Illinois Main Street New Executive Director Training
Illinois Main Stteet
This June, 2024 we provided Basic and New Manager Training in Springfield, IL, for eleven new Main Street Executive Directors to orient them to their new jobs.
In our Introduction to the Four Points and the Eight Principles of Main Street workshop, we provided a basic overview to the National Main Street Center’s Four Point Approach™ and Transformation Strategies activities. We touched on the origin of the Main Street movement, the eight principles of Main Street, and what the four committees do. We discussed how local Main Street groups organize to implement downtown work. We discussed the roles of each of the committees and the typical projects they undertake.
Later in the day, we spent time discussing the real work of new Main Street Executive Directors. Our conversation focused on why staff should understand their role relative to the Board of Directors since they are the managers, not the leaders, of the organization. We talked about why it is essential to get volunteers to undertake the work of the organization rather than take on the day-to-day work themselves. We explored the relative roles of the Board and the Executive Director in fundraising and offered tips on how new Executive Directors should organize their time during the first 90 days on the job and whom to visit first. This workshop is often described as a “fire hose” of information, and we agree. But it is best to start work in Main Street with a better understanding of the expectations and opportunities ahead of time. It is also an opportunity to gain experience that other Executive Directors can be helpful with daily challenges. We look forward to working with Illinois Main Street in the future. Erik Reader the new State Coordinator for Illinois Main Street explained “We were grateful to have Donna share her knowledge and expertise with the group. As the new Director of the State Coordinating Program, it is extremely valuable to be able to rely on professionals like Donna who have experience at all levels of Main Street.”