Our board of directors leads our organization. The board of directors works along with Emporia Main Staff to engage and grow our membership, steer our overall vision, and forge partnerships with other community organizations.
Our organizational initiatives create a strong foundation for a sustainable growth of Emporia's downtown commercial district. In addition, organizational initiatives with our city and county partners benefit the entire area.
Organizational Initiatives
Community Initiated Development
In partnership with the City of Emporia, this project is for the community to proactively identify and initiate redevelopment.
Membership
Emporia Main Street was founded to serve the business needs of our members. Our board of directors works to grow our membership by ensuring that our programs provide educational, financial, and promotional value to our members.
Vision 2030
A strategic vision for the next decade, led by input from the community and our members.
Homegrown Capital Campaign
Our capital campaign raises funds to grow local business and employment in Emporia, by fostering entrepreneurship. The campaign has funded the new Emporia Main Street facility at 727 Commercial, which includes a business incubator space.
Other Organization Projects
Want to be a part of an active organization who gets things done?
Emporia Main Street makes visible and measurable impacts to help our community prosper.
Board of directors
Jeremy Johns – President
Radius Brewing Company
Aaron Sewell – Vice President
EK Real Estate
Mark McAnarney – Treasurer
City of Emporia
Tracy Weltha – Secretary
IM Design Group
Cory Falldine
Emporia State University
Eric Porter
ESB Financial
Staci Hamman
Coffelt Sign Company
Caron Daugherty
Flint Hills Technical College
Sally Sanchez
Hispanics of Today and Tomorrow
Aaron Otto
Brown's Shoe Fit
Jim Lauer
Town Royal
Organization Articles
Back to Business – Kansas Dept. of Commerce Releases Grant info for Businesses & Non Profits.
The Kansas Department of Commerce released information concerning COVID Relief Grants for businesses and nonprofits in the following categories ( you can apply for grants in multiple categories ): Small Business Working CapitalSecuring Local Food SystemsPersonal Protective Equipment (PPE) ProcurementPersonal Protective Equipment (PPE) ManufacturingCOVID-19 Bioscience Product Development.Kansas Tech College Advanced ManufacturingDomestic Supply Chain FortificationIT/Cybersecurity Project Management In…
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Back to School – What Should Businesses Expect during COVID-19?
Like everything else in 2020, Back to School is going to look a lot different. Emporia hosts K-12, along with Flint Hills Technical College and Emporia State University. From a business perspective, “Back to School” generally produces a more pronounced economic shift than some may realize. Emporia has a much more balanced economy than many…
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Welcome Back Block Party & Moonlight Madness to Combine.
We are mixing things up a bit for two of our late summer events! Due to current circumstances we have decided to combine our Welcome Back Block Party and Summer Moonlight Madness into one. We invite both students and community members to join us on Thursday, August 20th (5 pm-9 pm) for a Moonlight Walk…
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The Great American Market Canceled for 2020.
Emporia, Kansas – The Great American Market has been cancelled for 2020. The Market is a joint effort between Emporia Main Street and its title sponsor, the Emporia Gazette, and features local stores, booth vendors, and food trucks within downtown Emporia. The Great American Market is always held on the second Saturday of September, and the cancellation…
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New Assistance for Local Businesses
The City of Emporia, KS has been awarded $132,000 of funding through the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Community Development Block Grant COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program (CDBG-CV). The City of Emporia Small Business COVID-19 Grant will assist with immediate and anticipated needs of existing Emporia small businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19. Negatively impacted small businesses…
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Annual Meeting Highlights
In 2021, the Emporia Main Street organization will turn 30 years old, and we’ve never experienced a year quite like this. Before mid-March of 2020, we saw a year full of expanded events, a lot of new developments, some new businesses, and the formation of new resources that could benefit different types of business startups.…
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