Revitalization Strategies for COVID-Appropriate Main Street and Downtown Development
Downtown areas, main streets and business districts of Oregon communities are the hubs of local commerce, the backbone of communities, and the integral centers of core visitor experiences – they have also been severely impacted by the compounding crises of 2020.
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Businesses, especially retail and restaurants, as well as public partners have faced escalating challenges as they have adapted to the changing landscape. This panel session will showcase exceptional examples from across the state on downtown and main street revitalization strategies, best practices, and new partnerships to rebuild the backbone of our communities. This session will highlight how you can advocate for the value of downtown areas, collaborate differently, rebuild stronger, and maximize the economic impact of visitors through Summer 2021 and beyond. Join statewide partners and community organizations during this breakout to hear about resources, tactics and strategies enhance COVID-appropriate experiences in your community.
Panelists
Sheri Stuart
Sheri found her true calling when she fell into Main Street in 1990 after spending time communing with brown bears in Alaska and managing a custom black and white photography lab in Santa Cruz, California. She currently serves as the state coordinator of Oregon Main Street (OMS) which is part of Heritage Programs in Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. OMS helps communities throughout the state preserve and revitalize the economy, appearance, and image of their traditional business districts using a range of services and assistance to meet the needs of communities interested in revitalization. Prior to her current position, Sheri worked for the National Main Street Center for eight years working primarily with small and midsize communities across the country. Sheri started her career in Main Street as executive director of the Port Townsend Main Street Program in Washington for eight years and served as the assistant coordinator of the Washington State Main Street Program for three years.
Kitri McGuire
Kitri joined the Visit McMinnville team in 2016, where she serves as Director of Marketing. McGuire is a native Oregonian from Salem, and graduated from Linfield University in McMinnville. She gained local hospitality and wine industry experience at Bishop Creek Cellars and Sokol Blosser Winery, where she served in marketing roles for 8 years. Most recently she worked in PR and marketing at Leatherman Tool Group, a renowned Oregon manufacturer and outdoor brand with international reach, before applying her global skills to the tourism industry. “The McMinnville community is dear to me, and every day I get to build creative marketing programs to bring tangible opportunities to a town I love,” said McGuire.
Gena Gastaldi
Gena is a Transportation Planner at the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT). As a Planner on the Complete Streets team, she focuses on incorporating multimodal design and policy into all aspects of transportation planning. As a part of PBOT’s pandemic response work, Gena helped to develop and implement the bureau’s Safe Streets Initiative and led the program evaluation. Prior to PBOT, Gena worked as a transportation planner in the private sector. Gena has a Bachelors of Science in Architecture and Masters in Urban and Regional Planning, both from Portland State University.
Alexa Carey
Alexa Carey serves as the Community Based Services Director on the Destination Development team at Travel Oregon. Her role focuses on cultivating regional tourism networks and visions, implementing development strategies, and resourcing locally-led efforts. After earning degrees in Marketing, Management, Business Administration, and International Business from the University Honors College at Oregon State University, Alexa focused her efforts on creating thriving, rural Oregon communities through leadership, entrepreneurship, and economic development training and capacity building programs. In her spare time, she volunteers with Oregon Main Street programs, facilitates rural entrepreneurship events, mentors emerging female leaders, and explores the state by paddle, pedal and fork.