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Sharon Jablonski, the Director of Morganton Main Street in Morganton, North Carolina, is the inaugural recipient of the Mary Means Leadership Award. Selected by a national jury, Sharon is being recognized for her innovative approach to downtown revitalization, which transformed Morganton into a thriving entertainment district, with a lively arts scene and strong local economy.
“A Main Street program’s success depends on the commitment and vision of local Main Street directors,” said the National Main Street Center’s President and CEO Patrice Frey. “The transformation Sharon has led in Morganton has been remarkable, and her longstanding commitment to fostering community engagement, developing partnerships, and spearheading innovative development downtown is a model for strong Main Street leadership.”
The National Main Street Center introduced the Mary Means Leadership Award this year, named in recognition of the founder of the National Main Street program. Nominees were judged on the extent to which they: build local capacity; lead through strategy; exhibit innovation and ingenuity; bring together diverse stakeholders through shared vision; demonstrate commitment to continuous learning; and advance a preservation ethic in their work.
Director of the North Carolina Main Street Program & Rural Planning Center, Liz Parham, nominated Sharon for the award. Hear from Liz about why she nominated Sharon below:
In her 30-year tenure as Director of Morganton Main Street, Sharon’s forward-thinking approach has turned downtown into a thriving entertainment district, featuring a seven-screen multiplex theater built on a parking lot, the redevelopment of historic buildings into restaurants and breweries, and a new 85-room hotel built in a formerly vacant lot. The downtown Morganton district has also been developed to serve as an arts incubator, featuring a community kitchen to support restaurants and breweries, a community kiln to support the potters, a visual arts gallery and a performing arts venue, and public art. This is all as a direct result of Sharon's vision and leadership to make downtown a creative space for visitors.
Sharon has brought new residents to downtown by working with developers to build new residential units that have resulted in 260 new units with nearly 400 individuals now calling downtown home. Sharon has made historic preservation a high priority in her revitalization efforts, working closely with the State Historic Preservation Office to promote and encourage the use of historic tax credits. She has written and received more than $1 million in state and federal grants that she has used to renovate key properties and generate a revolving loan program for business development.
“Sharon Jablonski is a thought leader who is never satisfied with the status quo,” said Liz Parham, Director of the North Carolina Main Street Program & Rural Planning Center, who nominated Sharon for the award. “She constantly and consistently reaches for the next transformational strategy and the next project that will take Morganton and the Main Street program to the next level. It is directly because of her leadership that we consider Morganton to be one of the best examples of the Main Street program in North Carolina.”
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The National Main Street Center, Inc. announced the 2017 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) during its annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Reality of Main Street — Letter from the President
The National Main Street Center and the Brookings Institution have jointly authored a response to Mr. Hyman’s piece, The Reality of Main Street, that is featured on Brookings’ blog.
Michigan Main Street Refresh Implementation: Our Process and Lessons Learned So Far
Michigan Main Street Center was the first Coordinating Program to implement the new Main Street approach on a large scale. In this article, they share their robust process and valuable lessons.
The Reality of Main Street
There is another way for smaller communities to compete in today’s economy and we believe a strong main street strategy is at the heart of it.
The Myth of Main Street? Letter from the President
Letter from past MSA President, Patrice Frey
The Lowdown in Downtown LaBelle
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
Strategic Planning Through Transformation Strategies – Saline, Michigan
Back in October 2015, we introduced the three key components of the refreshed Main Street Approach: inputs, outputs and Community Transformation Strategies.
Revitalization and Main Street Transformation
For a lucky few downtowns, greatness may happen effortlessly with a strong sense of place that seems to develop organically and simply sustain itself. For most places, success doesn’t happen by chance.
Revisit Your Community’s Unique Assets: Connecting Asset-Based Economic Development to Community Transformation Strategies
This need for change results from the heavy emphasis on three components of the refreshed Main Street Approach.
The 2016 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The 2016 winners are a diverse group in geography and character, but together demonstrate the broad applicability of the Main Street Approach:
Main Street Nation Radio
The first official show under the Main Street Nation banner aired in June 2015 on WJR-760 AM Detroit.
The Path To The Future
The economic value of historic preservation on Main Street.
Refresh Demonstration Project Sites: Learning Labs for the Updated Main Street Approach
A series of demonstration projects providing the opportunity to test new strategies on the ground, learn from practitioners, and refine the approach.
Why Business Retention and Expansion Plans are Important for Downtowns
A business retention and expansion plan, properly implemented, not only helps keep businesses open but possibly even helps them expand.
Wisconsin Main Street: 27 Years of People, Places and Progress
While there have been over $1.2 billion in public and private investment in Wisconsin Main Street communities over the past 27 years, what really makes it special are the people and places that have been involved.
Pop-Up Art Tour
Main Street Bartow's empty storefronts become pop-up art galleries to promote economic development.
A Walk Through Rehoboth Beach Main Street
Although a “beach town,” Rehoboth Beach is open 365 days a year, and with that has the unique challenge of catering to both year-round residents and tourists within a wide range of ages, interests and economic levels
Independent We Stand Makes Main Streets a Priority
In communities across the country, hardworking business owners and buy local advocates come together to foster an organized effort to reinvent and revitalize Main Streets and downtown districts.
Announcing the 2015 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center is pleased to announce that Cape Girardeau, Mo., Montclair Center, N.J., and Rawlins, Wyo. were selected as the 2015 Great American Main Street Award® (GAMSA) winners.
