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Three Main Street America Staff members standing in front of a mural in Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

About

We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.

Overview Who We Are How We Work Partner Collaborations Our Supporters Our Team Job Opportunities Contact Us
Two community members in Emporia Kansas pose with a sign saying "I'm a Main Streeter"

Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street

Our Network

Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.

Overview Coordinating Programs Main Street Communities Collective Impact Awards & Recognition Community Evaluation Framework Join the Movement
Dionne Baux and MSA partner working in Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

Resources

Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!

Overview Knowledge Hub Field Services Government Relations Main Street Now Conference Main Street America Institute Small Business Support Allied Member Services The Point Members Area
People riding e-scooters in Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo

The Latest

Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.

Overview News & Stories Events & Opportunities Subscribe
Woman and girl at a festival booth in Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

Get Involved

Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

Overview Join Us Renew Your Membership Donate Partner With Us Job Opportunities
Three Main Street America Staff members standing in front of a mural in Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

About

We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.

Overview Who We Are How We Work Partner Collaborations Our Supporters Our Team Job Opportunities Contact Us
Two community members in Emporia Kansas pose with a sign saying "I'm a Main Streeter"

Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street

Our Network

Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.

Overview Coordinating Programs Main Street Communities Collective Impact Awards & Recognition Community Evaluation Framework Join the Movement
Dionne Baux and MSA partner working in Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

Resources

Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!

Overview Knowledge Hub Field Services Government Relations Main Street Now Conference Main Street America Institute Small Business Support Allied Member Services The Point Members Area
People riding e-scooters in Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo

The Latest

Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.

Overview News & Stories Events & Opportunities Subscribe
Woman and girl at a festival booth in Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

Get Involved

Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

Overview Join Us Renew Your Membership Donate Partner With Us Job Opportunities
Shop Small at Town Hall & The Dispensary. Photo from Downtown Florence Main Street. Celebrating the streetscape improvement project. Photo from Downtown Wytheville, Inc.
Shop Small at Town Hall & The Dispensary. Photo from Downtown Florence Main Street. Celebrating the streetscape improvement project. Photo from Downtown Wytheville, Inc.

Across the Main Street Movement, organizations are always looking for a good grant. While attending the 2023 Main Street Now Conference in Boston, we learned about the Peter H. Brink Leadership Fund. This scholarship fund enables organizations to travel to other communities to learn and share ideas for best practices on all things Main Street and community development.

The Downtown Wytheville Inc., team was interested in traveling to a community that was currently working in closely with their local municipality and also one who also has a focus on collaborative community development initiatives and project-based placemaking. I put a post out on The Point and spoke to a few directors in the network, including Hannah Davis from Downtown Florence Main Street in South Carolina, who was gracious enough to respond to all my enquiries. So, like directors do, we picked up the phone for a chat. It’s always interesting to me how Main Street directors just seem to hit it off like long lost friends! This exchange was no different and, at the time, little did we know at the time that our communities and organizations would have so much in common.

Exploring Downtown Florence with the team! Photo by Jenny Boulware.

After the conference in Boston, we applied for the Peter H. Brink Leadership Fund, received the grant, and set a date to travel to Florence for a two-day downtown deep dive. We were joined by Executive Director Hannah Davis, Assistant City Manager Clint Moore, and Main Street South Carolina Coordinator Jenny Boulware. Our Wytheville team included Administrative and Events Coordinator Charlie Jones and Wytheville Town Manager Brian Freeman. We learned a great deal from the Downtown Florence team that we can bring back and implement in Wytheville to continue to build on the sense of place and experience right here in our community.

I hope we can continue to find ways to work with other high-achieving communities across state lines. When we learn from other leaders who do this work well, our network grows stronger. I have talked to many directors throughout the nation about board development, overall structure, and the challenges and successes in the life of a Main Street director. At Downtown Wytheville Inc., we want to continue to learn and grow our community while having a focus on organizational sustainability practices. We learned a lot from Downtown Florence’s hybrid main street model, and we look forward to exploring what that can look like in our community.