The 22-23 Membership Year is HERE!
by Jessica Buchholz, Events Coordinator | June 10, 2022
New Year, New Name and Things Are Looking Up! Time to register.
As we move into another year for our community and Emporia Main Street, we say things are “Looking Up”. After the past two years of trials, tribulations, tears (both good and bad) and A LOT of hard work, Emporia Main Street board members, volunteers, committee members, and staff are ready to roll into this membership year. And we are excited about some changes!
One of the first things you will notice is that we are changing from “membership drive/membership levels” to “investor drive/investor levels”. This concept is something we feel really describes our supporters (you) more accurately. Because that is what you are doing when you support and join our organization: you are investing in our region.
In March Jeremy Wharton, our Fabrication Lab Manager, came on board and he has hit the ground running. Equipment is up and going and Jeremy has already partnered with several businesses on product creation, printing, and more! Check out our new Investor Levels for Fab Lab perks.
Last year our incubator space “graduated” our first tenant, Trox Gallery and Gifts, and the business is booming just a few doors down at their permanent location, 715 Commercial Street. Since then, the space has been used for a variety of purposes and will soon be incubating a new business…more info to come!
Executive Director, Casey Woods, has been deeply involved with multiple economic development and community housing projects this past year and was instrumental in the Kansas adopting the Upper Story RHID program for downtown buildings. Over the past thirteen years of working with developers EMS has been able to add over 250 additional housing units to the downtown area. In addition to teaching the Start Your Own Business course this fall, Emporia Main Street also supported eight new businesses in the region through the Show of Hands concept launched this spring.
Jess Buchholz, Community Development Coordinator, continues to produce and navigate events in a world with a COVID endemic, and work with a wide variety of volunteer groups to engage people in our community on an individual level. We are looking forward to hosting some of your favorite activities this year and introducing some new ones at that! We like to hear those registers ring and through our well established social media channels, Emporia Main Street has some great marketing opportunities to help drive sales at our local establishments. Last year, your free electronic newsletter submissions through Emporia Main Street were viewed over 37,000 times!
Our intern, Aubrey Powell, continues to work towards her nursing degree at Emporia State University and keeps Jeremy, Casey and Jess in line and organized while working on a variety of support activities!
Emporia Main Street, as part of a national organization, works to make our region a place that has a thriving local economy, is rich in character, and features inviting public spaces that make residents and visitors feel that they belong. We have a lot of work ahead to continue our progress toward an entrepreneurial, innovative, and environmentally sustainable community that exists for everyone, and by investing in Emporia Main Street you are investing in an organization that makes a real difference. Sincerely, Your Friends at Emporia Main Street.