virtual conference july 28-30, 2021

V i r t u a l C o n f e r e n c e July 28-30, 2021

C o n f e r e n c e P r o g r a m

g e t p l u g g e d i n d o w n t o w n . c o m

where we are Celebrating New Beginnings and the very people, places, and preservation projects that have made a difference in our communities and districts.

As we continue to move past a year of loss, strife, and perseverance, our Main Street communities and districts have shown their resilience, unity, and compassion for all, which have been weaved within each Main Street community.

Even through crisis, Main Streets all across our state pulled together to support each other in ways we never imagined. We know of so many heart wrenching stories from community members handing over stimulus checks to keep local business afloat, community members volunteering in businesses when employees had to be home taking care of family members with COVID-19, meals and groceries being delivered to those homebound, and local Main Street organizations meeting with local businesses to help them complete PPP applications and provide words of encouragement. We could go on and on about the sacrifices people made for our communities.

Through these struggles, we brought communities together to see first-hand the importance of supporting small businesses. We reached community and district residents at a new level of understanding and support for each other. Our Main Streets also empowered thousands of people at the local level to re-evaluate and implement positive and sustainable change for their communities.

We thank you for your dedication and commitment to preserving your unique Main Street commercial districts and we are confident that this year’s conference will offer you tools and resources to unite people, engage in place, and celebrate preservation in action.

Enjoy the conference that the amazing and talented Missouri Main Street team has worked so hard to prepare for each of you.

All the best,

Gayla RotenState Director Missouri Main Street Connection, Inc.

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We are delighted to welcome you to this year’s virtual Missouri Main Street Downtown Revitalization Conference

Missouri Main Street Connection is the leading statewide nonprofit organization devoted to preservation-based economic development. Through the Main Street America™ movement and our partners, we empower community revitalization by celebrating, supporting, and sustaining Missouri historic commercial districts in both rural and urban settings.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Robert (Bob) Lewis, PresidentAssistant Professor, Urban Planning & Real Estate Development St. Louis University St. Louis Steven Hoffman, Immediate Past PresidentProfessor, Dept. of HistorySoutheast Missouri State UniversityCape Girardeau

Christine (Chris) Johnston, Vice PresidentPartner, MarksNelson, LLCKansas City

Bridgette Kelch, TreasurerExecutive Director, East Central College FoundationWashington

Dawn Dauer, SecretaryChief Banking Officer, The Bank of MissouriCape Girardeau

Karen Bode BaxterPreservation Specialist/ConsultantSt. Louis

Robert EspelandVice-President, State Tax Credit Clearinghouse, U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corp.St. Louis

Sheila HolmCommunity Outreach Director, AARP in St. LouisSt. Louis

Sandy LucyMayor, City of WashingtonWashington

Mark PauleySenior Economic Development Specialist, Missouri Department of Economic DevelopmentJefferson City

Dan Ross Jefferson City

Russ Volmert Capital Projects Manager, Forest Park ForeverSt. Louis

ADVISORY MEMBERSDarin ChappellCity Administrator, City of ChillicotheChillicothe

Senator Mike CierpiotDistrict 8 Jefferson City

William (Bill) EmmonsAssistant Vice President and Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of St. LouisSt. Louis

Mark GrimmChairman, Gilmore and BellSt. Louis

Jason HallChief Executive Officer, Greater St. Louis, Inc.St. Louis

Richard SheetsInterim Executive Director, Missouri Municipal LeagueJefferson City

Julie TurnipseedExecutive Director, Anderson County Development AgencyGarnett, KS

John VietmeierDowntown Washington, Inc.Washington

Senator Brian WilliamsDistrict 14Jefferson City MISSOURI MAIN STREET STAFF & CONTACT INFORMATION

Gayla Roten, State [email protected]

Keith Winge, Community Development [email protected]

Ben White, Program Outreach [email protected]

Janie Loftin, Communication & Brand [email protected]

Katelyn Brotherton, Resource Development [email protected]

Marla Mills, Project [email protected]

Diane Hannah, Program [email protected]

Staci Cox, Executive Assistant of Network [email protected]

Logan Breer, Communication Support [email protected]

Krystal Torres, [email protected]

BOARD OF DIRECTORS & ADVISORY MEMBERS

2 Welcome from Missouri Main Street Connection

4 Conference Highlights

5-9 Session Descriptions

11-12 Schedule at a Glance

15 This Conference is brought to you by...

ContentsTable Of

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CONFERENCEHighlights

LuncheonWe invite you to grab lunch from a local restaurant and join one of the two breakout sessions available

each day on Wednesday and Thursday from 12:00 - 1:00 pm.

Happy Hour Event with Mary MeansWednesday, July 28, 4:30 - 5:30 pm

Mary Means is the visionary who launched the national Main Street program, and is said to have mainstreamed historic preservation. In the forty years since the original three-town pilot morphed into the National Main Street Center, more than two thousand cities and towns in the US and Canada have brought life back to their downtowns using the methods she and her colleagues developed.

Her new book Main Street’s Comeback and How It Can Come Back Again chronicles the movement’s beginnings, its robust success, and gives hope for Main Street’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Means has been a leader in place-based community development helping communities optimize their historic character.  Heading her national practice, Mary Means + Associates, for over 30 years, she has built bridges between plans and people at an unusually wide range of scales – from large heritage regions, to cities, to neighborhoods, and even a few white elephant historic buildings. 

Among her many awards, the American Planning Association recognized her achievements with its National Planning Pioneer Award in 2019. In 2020, the National Trust for Historic Preservation gave her the Louise duPont Crowninshield Award, the highest honor in historic preservation.

Happy Hour Event: Show Me Celebration & FUN!Thursday, July 29, 4:30 - 5:30 pm

We invite you to bring your favorite beverage from a local downtown bar, coffee shop, or restaurant to happy hour as we celebrate our Main

Street communities and the incredible people, places, and preservation projects they have completed! Join in with Missouri Main Street Connection

Board of Directors, staff, and friends for Main Street trivia to win prizes and hear several great announcements.

SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

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Wednesday July 28, 202110:00 am - 11:30 am Opening General Session with Keynote Address: Main Street in a Rapidly Changing World

The world is changing faster than ever and the pandemic has accelerated many trends that were underway in our economy and our communities. This session will examine how these changes are affecting retail, housing, transportation, and economic development. It will also discuss what communities can do to be successful in a rapidly changing world and provide examples of innovative approaches to community revitalization.

Speakers: Ed McMahon, Board Chair, National Main Street Center and Patrice Frey, President and CEO, Main Street America

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Board Member Luncheon Session Roundtable

The single most valuable resource that a Main Street program has is its people. Board leadership is key in maintaining continuity and credibility for the downtown organization and developing new leaders is a task boards need to address. It is important for the board members to be comfortable with their roles and responsibilities in overseeing a non-profit and thinking both short term and long term. The goal is always to strengthen our local communities, main streets, and commercial corridors - and using the National Main Street Center model is the most effective and efficient way to accomplish that collective goal. In this one hour session, board members will learn about taking on leadership roles and how to become effective volunteer leaders.

Speakers: Dr. Steven Hoffman, Professor, Southeast Missouri State University and Kathy LaPlante, Senior Program Officer and Director of Coordinating Program Services, Main Street America

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Demystifying Arts Luncheon Session & Culture Language for Funding

It’s time to do a 101 on the words, terms, and language of arts and culture for Main Street. There are funding and economic development opportunities in the sphere of arts and culture, but like everything you need to understand the language they are speaking. This fun, fast session will focus on what you need to know to sound confident and proficient in this new arena of the creative economy.

Speaker: Jackie Wolven, Executive Director, Main Street Eureka Springs

1:00 pm - 1:30 pm Break

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Implementing Main Street Programs in Urban and Under-Resourced Districts

Main Street programs support revitalization of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts. More than 80% of Main Street programs are located in low-to-moderate income census tracts. Urban neighborhood districts often face a different set of challenges than traditional Main Streets programs; however, their opportunities are also different. Community image-building is very important and can be quite difficult for neighborhood commercial districts. Many are trying to overcome negative images of crime and physical blight to create a new positive image that sets the district apart from neighboring commercial districts. This session will offer key strategies to implement, sustain, and grow Main Street programs in urban settings.

Speakers: Amanda Elliott, Senior Program Officer and Director of California Programs, Main Street America and LeJuano Varnell, Executive Director, Sweet Auburn Works

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Driving Visitation to Missouri

In this session, the Missouri Division of Tourism will provide an overview of its work to promote Missouri as a leisure travel destination. This will include information about the Division’s target audience, target markets, and how the state works with local Destination Marketing Organizations to maximize visitors’ awareness of the Show-Me State.

Speaker: Stephen Foutes, Director of Tourism, Missouri Division of Tourism

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm Break

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Looking at Money from All Angles to Develop a Solid Funding Structure Funding revitalization requires more than developing a budget and putting together fundraising events from one year to the next. This session offers a comprehensive look at funding with strategies and best practices that can help us develop a diverse and sustainable foundation for success.

Speaker: Norma Ramírez de Miess, Vice President of Revitalization Services, Main Street America

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm I Bought This Building, Now What Do I Do With It?

Maybe you just bought a building or have owned a building for years, but have not renovated it yet. Or maybe you are on city council or the Main Street Economic Vitality Committee and want to assist property owners in developing a plan for rehabilitating their building. This session will share real-life adventures in property development from assessment, planning, financing, and actual construction. Learn practical advice you can start using tomorrow from these hometown doers and see their project photos from start to finish.

Speakers: Bryan Bogue, Washington, MO, Kim Sanson, and Gary Sanson, Excelsior Springs, MO

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm Happy Hour with Happy Hour Event Mary Means

Mary Means is the visionary who launched the national Main Street program, and is said to have mainstreamed historic preservation. In the forty years since the original three-town pilot morphed into the National Main Street Center, more than two thousand cities and towns in the US and Canada have brought life back to their downtowns using the methods she and her colleagues developed.

Her new book Main Street’s Comeback and How It Can Come Back Again chronicles the movement’s beginnings, its robust success and gives hope for Main Street’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

thursday July 29, 202110:30 am - 11:30 am How Healthy Main Streets Can Attract Global Corporations

What does a vibrant downtown have to do with large-scale economic development? A lot! While the initial screening by a corporation focuses on the fundamentals of infrastructure, land, and labor; the site visit entails exploring the community to see if there is a good fit in terms of quality of life. Dennis Pruitt will share current trends in economic development, provide a behind-the-scenes look at the corporate site selection process, and describe how Main Street communities can position themselves to win more projects.

Speaker: Dennis Pruitt, Vice President, Business Development, Missouri Partnership

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10:30 am - 11:30 am Storytelling for Small Business Owners and Community Engagement

Julienne B. Ryan, storyteller and author, will lead you through an energized, hands-on approach to applied story sharing. Her session will be grounded in humor, insight, and common sense as she shares the reasons story sharing is a powerful communication tool, the science of storytelling, storytelling structure, and elements basics as well as why story sharing is as much about listening as it is about story telling. Julienne’s session will include an opportunity to frame out a mini story so you can begin to build a story-sharing culture in your organization. A short, facilitated question and answer period will be built into the program.

Speaker: Julienne Ryan, Author

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Doctor Is In Luncheon Session

Join the MMSC Historic Preservation Committee over this lunch hour presentation to learn about an exciting new service and how you can get involved! The diverse group of experts on the committee are ready to answer your historic preservation-related questions at their monthly meetings, including but not limited to: providing tips on how to recognize and solve some of the most common sources of problems in maintaining older buildings, National Register nomination questions, how to finance historic preservation-related projects, historic tax credits, and so much more. Come learn how the “HP Doctors” can help your downtown and organization.

Speakers: Dr. Steven Hoffman, Professor, Southeast Missouri State University; Karen Bode Baxter, Preservation Specialist; Christine Johnston, Partner, MarksNelson, LLC.; Bridgette Kelch, Executive Director, East Central College Foundation; John Vietmeier, MMSC Advisory Board; and Ben White, Program Outreach Specialist, Missouri Main Street Connection

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Advocacy Moves Luncheon Session Mountains

Advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels makes a huge difference in the preservation of historic places in Main Streets across the country. Join this session to hear about the “hot topics” discussed in Washington and the latest news about ongoing advocacy efforts from policy experts with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Main Street America. Learn how grant monies from the National Trust’s Preservation Fund help local organizations educate the public about the importance of preserving older buildings and how you can get involved in advocacy as ambassadors for Main Street.

Speakers: Renee Kuhlman, Senior Director of Outreach and Support, National Trust for Historic Preservation and Kelly Humrichouser, Director of Government Relations, Main Street America

1:00 pm - 1:30 pm Break

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Organizational Rebound: Better Recruitment Equals Better Boards

This presentation will review the board building cycle and your Nominating Committee’s role to identify, vet, nominate, and train new board members so that they are productive and helpful from day one. During this session, we will discuss, describe, and provide 12 resource handouts and a work plan that you can customize and use immediately. We will discuss why diversity, equity, and inclusion should be part of your Nominating Committee’s efforts and hear the pros and cons of creating a formal succession policy for officers. Finally, the goal is to make sure each new board member is well briefed on their responsibilities, so they are ready to fully participate in the work of your Main Street board immediately. The conference website will have the handouts, which include checklists, policies, samples, and charts for your Board to use.

Speaker: Donna Harris, Principal, Heritage Consulting Inc.

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1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Clean, Safe, and Green… Strategies and Best Practices for Your District

Downtown districts large and small must have strategies for clean, safe, and green practices for an attractive district. Learn best practices and tactics from districts across the country. Clean, safe and green points to a walkable and livable downtown. It should be welcoming and beautiful for all. Collaboration with local businesses, residents, and community groups is imperative to show you care. Join this discussion of how your downtown can make improvements.


2:30 pm - 3:00 pm Break

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm How Age-Friendly is Your Community?

Is your community ready for an aging population? By 2034, the United States will — for the first time ever — be a country comprised of more older adults than of children. This presents an opportunity for every community to become more age-friendly – the best it can be for people of all ages. This session will provide you with some insight, but more importantly, resources, tools, and best practices communities can use to become the best it can be for residents and visitors of all ages. A couple ‘age-friendly’ efforts among a few of our Missouri Main Street Connection communities will be spotlighted.

Speaker: Sheila Holm, Community Outreach Director, AARP in St. Louis

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm So We Have Design Guidelines...Now What? New Infill Buildings in Historic Downtowns

Over time, many historic downtowns have developed gaps in their building fabric where historic buildings used to be. These gaps are due to buildings being torn down, fires, or other disasters. These gaps in the streetscape can lead to downtowns losing their

once vibrant, dense, commercial feel. Infilling these gaps with new buildings can breathe new life into a historic downtown and help recreate that lost feeling. New infill buildings can fit within their context, but they can also be something of their time. By applying community design guidelines and the Secretary of the Interiors Standard of Rehabilitation, new infill buildings can help to create a new chapter in the lives of historic downtowns.

Speakers: Amanda E. Moore, Project Architect, STRATA Architecture + Preservation and Claire Ashbrook, Project Architect, STRATA Architecture + Preservation

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm Happy Hour: Show Me Happy Hour Event Celebration and Fun!

We invite you to bring your favorite beverage from a local downtown bar, coffee shop, or restaurant to happy hour as we celebrate our Main Street communities and the incredible people, places, and preservation projects they have completed! Join in with Missouri Main Street Connection Board of Directors, staff, and friends for Main Street trivia to win prizes and hear several great announcements.

Friday July 30, 202110:00 am - 10:45 am How to Welcome New Board Members and Volunteers

Your board members and volunteers are the lifeblood of the Main Street organization, but how do we create a welcoming orientation for new people who want to join your efforts? In this post COVID-19 period, when we are able to meet in person again, we stress the importance of offering several orientation and social opportunities to mingle and meet others. Onboarding activities to welcome board members are vital so they can contribute their skills immediately to your Main Street organization. We will talk about why the nominating process to vet and inform prospective board members helps them to make informed

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decision about whether to join your board or not. We’ll discuss and provide an outline for board orientation to take place immediately after the annual meeting, and discuss why board training should be a mandatory, annual occurrence.

Speaker: Donna Harris, Principal, Heritage Consulting Inc.

10:00 am - 10:45 am Low Budget for High Impact

Placemaking doesn’t always require lots of time and money to have a positive impact. Learn about creative design ideas and innovative problem solving for downtown placemaking. From Legos to Monopoly games; from rotten tomato fights to corn kernel pits, downtowns have the potential for unique events and spaces. This session will showcase how Main Streets across the country are utilizing fun, inexpensive events and temporary spaces to keep downtowns as the heart of their communities.

Speaker: Russ Volmert, Fora Planning and Design, LLC

11:00 am - 11:45 am What Are Transformation Strategies?

A Transformation Strategy articulates a focused, deliberate path to revitalizing or strengthening a downtown or commercial district’s economy. Grounded by both an understanding of the underlying drivers of the local and regional economy, as well as community feedback and engagement, a Transformation Strategy should describe a market position that the commercial district can successfully fulfill. Learn about the process, best practices, and some examples from other Main Street communities.


11:00 am - 11:45 am Slowing U.S. Population Growth and Impacts on Main Streets

America just completed its second slowest decade of population growth since the first Census of 1790. Many components of growth are challenging the U.S. in unfamiliar ways. Rural and Mid-America are particularly vulnerable, as very slow growth or outright population decline already threaten many of our communities. This session will review the data, but also highlight hidden opportunities for visionary Main Streets.

Speakers: William Emmons, Assistant Vice President & Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and Robert Lewis, Assistant Professor of Urban Planning & Development, Saint Louis University

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Closing General Session with Keynote Address: Business Reinvention on Main Street: The Newest Normal That’s Here to Stay

This closing session will begin with Dr. Michael Sweeney of the Missouri Bicentennial Commission reviewing the Bicentennial Passport that MMSC produced for the 2021 Bicentennial. In the conference’s closing keynote address, Jon Schallert shows us why now is the time for Main Streets and their downtown businesses to embrace constant business reinvention and why focusing on independent local businesses is the way to turn any marketplace, regardless of its demographics, into a Destination Downtown. The session will conclude with Gayla Roten, Missouri Main Street State Director, who will provide remarks, including a very special announcement that you will want to hear!

Speakers: Dr. Michael Sweeney, Coordinator, Bicentennial, The State Historical Society of Missouri; Jon Schallert, President, The Schallert Group, Inc.; and Gayla Roten, State Director, Missouri Main Street Connection


Working statewide so communities are livable for people of all agesBy 2030, one out of every five people in the United States will be age 65 or older. By 2034, the nation will have more older adults than children under 18 for the first time ever. That’s why AARP is working with local leaders nationwide to help towns, cities, counties, rural areas and even entire states become more livable for people of all ages.Learn more about AARP Livable Communities by visiting aarp.org/livable.

In Your Community

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SCHEDULE AT A Glance

P l a c e s

Pr

e s e r v a t i on

P e o p l e

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Wednesday July 28, 202110:00 am - 11:30 am Opening General Session With Keynote Address: Main Street in a Rapidly Changing World

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Luncheon Session: Board Member Roundtable

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Luncheon Session: Demystifying Arts & Culture Language for Funding

1:00 pm - 1:30 pm Break

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Implementing Main Street Programs in Urban and Under-Resourced Districts

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Driving Visitation to Missouri

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm Break

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Looking at Money from All Angles to Develop a Solid Funding Structure

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm I Bought This Building, Now What Do I Do With It?

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm Happy Hour with Mary Means

thursday July 29, 202110:30 am - 11:30 am How Healthy Main Streets Can Attract Global Corporations

10:30 am - 11:30 am Storytelling for Small Business Owners and Community Engagement

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Luncheon Session: Doctor Is In

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Luncheon Session: Advocacy Moves Mountains

1:00 pm - 1:30 pm Break

g e t p l u g g e d i n d o w n t o w n . c o m12

SCHEDULE AT A Glance1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Organizational Rebound: Better Recruitment Equals Better Boards

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Clean, Safe, and Green…Strategies and Best Practices for Your District

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm Break

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm How Age-Friendly is Your Community?

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm So We Have Design Guidelines . . . Now What? New Infill Buildings in Historic Downtowns

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm Happy Hour: Show Me Celebration and Fun!

Friday July 30, 202110:00 am - 10:45 am How to Welcome new Board Members and Volunteers

10:00 am - 10:45 am Low Budget for High Impact

11:00 am - 11:45 am What Are Transformation Strategies?

11:00 am - 11:45 am Slowing U.S. Population Growth and Impacts on Main Streets

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Closing Session with Keynote Address: Business Reinvention on Main Street: The Newest Normal That’s Here to Stay

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virtual conference july 28-30, 2021

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