Vice President of Revitalization Services
nmiess@savingplaces.org
Norma serves as the Vice President of Main Street America’s revitalization services, leading the delivery of technical assistance that helps communities build, grow, and sustain successful revitalization programs across the country. She offers over 20 years of direct leadership experience in downtown revitalization and nonprofit management and an inspiring passion for the value of Main Street in comprehensive community economic development.
Since joining Main Street America (MSA) thirteen years ago, Norma has promoted the important role Main Street can serve in building inclusive community engagement and fostering local ownership for driving equitable development. Her multicultural roots and strong entrepreneurial upbringing offer understanding and respect for the contributions small businesses and diverse stakeholders make to our local economies. Norma developed MSA's diversity technical services to help communities with increasingly changing demographics and delivers strategies and trainings across the country. She has also promoted the Main Street Approach internationally at conferences in Taiwan, Panama, and Mexico. Norma is leading Main Street America’s efforts to establish an island-wide Main Street program in Puerto Rico to help communities reenergize their local economies and revitalize their historic districts.
Norma’s extensive community development experience includes leading disaster relief efforts in Latin America. Her past work in heritage tourism guides her perspective on the value of local heritage and the importance of preserving authentic character, while building unique destinations and experiences. Norma holds a Bachelor of Science and Language and studied Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Transportation. She uses her educational background to encourage planning and physical improvements that value each community’s local unique identity, existing place-based assets, and sense of place.
Norma’s experience as a former Main Street director provides deep understanding on the critical role that Main Street staff and volunteers play in leading local revitalization and drives her support to leadership development. She helped launch Main Street America Institute, the Center’s professional development program and thoroughly enjoys conducting trainings at state-wide and national conferences as well as in local communities all across the country (which Norma will always attest are her most favorite and most rewarding places to be).
EMAIL NORMA
Back to MEET THE TEAM