Community Spotlight: Women Leaders Series — Week Two

Each week this Women's History Month, Main Street America is spotlighting the stories of women leaders in local and coordinating Main Street programs. Women have played a critical role in the Main Street movement from the beginning, and many programs today are led by thoughtful and dedicated women who are making real change in their communities. Although they come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, each of these women are passionate about community preservation and economic revitalization, and we hope their stories inspire your work as well!

Andrea Zwiebel, Executive Director – Downtown Wabash (IN)

Andrea is a big believer in girl power—Downtown Wabash has three staff members, and all three are women. More than 50% of their small businesses are women-led as well. Her proudest achievement in her three-year tenure as executive director has been moving the organization into a downtown storefront. “Something as simple as a storefront can professionalize your organization. We are a big player in the downtown community and deserved to portray that image.” She strongly encourages other women to consider a Main Street career: “There's plenty of room for you! Come join us. We're a friendly bunch and are here to help you succeed.”

Becki Harris, Executive Director – Logan’s Landing (IN)

Becki has spent the past 14 years as the director of Logan’s Landing. “I love being right on the front lines, advocating for the ‘little guy’ while also seeing the bigger picture,” she said. Her proudest moment came early in her career. She learned that one of the business owners in her district had a negative experience with the organization, and she decided to talk to them directly. The business owner was surprised—and impressed—with her openness. “We chatted for about an hour that day and had a great relationship from that day forward. I learned that it's better to get problems out in the open and speak about them calmly, rather than letting misunderstandings become permanent.” Her advice for other women pursing this career: “Follow your heart! Always remember that every time you're talking about data, there are real people behind all of those numbers.”

Nancy Bailey, Director – Leadville Main Street(CO)

After twenty years in the non-profit sector working on housing and economic development, Nancy joined Leadville Main Street in 2021. She is proud to work for the highest-elevation CLG in the country at 10,200 ft! Her first year of work has been spent transitioning the Main Street program from a municipal program to an independent non-profit. “The biggest lesson I have learned during this process is that's it's ok not to have everything completely mapped out, fleshed out, planned out, etc. Sometimes it's ok to not know what we don't know,” she said. She encourages people to not be afraid of working their way up; volunteers and support staff are just as important as executive directors, and mentorship is a great way to learn a lot about successful strategies for Main Streets!

Sara D Bloom, Executive Director – Downtown Hays Development Corporation (KS)

Sara encourages people of all backgrounds to get involved in Main Street. Her skills in journalism, sales, marketing, and more have helped her succeed in this role. She is especially proud of the completion of the Downtown Hays Pavilion, which she described as “a testament to how not-for-profits, municipalities, and universities can work together to create something significant in their communities that will stand for generations.” She emphasizes the power of setting goals: “Without a specific focus, the organization's vision is unclear and forward momentum is unachievable.” Most of all, she encourages everyone to get involved, especially through volunteering!

Tina Longstreth, Executive Director – Batesville Main Street (IN)

For the past three years, Tina has been activating public art in downtown Batesville. She sees Main Street work as the ultimate collaboration: “One person can't do it alone. There has to be a passionate group behind the Main Street coordinator.” Her proudest achievement was the completion of Batesville’s downtown gathering space in December 2021. She strongly urges other women to consider a career in community development, saying “if you have the desire to make a change and a positive attitude, you can make a big difference in your community!”