Chairman’s Corner, February 2019
By Stephanie Heinatz, Chair, Gloucester Main Street Association Board of Directors, 2019
Welcome to 2019 and what is gearing up to be an amazing year for Gloucester Main Street!
If you are new to Gloucester, or just learning more about the Gloucester Main Street Association, allow me to introduce myself!
My name is Stephanie Heinatz and I have the pleasure of serving as Chair of the Gloucester Main Street Association Board of Directors for 2019.
Last year was an equally exciting year for Main Street and our organization, but admittedly one of transition and reflection. As you all may know, we welcomed a new Executive Director – Jennifer Haggerty – and spent a great deal of time talking with residents, business owners and visitors about what they would like to see coming out of the Gloucester Main Street Association.
By far, the biggest feedback note we received was a need to enhance communications across the street and throughout the community.
That’s why this – the monthly Chairman’s Corner blog post – was born.
Each month, the Chair of the Gloucester Main Street Association will use this space to update the community on the happenings from the latest Board meeting to help keep you, who we serve, better informed.
So…welcome! Enjoy this first entry and please know this will evolve as the year goes on!
Gloucester Main Street Board Retreat
In December 2018, the Gloucester Main Street Association Board of Directors gathered for several hours to review the previous year’s efforts and results, discuss our goals for 2019 and set some key performance indicators to help us measure success.
What we all determined was that as a Board, and as an organization, our responsibility is to help support and grow the businesses on Main Street; drive visitors to Main Street to shop, dine, and explore; and raise money to sustain the organization.
What do we need the funding to do, you may ask? We use it to host events, coordinate across the Main Street businesses, market Main Street and so much more.
In 2019, you will start to see a series of events planned to do just that – bring the community together, raise funds to support our mission to promote and market Main Street and develop programs that help businesses scale their operations (and ideally recruit more exciting businesses to locate on Main Street).
Come One, Come All!
Here are some things you can look forward to happening in 2019, and the goals we’ve set!
Beer Garden at the Daffodil Festival
DATE: 04-06-2019
OBJECTIVE: Business Vitality, GMSA Awareness, Fundraising
MEASURABLE GOALS: $5,000 in total funds raised to support Main Street events and promotions
10th Annual Blues and Brews
DATE: 10-19-2019
OBJECTIVE: Fundraising
MEASURABLE GOALS: 750 attendees and $16,000 in total funds raised to support Main Street events and promotions
Halloween Trick or Treat
DATE: 10-31-2019
OBJECTIVE: GMSA Awareness
MEASURABLE GOALS: Cover cost of event through sponsorships
Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting
DATE: 12-07-2019
OBJECTIVE: GMSA Awareness
MEASURABLE GOALS: 100 emails collected at event to better stay in touch with the community
Holiday Shopping Open House
DATE: 12-08-2019
OBJECTIVE: GMSA Awareness, Business Vitality
MEASURABLE GOALS: 250 emails collected at event and cover cost of event through sponsorships
Gloucester Arts Festival
DATE: June 2019
OBJECTIVE: GMSA Awareness, Business Support
MEASURABLE GOALS: TBD by event committee as the year progresses and the event is more fully planned
First Fridays
DATE: Fridays throughout the year.
OBJECTIVE: GMSA Awareness, Business Vitality
MEASURABLE GOALS: TBD by Executive Director on a month to month basis
Downtown Fit
DATE: Various times May through October
OBJECTIVE: GMSA Awareness, Business Vitality
MEASURABLE GOALS: Attendees to the outdoor fitness events
Summer Drive-In Movie
DATE: TBD, likely in the latter part of the summer
OBJECTIVE: Fundraiser and GMSA Awareness
MEASURABLE GOALS: More to come on this SOON!
Shopping and Dining Event
DATE: TBD, likely in May
OBJECTIVE: GMSA Awareness, Business Vitality
MEASURABLE GOALS: More to come on this SOON!
Have Questions?
The Gloucester Main Street Association Board of Directors meets monthly at 8 a.m. in the conference room of the Main Street offices in the Main Street Center. All are welcome to attend the meetings. We will begin to include a public comment period at the beginning of each meeting. Please note that on some occasions, due to the sensitivity of Board decisions, the Board will go into a closed session. That will be noted on agendas as they are shared!
-NO MEETING in January
-Wednesday, February 13
-Wednesday, March 13
-Wednesday, April 10
-Wednesday, May 8
-Wednesday, June 12
-Wednesday, July 10
-Wednesday, August 14
-ANNUAL MEETING, Thursday, September 26
-Wednesday, October 9 (held one week early in preparation for Blues and Brews)
-BOARD RETREAT, Sunday, November 3 (1 to 4 pm)
-Wednesday, December 11
Membership
Stay tuned for information about new membership benefits on Main Street!
Committees and Volunteers
We NEED you! If you would like to volunteer to help us put on these amazing events, please go HERE and submit your information. We love to have volunteers serving on our event committees, at the events and helping us spread the news about Main Street!