the board of directors and the executive director/​manager. From a successful onboarding process to the ability to build positive communication lines, every executive director needs skills to work effectively with board members, while simultaneously helping them define and implement strategic direction and oversight. 

In Strong Leadership Teams, you will learn to:

• Champion the power of the local economy through national trends and utilize local-level data to bring the message home.
• Organize your district’s strategy for participating in national-level and grassroots shop local campaigns.
• Work with businesses and entrepreneurs in your community to implement initiatives and measure success.

Instructor: Norma Ramirez de Miess, a passionate professional offering over two decades of direct leadership experience in downtown revitalization and nonprofit management. 

Get Started: Register for the Strong Leadership Teams course here >