on-site program - ida-downtown.org · speakers to review their powerpoint and video presentations....
TRANSCRIPT
The Urban Canvas: The Art of Downtown Development
International Downtown Association 55th Annual Conference Milwaukee, WI
September 11-15, 2009
General Information
The REGISTRATION AREA is located in the Main Lobby, outside of the Ballroom, on the first floor at the Midwest Airlines Convention Center and opens Friday, September 11 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and opens again on Saturday, September 12 at 8 a.m. A Milwaukee Host table, as well as, an information exchange table are located in the registration area. You are invited to display information about your organization’s most successful initiatives. A MESSAGE BOARD is located near the registration desk for posting positions available,
FINDING DINNER COMPANIONS and other announcements. IDA PUBLICATIONS AND BOOKS can be purchased at the IDA Bookstore. The IDA Bookstore is located in the 2009 International Marketplace and Global Village Exhibition and will be open during exhibit hours. The INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE AND GLOBAL VILLAGE, IDA’s Tradeshow and Exhibit Hall, is located in Ballroom AB, on the 1st floor of the Midwest Airlines Center. Show hours are as follows: Sunday, Sept. 13
12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Marketplace Open 12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Marketplace Grand Opening & Lunch 3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Networking Break
Monday, Sept. 14
7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Marketplace Open 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast 10:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Networking Break 12:30 p.m. -2:00 p.m. Marketplace Lunch
A SPEAKER READY ROOM is available in the convention center. Equipment is available for speakers to review their PowerPoint and video presentations. The room is open on a daily, first come, first serve basis. PRE-CONFERENCE TOURS AND ACTIVITES require additional fees and advance registration. Check at registration for onsite signups if space is available. Participants should look for their group leader at the appointed time near registration in the Main Lobby Registration Area of the Midwest Airlines Center.
MOBILE WORKSHOPS are in-depth walking tours and leave promptly at their scheduled times. Space is limited to 40 people per workshop. Please sign up if you are not already registered at the signup board in the registration area starting Friday afternoon. Participants should look for their group leader at the appointed time near registration in the Main Lobby Registration Area on the 1st floor of the Midwest Airlines Center.
GETTING AROUND MILWAUKEE
Milwaukee Coach & Carriage, LLC 228 E. National Avenue 414/272-6873 http://www.milwaukeecarriage.com Horse-drawn carriage rides through downtown Milwaukee. A variety of services for special events - 6 passenger carriages or a wagon that holds up to 12 people. Please call for more information and availability. Milwaukee County Transit System 1942 N. 17th Street 414/344-6711 http://www.ridemcts.com Provider of public transportation services on 57 routes throughout Milwaukee County. Operates the Milwaukee Trolley Loop in downtown and adjoining neighborhoods. Adult fare is $2.00 one-way. Transfer passes are issued upon request and are good for one hour. American United Taxicab Service, Inc. 646 S. 2nd Street 414/220-5000 Wisconsin's largest taxi fleet. 230 taxis serving Metropolitan Milwaukee. Airport service to General Mitchell International Airport, Chicago O'Hare and Chicago Midway. New taxis - air conditioned. Rate is approximately $2.25 for the first 1/8 of a mile and 25 cents for each additional one-eighth mile. Yellow Cab Co-Op 1840 N. Martin Luther King Drive 414/271-1800 Welcome! Let us assist in making your stay a memorable one by taking care of any transportation needs you may have. Time orders welcomed. Just call day or night. Rate is approximately $2.25 for the first 1/8 of a mile and 25 cents for each additional one-eighth mile. Go Airport Connection 5140 S. 3rd Street 414/769-2444 http://www.mkelimo.com Exclusive airport shuttle service to Milwaukee hotels. Airport transportation service to Milwaukee and O'Hare airports. Shuttle van and private car service. 24 hours per day, reservations accepted.
WALKING DIRECTIONS
The Midwest Airlines Center
From the Hilton Milwaukee City Center: The Midwest Airlines Center is located directly across the street at 400 W. Wisconsin Avenue with the entrance on the northwest corner of Wisconsin Avenue and 4th Street. From the Intercontinental Milwaukee: Walk three blocks south on Water Street until you reach Wisconsin Avenue. Turn right on Wisconsin Avenue and head four blocks west. The Midwest Airlines Center is located at 400 W. Wisconsin Avenue on the northwest corner of Wisconsin Avenue and 4th Street.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 – MILWAUKEE PUBLIC MARKET
From the Hilton Milwaukee City Center: Walk south on 5th Street to Michigan Avenue. Turn left on Michigan and head four blocks east until Water Street. Turn right on Water Street and head two blocks south until St. Paul Avenue. The Milwaukee Public Market is located at 400 N. Water Street on the northeast corner of Water Street and St. Paul Avenue. From the Intercontinental Milwaukee: Head six blocks south on Water Street until you reach St. Paul Avenue. The Milwaukee Public Market is located at 400 N. Water Street on the northeast corner of Water Street and St. Paul Avenue.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 – CITY HALL
From the Hilton Milwaukee City Center: Walk north on 5th Street to Wisconsin Avenue. Turn right on Wisconsin Avenue and head four blocks east until Water Street. Turn left on Water Street and head 2 blocks north. City Hall is located on the northeast corner of Water Street and Wells Street at 200 E. Wells Street.
From the Intercontinental Milwaukee: City Hall is located on the northeast corner of Water Street and Wells Street at 200 E. Wells Street – directly across the street from the Intercontinental Milwaukee.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 – MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM
From the Hilton Milwaukee City Center: Walk north on 5th Street to Wisconsin Avenue. Turn right on Wisconsin Avenue and head 12 blocks east to the foot of Wisconsin Avenue. Cross the Reiman Bridge and enter the Museum. The Art Museum is located at 700 N. Art Museum Drive. From the Intercontinental Milwaukee: Walk three blocks south on Water Street until you reach Wisconsin Avenue. Turn left on Wisconsin Avenue and head eight blocks east to the foot of Wisconsin Avenue. Cross the Reiman Bridge and enter the Museum. The Art Museum is located at 700 N. Art Museum Drive.
Schedule at a Glance 2009 IDA Annual Conference
September 11-15, 2009
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Friday, September 11, 2009 All Day Chicago on your own
3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Registration
Saturday, September 12, 2009
8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Registration
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Pre- Conference Tours (pre-registration required. See
inside for more detail) 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Morning Pre-Conference Workshops
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Afternoon Pre-Conference Workshops
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Italian Delegation Meeting 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Board Meeting (Closed Meeting, Board Members only)
6:15 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. Canadian Reception (MillerTime Pub at the Hilton)
6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Newcomers Orientation
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Opening Night Reception 8:00 p.m. Dinner on your own
9:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Lela Fashion Show
Sunday, September 13, 2009
7:30 a.m. Registration Opens
7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. Bountiful Breakfast
8:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. Keynote session 9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Breakout sessions and Mobile Workshops
10:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Morning Networking Break
11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Breakout sessions and Mobile Workshops 12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Marketplace Tradeshow Grand Opening & Lunch
12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Marketplace Open
1:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Keynote session My Tale of Two Cities- Beer & Popcorn 3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Networking Break
4:00 p.m. - 5:15p.m. Breakout Sessions and Mobile Workshops
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Evening Reception
7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Board of Directors Reception (By Invitation Only) 8:30 p.m. Dinner on your own
Monday, September 14, 2009 7:30 a.m. Registration Opens
7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Marketplace Tradeshow open
7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast
8:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. Keynote session 9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Breakout sessions and Mobile Workshops
10:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Networking Break
11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Breakout sessions and Mobile Workshops 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Lunch in Marketplace
2:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Breakout sessions and Mobile Workshops
3:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Networking Break
3:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Breakout sessions and Mobile Workshops 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Closing Reception
8:00 p.m. Dinner on your own
Tuesday, September 15, 2009 7:30 a.m. Registration
7:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. Continental Breakfast
7:15 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Roundtable discussions 8:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Closing General Session and Annual Meeting
10:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Breakout sessions
11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Working Lunch
1p.m. /Overnight Madison Trip (pre-registration required)
The Urban Canvas: The Art of Downtown Development International Downtown Association 55th Annual Conference
Milwaukee, WI September 11-15, 2009
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Conference Registration Midwest Airlines Convention Center Main Lobby, First Floor
All Day Chicago On Your Own!
Shop along the Magnificent Mile, visit world-renowned museums and experience everything that Chicago offers – just 60 minutes from Milwaukee via train. Purchase your train tickets through Amtrak.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 8:00 a.m. Registration Opens Midwest Airlines Center Main Lobby 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Morning Pre-Conference Workshops (Pre-registration and extra fee required) Room 101A Marketing Downtown in a Facebook Environment
It used to be simple: create a brochure, some banners, a newspaper ad, and presto! Your downtown organization had a marketing program. Today, everyone is atwitter about social networking. But do you know how to use it effectively? This workshop gives you an understanding of the entire marketing process, and shows you the best techniques to use when you get home. Christina Brickley, c5 Communications, Denver, CO Eric Robertson, Memphis Center City Commission, Memphis, TN
Room 101B Funding Strategies for Downtown Organizations For downtown management organizations, diversifying resources is now more important than ever. This workshop looks at best practices for funding a variety of downtown programs and operations. Options include BIDs, community development corporations, event production companies, and membership organizations. You’ll learn how to connect funding and functions under one unified holding company, how to work with your local government as a resource development partner, and how to present a strategic planning approach to determine your community’s best options. Jamie Licko, Progressive Urban Management Associates, Denver, CO Brad Segal, Progressive Urban Management Associates, Denver, CO
Room 101CD CANCELLED Making the Most of the Transportation Bill
What will a new transportation bill mean to you? Combined with federal stimulus infrastructure funding, downtowns may be positioned for major investments in transit, amenities, and technology unlike anything in the past. Make sure your downtown doesn’t miss out. Find out from transportation and urban planning experts just what kinds of funding might be available and what projects are most likely to receive money. Ilana Preuss, Transportation for America, Washington, DC
Room 102AB The Art and Science of Downtown Economic Research
Using Milwaukee as a demonstration model, a team of economic research professionals will explore various types of research useful in downtown economic development efforts. New techniques and technologies will be explored for making research simpler and more
responsive. A Downtown Economic Research workbook and companion CD with research templates and tools will be provided. William McGill, Monalco Marketing, Fredonia, WI Matt Kures, Univ. of Wisconsin Extension Center for Community & Economic Development Jim Paetsch, Milwaukee Development Corp., Milwaukee, WI Bill Ryan, Univ. of Wisconsin Extension Center for Community & Economic Development Scott C. Schuler, Downtown Works, Arnold, MD
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Morning Pre-Conference Tours
(Pre-registration required. Meet in Main Lobby of Midwest Airlines Center. Tours are 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. unless otherwise noted)
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. IDA Golf Outing
Calling all golfers! Please join us as we tee it up at Brown Deer Park Golf Course, home of the PGA’s U.S. Bank Championship. The course dates to 1929 and its challenging layout is complemented by 60 sand-filled bunkers, tree-lined fairways and water winding throughout the course. Brown Deer ranks alongside Torrey Pines and Bethpage Black as one of the nation’s premier municipal golf courses. Tee times begin at 10 a.m. Pre-registration and pre-payment required. Come join the fun and challenge as IDA takes on the Brown Deer Golf Course. $85 per person.
Milwaukee Public Museum (On Your Own) Visit the Museum’s IMAX theater, planetarium, and unique permanent exhibits such as the Herboir Mammoth, the Third Planet, and the Puelicher Butterfly Wing. Those who pre-registered will receive a complimentary ticket at the registration counter Historic Third Ward The Historic Third Ward is located in the southeastern portion of Downtown and houses some of the city's most creative hotspots. Creating its own little pocket of culture, history and personality, the Third Ward builds on the tradition and artistic vision of Milwaukee’s urban landscape and displays the city’s urban development at its finest.
RiverWalk District During this walking tour, stroll along the banks of the Milwaukee River on the ever-expanding RiverWalk and learn about the challenges and the evolution of the award-winning system. Meet key investors and volunteers who are engaged in the project's physical, artistic, and programming aspects. After the tour, have lunch on your own at one of the many fine establishments along the river. Tour to be conducted by John Gurda, Milwaukee writer and historian.
Milwaukee, a City of Neighborhoods I Milwaukee is called the City of Neighborhoods. Join our very own commissioner of the Department of City Development, Rocky Marcoux, and enjoy an engaging and entertaining narration on two of Milwaukee's northside neighborhoods. The Fond du Lac Avenue and Midtown neighborhoods have interesting stories to tell. Learn creative ways to address urban issues that impact your community and enjoy many surprises along the way!
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Farmers Market Tour Begin the tour at the Milwaukee Public Market in the Third Ward. The Public Market houses a wide assortment of gourmet, specialty and organic foods, and offers a traditional market on Saturdays during the summer months. Then visit the East Town Market and see the Battle of the Chefscompetition in its final round. By then 16 of Milwaukee's best downtown chefs will have competed and only the top four will remain. Each chef must shop the market, creatively use the mystery ingredients and prepare a meal for the judges in 45 minutes or fewer. It’s a morning filled with produce and local talent!
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Milwaukee Plein Air Representatives from the League of Milwaukee Artists and WI Visual Artist, SE chapter will guide guests through the streets of Downtown Milwaukee to see the many artists at work. These tours take place during the event's "quick paint" section, during which artists
compete to create paintings within a four-hour time span. Learn how to host a Plein Air tour in your own community. The artists' work will be available for sale at Monday night's closing reception.
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Downtown Open House and Expo Start this downtown housing journey at the Downtown Expo on the Milwaukee Public Market's upper level. Developers and brokers will showcase housing options and amenities. Hear the president of the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors discuss current trends and downtown housing stock. Then jump on one of the free shuttles to see the fabulous living options available in and around the city's downtown.
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Afternoon Pre-Conference Workshops Room 101A Destination Strategies for Downtown Businesses in Today’s Economy
It’s critical that businesses reinvent themselves into consumer destinations right now. Learn about destination strategies, along with specific steps that downtown organizations and businesses can immediately implement. You’ll also receive a password to view a webinar that you can share with businesses in your downtown district to help improve sales in the fourth quarter.
Jon Schallert, The Schallert Group, Longmont, CO
Room 101B Making Deals Happen by Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships
Many downtowns saw real estate projects that should have happened grind to a halt as the recession took hold. New deals will require much more in terms of sophistication, stakeholder investment, and public support. Learn how major deals across the country came together, and how to take advantage of community support and government financing tools.
Joe Alexander, The Alexander Company, Madison, WI Randy Alexander, The Alexander Company, Madison, WI Brad Elmer, The Alexander Company, Madison, WI Tom Miller, The Alexander Company, Madison, WI Room 101CD Tomorrow’s Urban Designer: A Master of Interactions
Placemaking. Context Sensitive Design. Public Art Integration. Green Infrastructure. For these concepts to go beyond buzzwords, a new design process is required. From research and concept development to planning and implementation, interactions are critical. Find out how an exciting new methodology, Interactions, will help you establish more effective communication between owners, administrators, designers, artists, builders, and the public.
David Dahlquist, RDG Planning & Design, Des Moines, IA Patrick Dunn, RDG Planning & Design, Des Moines, IA David Raver, RDG Planning & Design, Des Moines, IA Room 102AB The Role of Psychographics in Downtown Retail Strategy and Recruitment
Psychographics is an important tool that looks at shopper populations’ quantitative demographic characteristics and qualitative attributes like lifestyle, sensibility and aspirations. In this provocative session, learn about psychographic segmentation. Unlike some schemes created by large data-mining outfits, this one specifically targets urban markets’ complex nuances. You’ll also find out how to use the information to analyze the retail potential of a specific downtown and devise a retail strategy for it.
David Diaz, Downtown Raleigh Alliance, Raleigh, NC Greg Hatem, Empire Properties, Raleigh, NC
Michael J. Berne, MJB Consulting, New York, NY 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 pm. Italian Delegation Meeting 201D
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Afternoon Pre-Conference Tours Main Lobby Midwest Center (Pre-registration required. Meet in Main Lobby of Midwest Airlines Center. Tours are
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted) Milwaukee: A City of Neighborhoods II
The Menomonee Valley BID (BID #26) was created in 1999. Join our very own commissioner of the department of city development, Rocky Marcoux, for the second part of this fabulous tour. Explore Milwaukee's southside neighborhoods, including the Menomonee Valley, the Fifth Ward, Historic Mitchell Street and Silver City. Each neighborhood will share its unique story and provide you with a takeaway lesson that you can use in your community. Enjoy surprise treats and guests along the way.
Brady Street
Brady Street is nine blocks of eclectic, upbeat, artistic fun! Spanning Lake Michigan to the Milwaukee River, Brady Street is home to some of the city’s most original shops. Spend the afternoon hunting treasures and exploring the unique restaurants, stores, lounges, and cafes that make Brady Street one of the city’s most diverse areas. RiverWalk District During this walking tour, stroll along the banks of the Milwaukee River on the ever-expanding RiverWalk and learn about the challenges and the evolution of the award-winning system. Meet key investors and volunteers who are engaged in the project's physical, artistic, and programming aspects. After the tour, have lunch on your own at one of the many fine establishments along the river. Milwaukee’s Entertainment Districts Embark on a tailor made pub crawl that highlights each of downtown Milwaukee’s unique neighborhoods – Westown, Easttown and the Historic Third Ward. The tour will be hosted by Stacie Callies of the Westown Association and will feature spots on the Milwaukee Riverwalk (Byron’s Beer Garden and Bistro), Milwaukee Street (Indulge), and the Third Ward’s Riverfront Pizzeria Bar and Grill.
1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Milwaukee 101 Bike Tour Milwaukee's history stretches back to the early 1800s and is well preserved in its historic mansions and gorgeous downtown. Constantly adding to its rich architectural history, Milwaukee continues to create its own unique landscape, the best example of which is the Santiago Calatrava designed Quadracci Pavilion. This tour will allow you to cycle by some of the most historically significant sites in Milwaukee while learning how the city grew to be what it is today.
6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Newcomers Orientation Midwest Airlines Center 101DE New to IDA? First time at an IDA conference? We’ve created a kick-off orientation just
prior to the opening reception. Please join IDA board members as they welcome you to the conference and the IDA family, and learn what to expect these next few days.
6:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. Canadian Reception MillerTime Pub at the Hilton 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Opening Reception
Public Market Feast and Fashion in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward The Historic Third Ward has long been a hub for market activity. Visit the modern-day Milwaukee Public Market – an indoor emporium featuring artisan and ethnic delicacies and freshly-made prepared foods. Reconnect with acquaintances while strolling through the market’s 17 vendors. The evening will showcase specialty foods and eclectic music. Transportation to and from the Reception: Buses will operate in 15 minute loops to and from the reception from 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
9:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Lela Fashion Show Broadway Street Enjoy an evening designed for the Fashion Savvy. Tickets are required for this red carpet
urban experience. Walking directions from Milwaukee Public Market: Exit the Market via the door by St. Paul Fish (Broadway) Walk across St. Paul Ave Continue up to the Big Tent!
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Breakfast at the Capital Grille Capital Grille Savor a bountiful breakfast including an omelet station, pastries, local meats and much
more. Enjoy this breakfast extravaganza at the Capital Grille, located on the corner of 4th Street and Wisconsin Ave.
7:30 a.m. Registration Opens Midwest Airlines Center Main Lobby 8:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Welcome by John McGivern, Milwaukee Actor and Comedian Keynote: Hospitals as Downtown Anchors Ballroom C/D Downtowns are evolving and a variety of industries are becoming vital to the future of
downtowns. Hear how hospitals are the new anchors of downtowns, becoming large employers and traffic generators in core business districts. Discover what can be the take away for downtown professionals, and learn what you can do to work together with hospitals as well as what your organizations can do to be helpful to hospitals. Finally, discuss the main things that we can do, as downtown professionals, to keep hospitals from leaving our downtowns!
Gregory Hartzog, Columbia - St. Mary's Hospital, Milwaukee, WI (introducer) Leo Brideau, Columbia – St. Mary’s Hospital, Milwaukee, WI 9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Breakout Sessions and Mobile Workshops, Session I Room 101A Breakout: Public Relations for Smaller Downtown Organizations
Many downtown organizations have focused so heavily on branding and marketing that they’ve forgotten the importance of public relations. PR is the “art of doing good and getting caught at it.” Learn how one of the most cost-effective tools in changing perceptions can be yours – even on a very limited budget. Donna Ann Harris, Heritage Consulting Inc., Philadelphia, PA (moderator/panelist) Stephanie Redman, ReSurge Inc., Albuquerque, NM
Room 101B Granville Street: A Case Study in Place Making
Downtown Vancouver's Granville Street is undergoing $21 million in streetscape improvements. The new design features wider sidewalks, flex parking, and innovative sidewalk finishes. Learn the collaborative process behind the progress. Marco LiMandri, New City America, San Diego, CA (moderator) Charles Gauthier, Downtown Vancouver BIA, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Room 101CD Urban Universities: Translating Ideas Into Results
Universities and downtowns have always had a synergistic relationship, but few downtown organizations have taken full advantage of universities’ enormous resources. Some leading institutions are aiding the downtown cause with research and professional development. Learn how they’re improving downtown management. Robert Greenstreet, City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI Seth A. Grossman, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ Kathryn J. Madden, Madden Planning Group, Watertown, MA
Room 102AB Fast Track to Slow Food With the first lady promoting home gardens and organic foods, and an explosion of farmers markets, it’s time to explore how downtown organizations can promote healthy eating, support local agriculture, expand downtown dining and sociability, and save the world from climate change. The once-lowly urban farmers market can be your next major program. Elizabeth Sanders, Downtown Mobile Alliance, Mobile, AL (moderator) John Archer, Urban Marketing Collaborative, Toronto, ON Dan Carmody, Eastern Market Corporation, Detroit, MI
Room 102C Big Idea: The Great Debate: Downtown Retailing's Future
Retailers are struggling, vacancies are rising, and downtown leaders are perplexed. Where is retail heading? Should we chase chain stores or woo independents? How much retail can we sustain, and what kind will do the most good for downtown? The field’s best experts will discuss and debate this very hot topic. Jamie Licko, Progressive Urban Management Associates, Denver, CO (moderator) Michael J. Berne, MJB Consulting, New York, NY Midge McCauley, Downtown Works, Washington, DC Susan Nigra Snyder, CivicVisions, Philadelphia, PA
9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Mobile Tour: The Brewery Project Midwest Center Main Lobby The redevelopment of the former Pabst Brewery complex represents one of the more
ambitious undertakings currently underway in urban America. This historic complex spans more than 20 acres and several city blocks. It contains 15 historic buildings, including the German Methodist church and the historic Bottling Building. Pabst began operations at this site in 1844 and closed in 1996. Redevelopment of the property by Joseph J. Zilber began in 2007, and the Brewery once again has people living and working in this historic setting. You’ll gain insights on how the master developer has integrated the sometimes conflicting goals of historic preservation and sustainability.
Dan McCarthy, Towne Investments, Milwaukee, WI
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Mobile Tour: Downtown Housing - Something for Everyone Midwet Center Main Lobby This tour will highlight housing options in the central business district. These options
include everything from historic renovations to new construction; and market rate rentals to luxury condominiums. Listen to behind-the-scenes narratives on how these developments unfolded that will give you the sense that there is something for everyone in downtown Milwaukee. Tour includes the following properties: Majestic Lofts, Library Hill, University Club & Kilbourn Tower.
10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Morning Networking Break Ballroom A/B Foyer 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Breakout Sessions and Mobile Workshops, Session II Room 101A Spurring Economic Developments in a Virtual World
There’s the real world and the virtual world – and now innovative economic developers have begun to see the potential for using the latter as a job retention and marketing tool in downtown Jamestown, NY. Are you ready for the virtual world to make your downtown stronger? Maclain Berhaupt, Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, Jamestown, NY (moderator) Jim Parker, Digitell Inc., Jamestown, NY
Room 101B The Role of the Arts in Creative Community Development
Many communities use the arts as a tool in revitalization, but few states have enacted arts and cultural district legislation. Hear how Virginia pioneered this approach, and how cities there and elsewhere are using this innovative approach to produce real results. Maureen Atkinson, Urban Marketing Collaborative, Toronto, ON (moderator) Elizabeth Via, City of Manassas, Manassas, VA Craig E. Gossman, Kinzelman Kline Gossman, Covington, KY
Room 101CD Big Idea: Self-Determination of BIDs BIDs are the lifeblood of downtown revitalization. Without this unique and powerful funding tool, many downtowns would never have seen the dramatic, positive changes that have occurred. Listen to the author of a nationwide study discuss the state of BIDs in the US, including the changes in direction, governance, and programming that mark a decade of evolution. Paul Levy, Center City District, Philadelphia, PA (moderator) Dr. Carol Becker, University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis, NM John Kromer, Fels Institute of Government, Philadelphia, PA
102AB Room Code Enforcement: A New Tool for Downtown Organizations BIDs and other downtown organizations have increasingly assumed duties and responsibilities that cities are no longer willing or able to do, and code enforcement is the next frontier in safety and development. Find out how BIDs and DDAs can perform vital tasks. Russell Claus, City of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, OK (moderator) Patrick Thompson, Downtown Development District, New Orleans, LA Amy Harrell, Downtown Vision Inc., Jacksonville, FL
Mobile Workshop Retail Revitalization: ‘making the dream come true’ in downtown Milwaukee Midwest Center Main Lobby
Laverne & Shirley did it their way; learn how Milwaukee’'s BID is “doing it our way.” Reigniting retail in a stalled downtown is a tall order; much as we might wish, a quick, overnight fix doesn'’t exist. Join a retail walking tour of downtown Milwaukee with its BID's retail recruiter; two recognized urban identity experts and founders of CivicVisions, creator of the "It’s Not Your Mother’s Main Street Anymore" program; and the retail merchandising and leasing strategist engaged to plan and help implement the city's retail recovery. (The group will reconvene for a panel session/Q&A - see the 4:00-5:15 section for further information.) Deanna Inniss, Milwaukee Downtown BID Midge McCauley, Downtown Works Susan Snyder & George Thomas, CivicVisions
12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Grand Opening Lunch in the International Marketplace Ballroom A/B Raffled Prizes & Awards 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. The International Marketplace Open Ballroom A/B 1:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Keynote: Movie Matinee Ballroom C/D In My Tale of Two Cities, noted screenwriter Carl Kurlander (St. Elmo's Fire, Saved By
The Bell) offers a personal, funny and engaging look at Pittsburgh's efforts to revitalize its downtown and neighborhoods. He answers the questions that many of us ask: Why do we choose to live in some cities and not in others? What is it about certain places that compel us to want to invest our lives in our community? This is told from the perspective of a family who could live anywhere but chooses to come back to a rustbelt city and work to build the community's future, as well as its own.
Michael Edwards, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, Pittsburgh, PA (moderator) Carl Kurlander, Pittsburgh, PA 3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Afternoon Networking Break: International Marketplace Ballroom A/B
4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. Breakout Sessions and Mobile Workshops, Session III Room 101A Ten Years, Ten Lessons: Public-Private Partnerships in Cape Town
One of Africa’s most remarkable success stories is Cape Town. A partnership between government and the private sector, combined with a savvy and creative management organization, has made this city a jewel of the Southern hemisphere. What strategies can you adopt? Come and find out! Kate Joncas, Downtown Seattle, Seattle, WA (moderator) Andrew Boraine, Cape Town Partnership, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Room 101B Sustainability Cities: Which Way to Success? Increasingly, both politicians and citizens are asking their communities to create sustainable citywide plans to guide the reduction of the municipal footprint. JJR has conducted research with over 75 municipalities to discover the best practices of citywide sustainability planning. Learn how different communities are achieving great results. Cathy Coleman, Downtown Norfolk Council, Norfolk, VA (moderator) Connie Dimond, JJR, LLC, Ann Arbor, MI Suzanne Schulz, City of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, MI Debra Mitchell, JJR, LLC, Chicago, IL
Room 101CD The Los Angeles Story: BIDs and Public Safety
Downtown Los Angeles is home to nine BIDs that employ hundreds of cleaning and safety workers. These organizations have to work hand in glove with the L.A. Police Department. Even with a police chief who heartily supports BIDs, there are always new issues, actors and surprises. Find out how a real public-private partnership holds downtown L.A. together. Charles Gauthier, Downtown Vancouver BIA, Vancouver, BC (moderator)
Blake Chow, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles, CA Randall Tampa, Los Angeles Fashion District BID, Los Angeles, CA Ken Nakano, Downtown Center BID, Los Angeles, CA
Room 102C Building Loyalty and Customer Satisfaction with Smart Cards
Technology is catching up with some tried-and-true ideas like loyalty cards. Today, smart card technology builds customer loyalty and makes money for downtown organizations. Find out how it can work for your downtown. Terry Lorince, Downtown Vision, Inc., Jacksonville, FL (moderator) Daniel Statema, Downtown Sioux Falls Inc., Sioux Falls, SD Mick Conlin, Meta Payment Systems, Sioux Falls, SD John Regan, Parcxmart Technologies Inc., Hampton Falls, NH
Room 102DE Retail Rejuvenation Initiatives that Succeed in Downtowns
Join the urban and retail strategists that led the morning tour of downtown Milwaukee (see the 11:15am-12:30pm program section for further details and participate if you can!) for a discussion/Q&A session. They’ll talk about urban identity and share a concrete approach to creating implementable retail revitalization strategies for downtowns, which they maintain are pointless unless matched with an unequivocal commitment to a smart, sustainable recruitment program. Also, learn about the strategy that was created for downtown Milwaukee - today in the nascent stages of implementation - and hear about progress to date from its BID’s retail recruiter. Deanna Inniss, Milwaukee Downtown BID Midge McCauley, Downtown Works Susan Snyder & George Thomas, CivicVisions
Midwest Center Main Lobby Mobile Tour: Summerfest Summerfest is the world’s largest music festival. It takes place every year at the 75-acre
Henry Maier Festival Park along Milwaukee’s beautiful lakefront. The festival runs for 11 days and showcases more than 700 regional, emerging, and internationally renowned artists. Other Summerfest attractions include comedy acts, shopping, food, fireworks, family activities and more. In addition to Summerfest, this world-class venue hosts a variety of other ethnic and cultural festivals nearly every weekend throughout the summer and into autumn. The Indian Summer Festival will take place during this tour. Don’t miss your chance to see this amazing venue and enjoy behind-the-scene festival tours. John Boler, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., Milwaukee, WI
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Evening Reception. Coming of Age: The Evolution of People and Landmarks City Hall At the time of its completion in 1895, Milwaukee’s City Hall was the third tallest structure
in the nation. Celebrating a recent $75 million renovation, City Hall now stands as a renewed symbol of Milwaukee’s vibrant heritage and future vitality. Sample local brews and wines, and enjoy culinary delights in this National Historic Landmark.
200 E. Wells Street. From Midwest Airlines Center: Head east on W. Wisconsin Ave. toward N. 4th St. Turn left at N. Old World 3rd St.
Turn right at W. Wells St. 8:30 p.m. Dinner on your own Please see restaurant list under the Welcome tab for a listing of nearby restaurants.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 7:30 a.m. Registration Opens 7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast Ballroom A/B Marketplace 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. International Marketplace Open 8:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Keynote Address: Rebecca Ryan, Attracting and Retaining the Next Generation Ballroom C/D A city’s downtown plays a critical role in its ability to attract and retain the best and
brightest of the next generation. The urban heart of a city beats with the energy of young professionals. Your downtown is your city’s showroom, and it’s what the next generation studies when deciding where to live and work. Rebecca Ryan is the founder of Next Generation Consulting and author of Live First, Work Second. As a sought-after communicator, Rebecca inspires thousands of audience members each year to build better places to live and work. Learn the critical role your downtown plays in attracting and retaining the well-educated, talented workforce your city needs. The Hon. Tom Barrett, The City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI Jeff Sherman, OnMilwaukee.com, Milwaukee, WI (introducer) Rebecca Ryan, Next Generation Consulting, Madison, WI
9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Breakout Session and Mobile Workshops, Session IV Room 101A Big Idea: Revolutionary Promise and a Boon to Downtown?
Imagine a town that promises to send its public school graduates to college on full scholarships. Wouldn’t you want to live there? Well, Kalamazoo is doing precisely that and Pittsburgh is following suit. Their programs go beyond education. Learn why theirs are some of the most exciting economic development projects to emerge in decades. David Feehan, Civitas Consultants, LLC, Silver Spring, MD (moderator) Dr. Janice Brown, The Kalamazoo Promise, Kalamazoo, MI Saleem Ghubril, The Pittsburgh Promise, Pittsburgh, PA
Room 101B Creative Marketing: Food and Fun
Everyone likes to eat and have fun. How do creative downtown festival managers and restaurant promoters take these basic human instincts and turn them into effective people generators for downtown events and dining establishments? Attend this session and hear how one downtown got 100 percent participation for its big festival, and how new concepts in marketing are driving restaurant traffic to smaller downtowns. Lisa Harmon, Downtown Billings, Billings, MT (moderator) Ron Casey, Downtown Summerside Inc., Summerside, Prince Edward Island Larisa Ortiz, Larisa Ortiz Associates LLC, Jackson Heights, NY Ralph DiBart, New Rochelle BID, New Rochelle, NY
Room 101CD Retail Graduate School Session 1: Reviving Retail
Almost every downtown is reporting retail struggles and failures to some degree. Even as panic subsides, what can a downtown leader do to begin the rebuilding process? Two
experts help you understand the dimensions of the current situation, and explain strategies that will bring your shopping district back to life. Matt Kennell, Center City Partnership, Columbia, SC (moderator) Marjorie Ferrer, Downtown Delray Beach Development Authority, Delray Beach, FL
Carol Gies, 4Insights Inc., Lisle, IL Room 102AB Building Community with Social Media
Social media: it's everywhere you turn. How can it support the growth of businesses and the health of the retail environment of your city? How can you use it to promote community participation, gain program initiative support and advance cultural programs? An expert Milwaukee-based panel will answer these important questions. Jeff Sherman, OnMilwaukee.com (moderator), Milwaukee, WI Sara Meaney, Comet Branding, Milwaukee, WI Mary Louise Schumacher, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Milwaukee, WI
Room 102C Big Cities Roundtable
If you work in a city with a metro population of more than a million, share your stories of triumph and woe about everything from high-level public policy issues to nitty-gritty on-the-street management solutions. Ask tough questions and learn new answers. Richard Bradley, Downtown DC BID, Washington, DC
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Mobile Workshop - The Brewery Project Midwest Airlines Center The redevelopment of the former Pabst Brewery complex represents one of the more Meet in Main Lobby ambitious undertakings currently underway in the urban U.S. This historic complex spans
more than 20 acres and several city blocks. It contains 15 historic buildings, including the German Methodist church and the historic Bottling Building. Pabst began operations at this site in 1844 and closed in 1996. Redevelopment of the property by Joseph J. Zilber began in 2007, and the Brewery once again has people living and working in this historic setting. Learn how the master developer has integrated the sometimes conflicting goals of historic preservation and sustainability. Dan McCarthy, Towne Investments, Milwaukee, WI
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Mobile Workshop - Discovery World Midwest Airlines Center Situated on the shore of Lake Michigan between the Milwaukee Art Museum and Meet in Main Lobby Lakeshore State Park, the Discovery World connects innovation, science, technology,
and the environment with exploration and learning through interactive exhibits and experiential learning programs. The mission of the facility is to help people positively impact their communities by developing a better understanding of technology and the environment, while fostering both innovation and creativity. It’s one of the great educational assets of the downtown Milwaukee community – don’t miss it!
10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Morning Networking Break: International Marketplace Ballroom A/B 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Breakout Sessions and Mobile Workshops, Session V
Room 101A Privatizing Infrastructure: An Alternative Source of Public Revenue?
Chicago privatizes parking meters. Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania may privatize turnpikes, while some cities are doing the same to their public buildings. Does this make sense? A team of economic experts will explain how it can be a great source of revenue – or a political nightmare. Owen Beitsch, Real Estate Research Consultants Inc., Orlando, FL (moderator) Thomas R. Kohler, Real Estate Research Consultants Inc., Orlando, FL Thomas E. Lanctot, William Blair and Co., Chicago, IL Dana Levenson, Royal Bank of Scotland, Chicago, IL
Room 101B BIDs in Diverse Communities
BIDs are not just for community business districts. They are also effective in different areas, including low-income and immigrant communities. Some CBDs are showing surprising signs of life after many years of decline. Learn the surprises and challenges of
working with entrepreneurs amid multiple cultures and languages, and take back some of these lessons to use in your city. Ed Wolverton, Downtown Greensboro, Inc., Greensboro, NC (moderator) Kathleen Hahn Wendler, Southwest Detroit Business Association, Detroit, MI
Room 101CD Big Idea: Glocalization and Sustainability
The link between globalization, localization and sustainability is unquestioned; but finding the right answers is still more an art than a science. A new term has emerged: glocalization, which means thinking globally and acting locally. Practitioners and planners have given this term some thoughtful direction and interesting applications. Will glocalization be the next big thing? Beth Nicols, Downtown Milwaukee BID 21, Milwaukee, WI (moderator) Daniel Carmody, Detroit Eastern Market Corporation, Detroit, MI
Room 102AB Retail Graduate School Session II: The Future of Retail
Once the current crisis subsides, what can we expect in downtown retailing? With many chains in bankruptcy or downsizing expansion plans, who will fill the storefronts? What kinds of retail will thrive in the new economy? These and many other questions will be the grist for a compelling presentation and discussion. Larisa Ortiz, Larisa Ortiz Associates LLC, Jackson Heights, NY (moderator)
Michael Stumpf, Place Dynamics, New Berlin, WI John Archer, Urban Marketing Collaborative, Toronto, ON, Canada
Room 102C How Canadian Downtowns Can Adapt U.S. Downtown Revitalization Tools
Canadians have often claimed that the legislative and other techniques practiced in the US to bolster downtown revitalization cannot be transferred to Canada. This session challenges that notion, showing how over the last 10 years downtown London, Canada has successfully applied revitalization strategies devised in the US, particularly in the areas of municipal incentive programs, grants, and strategic investments underwritten using public and other funds. James Robinson, Downtown Yonge BIA, Toronto, ON (moderator) Gregg Barrett, City of London Land Use Planning-Policy Planning Division, London, ON
Room 102DE From Post War Suburb to 21st Century Downtown: The Transformation of Surrey
City Centre The City of Surrey provides a transformative tale of the opportunities and the challenges
in redeveloping a sprawling, post World War II suburb into a dense and vibrant 21st-century downtown. Surrey is transforming its town centre into a second downtown for the metro Vancouver region through policy initiatives and civic investments. One of the critical first steps in this transformation was the conversion of a declining shopping mall into dense mixed-use, transit-oriented development with a new university campus. Find out why this project won the international MIPIM award for best new development in the world.
Giovanna Codato, Italian Association of Town Centre Management, Italy (moderator) Michael Heeney, Bing Thom Architects, Vancouver, BC 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. International Marketplace Lunch Ballroom A/B Raffled Prizes & Awards; Last chance to meet with vendors catering to your needs! 2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Breakout Session and Mobile Workshops, Session VI Room 101A Improve Downtown with Keep America Beautiful's Cigarette Litter Prevention
Program Cigarette butts are the most commonly littered item in America, impacting both the environment and community quality of life. This session will focus on how downtowns can successfully address cigarette butt litter. Learn best practices from IDA members who have achieved significant results through the program, and find out how your downtown can benefit from this program. Jim Yanchula, City of Windsor, Windsor, ON (moderator) Diane Burnette, Main Street Corridor Development Corporation, Kansas City, MO Bronwen Evans, Keep America Beautiful, Stamford, CT Patty Brosmer, Capitol Hill BID, Washington, DC
Room 101B Big Ideas: Environment and Sustainability: A Social Responsibility Portfolio
Social responsibility: an idea that has come and gone, and is coming back again? Steve Thompson of Keep America Beautiful works with major corporations to fund environmental programs that go beyond improving aesthetics. Learn how he convinces business leaders to support large-scale social responsibility programs. Jeff Sanford, Memphis Center City Commission, Memphis, TN (moderator) Steve Thompson, Keep America Beautiful, Stamford, CT
Room 101CD The U.K. Story: BIDs Across the Atlantic
The impact of the financial meltdown has been felt worldwide. And in the UK, BIDs are leading both small and large town centers back to health. A structured regional support program called the BIDs Academy is just one of the initiatives that are keeping town centers alive and growing. Hear how some of the UK’s BID pioneers are developing exciting new approaches. Simon Quin, ATCM, Westminster, London, UK (moderator) Mo Aswat, The Mosaic Partnership, Leicestershire, UK Jacquie Reilly, ATCM, Westminster, London, UK
Room 102AB Developing a Comprehensive Retail Parking Strategy
Retail strategies aren’t new, and neither are parking plans. But how often are these really done in concert? Which is the driver, retail or parking? One community has tackled this issue, and some surprising ideas have emerged. Gain new perspective on how parking can truly support and integrate with retail development. Josh Eisen, ParkAssist, Santa Monica, CA (moderator)
Dennis Burns, Carl Walker Inc., Tempe, AZ Room 102C Balancing Corporate Profitability and Community Involvement
Once seen as a purely philanthropic activity, corporate responsibility is moving to the center of discussions within leading companies. Whether you call it community social responsibility (CSR), philanthropy, corporate citizenship or "just doing the right thing," CEOs from some of Milwaukee's best companies will discuss why it's important. Learn how they recognize the importance of community involvement and use sound practices that enhance their companies' profitability. Given the global economy, do companies have a responsibility to lead, implement and promote civic initiatives that are responsible for community growth? Milwaukee's business leaders share their views. Mike Gousha, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI (moderator) Greg Marcus, Marcus Hotels and Resorts, Milwaukee, WI
2:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Mobile Workshop: How BIDs Fund Capital Improvements: the Milwaukee RiverWalk
Midwest Center Main Lobby Case Study Milwaukee’s downtown renovations began with property owners along the Milwaukee River forming a BID to construct the RiverWalk. Learn about the creative cooperative funding scheme implemented by the City and the RiverWalk BID. Also learn how the river walk capital improvements served as a catalyst for downtown revitalization. This panel discussion will take place on a boat against a scenic Milwaukee River backdrop. Bruce Block, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren SC, Milwaukee WI Alyssa Evers, Milwaukee Department of City Development, Milwaukee WI Gary Grunau, Grunau Consulting, Milwaukee WI.
2:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Mobile Workshop: The Marquette Interchange Reconstruction Project, Wisconsin’s Midwest Center Main Lobby First Mega-Project
Since the project’s inception, when Gov. Jim Doyle first announced plans to reconstruct this interchange, the following promises were made to the community, to taxpayers and to road travelers: traffic would keep moving, it would involve the entire community, and it would be built on a four-year schedule with strict budgetary guidelines. With the help of the entire community, those expectations were met and exceeded. Frank Busalacchi, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Madison WI Ryan Luck, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Milwaukee WI David Nguyen, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Milwaukee WI Laura Goranson, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Milwaukee WI.
2:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. Mobile Workshop - From $60 to $600 Million: The Historic Third Ward Story Midwest Center Main Lobby Economic development is not a recipe, it’s a process. Using the Historic Third Ward
history as a model, this tour and panel discussion will explain the strategies used to create change - and then apply them to the real-life situations faced by participants. Enjoy an hour-long guided tour to experience the Ward’s environment, and then listen to a panel discussion by those who were involved in its growth. Participants will be asked to identify perceived development roadblocks they face, and the panel will give specific strategies for creating change in those situations.
Greg Uhen, Eppstein Uhen Architects, Milwaukee, WI (Moderator) Einar Tangen, I-MCF, Beijing, China (past Third Ward President/BID Chair) Michael L. Morgan, Wisconsin Department of Administration, Madison, WI Rocky Marcoux, City of Milwaukee Department of City Development, Milwaukee, WI Robert Greenstreet, UWM School of Architecture & Urban Planning, Milwaukee, WI James Piwoni, James Piwoni Architects & Planners, Milwaukee, WI
3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Afternoon Networking Break Ballroom A/B Foyer 3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Breakout Sessions and Mobile Workshops, Session VII Room 101A Big Idea: The Regional Makeover
How did a region rediscover the 100-year-old freshwater industry, reengineer its capabilities for the 21st century and turn freshwater into the world's hottest commodity, all within a few years' time? Learn how collaboration between business, education, and civic partners led to new attitudes and a greater awareness of the natural resource's big impact. The freshwater industry has a broad reach and has led to cutting-edge research, environmentalism, and tourism. Find out more about the industry's rapid rise, and why the world is taking notice. Dean Amhaus, Spirit of Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI (moderator) Julia Taylor, Greater Milwaukee Committee, Milwaukee, WI
Room 101B The New York Story: BIDs and the Big Apple New York offers tales from three leading BIDs – Midtown, Downtown and Brooklyn – as these resourceful organizations tackle some tough problems in hard times. Learn how retail strategies and place-making efforts are once again making New York an incubator of BID programs. David Feehan, Civitas Consultants, LLC, Silver Spring, MD (moderator) Elizabeth Berger, Alliance for Downtown New York, New York, NY Dan Biederman, Biederman Redevelopment Corp., New York, NY Michael Weiss, MetroTech BID, Brooklyn, NY
Room 101CD Renewing BIDs in Troubled Times
Asking property owners to renew or even increase their commitment during one of the worst commercial real estate crises in decades is daunting. One community made it through, albeit with lots of scares and scars. Listen to what happened in the Fashion District and learn what you need to know. Steve Gibson, Urban Place Consulting Group, Long Beach, CA (moderator) Kent Smith, Los Angeles Fashion District, Los Angeles, CA
Room 102AB Downtown Focused Hospitality
The hospitality industry has a great impact on a downtown's ability to attract both visitors and new residents. Learn how industry leaders catalyze downtown revitalization through reinvention and why their vision can affect your downtown's long-term success. H. Blount Hunter, Retail & Real Estate Research Co., Norfolk, VA (moderator)
Joe Kurth, The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, WI Tim Smith, Intercontinental Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI John Archibald, Milwaukee Hilton City Center, Milwaukee, WI John Williams, Skirvin Hilton, Oklahoma City, OK
Room 102C Where Retail, Branding and Design Intersect: Creating the Best Urban Streets
Learn how a unique approach to combining retail planning and urban design interventions - supercharged by branding initiatives - can take street activity to a whole new level. Find out how the City of Calgary and the Calgary Downtown Association have set the stage for creating a walkable and economically vital city center, and learn how to improve your streets. David Down, City of Calgary, Calgary, AB (moderator) Maureen Atkinson, Urban Marketing Collaborative, Toronto, ON Chris Beynon, MIG, Berkeley, CA Mindy Craig, MIG, Berkeley, CA
6:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. Closing Reception: Milwaukee – Art Lives Here Milwaukee Art Museum As the site of the first U.S. sculpture by Santiago Calatrava, the Milwaukee Art Museum’s
Quadracci Pavilion is one of the most graceful buildings of all time. Perched on the shores of Lake Michigan, the Burke Brise Soleil designed by Calatrava opens its elaborate wings daily to provide shade for visitors. An international icon for the city, celebrate your last evening in Milwaukee by experiencing one of its most breathtaking views as the wings fold at sunset. Guests will also have an opportunity to purchase winning selections from the local artists competition, which encourages artists to capture the urban environment on canvas. From Midwest Airlines Center to the Milwaukee Art Museum: Head east on W. Wisconsin Ave. toward N. 4th St. Turn right at N. Broadway. Turn left at E. Michigan St. Turn left at N. Lincoln Memorial Dr. Turn right at N. Art Museum Dr. Milwaukee Art Museum will be on left.
Busses will be available, too.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 7:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m. Breakfast at the Hilton Crystal Ballroom at the Hilton 7:15 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS Room 201A Public Safety and Public Space Management
Operations managers will have a chance to talk about today’s hottest issues: from the latest cleaning techniques, technologies, and materials to relationships with public and private security officials. If you manage or work for a clean and safe operation, don’t miss this valuable roundtable. Blair McBride, Block By Block, Louisville, KY
Room 201B Urban Planning and Design Many cities are taking advantage of the lull in development and construction to assess where they stand and look toward the future. As a result, master plans and other planning exercises are becoming more important than ever before. Planners, architects, and downtown leaders will discuss how avoid big mistakes and get the job done. Kurt Weigle, Downtown Development District, New Orleans, LA (moderator) Don Arambula, Crandall Arambula, Portland, OR
Room 201CD Wayfinding Downtowns have made significant investments and improvements in signage and wayfinding systems over the past decade, but there are still many business districts in which these systems are inadequate or even absent. Join a host of practitioners and consultants to discuss the latest theories and practices. Leslie Lloyd, Bellevue Downtown Association, Bellevue, WA (moderator) Davis Rhorer, City of Baton Rouge Downtown Development District, Baton Rouge, LA Joseph Mariani, Jr., Hollywood Entertainment District, Hollywood, CA Mark VanderKlipp, Corbin Design, Traverse City, MI
Room 202AB Surviving and Thriving
Recent worldwide economic shifts have created unforeseen difficulties for downtown leaders. But with national governments plowing huge sums into stimulus packages, and local governments and businesses seeking innovative ways to cope with shrinking budgets and smaller staffs, downtown organizations may be uniquely positioned to thrive. Share your stories with colleagues. Michael Smith, Charlotte Center City Partners, Charlotte, NC
Room 202C Canadian Roundtable Canadian roundtables at past IDA conferences have been important, lively and productive meetings. Attendance is usually high, so come early and help debate issues, programs and future directions for downtowns throughout Canada. Jim Yanchula, Corporation of the City of Windsor, Windsor, ON Paul MacKinnon, Downtown Halifax Business Commission, Halifax, NS
Room 202 DE Business Attraction and Retention
Holding on to what you’ve got is tough enough these days. Finding and corralling new prospects is even more challenging. If your job involves recruiting and retaining, spend an hour with colleagues who are trying to accomplish these same tasks. Tamara Zahn, Downtown Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
Room 203AB Operations Directors Roundtable
Join fellow Operations Directors to share similar challenges and opportunities for success. Attend an affinity group roundtable designed to encourage communications with your peers from throughout the IDA family. At these roundtables, you will choose your own discussion leader who will keep the conversation flowing, allowing attendees to pose questions, offer successful solutions, vent frustrations and identify common trends and obstacles. Nowhere but at IDA can you sit with so many of your peers to discuss the issues you confront daily.
Room 203C Research Directors Roundtable
Join fellow Research Directors to share similar challenges and opportunities for success. Attend an affinity group roundtable designed to encourage communications with your peers from throughout the IDA family. At these roundtables, you will choose your own discussion leader who will keep the conversation flowing, allowing attendees to pose questions, offer successful solutions, vent frustrations and identify common trends and obstacles. Nowhere but at IDA can you sit with so many of your peers to discuss the issues you confront daily.
Room 203DE Marketing Directors Roundtable
Join fellow Marketing Directors to share similar challenges and opportunities for success. Attend an affinity group roundtable designed to encourage communications with your peers from throughout the IDA family. At these roundtables, you will choose your own discussion leader who will keep the conversation flowing, allowing attendees to pose questions, offer successful solutions, vent frustrations and identify common trends and obstacles. Nowhere but at IDA can you sit with so many of your peers to discuss the issues you confront daily.
7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Registration 8:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Keynote Address: Climate Change and Transportation Ballroom C/D All of us have transit and transportation needs. A new set of performance targets could
alter the present funding in ways that could greatly benefit downtowns. Christopher B. Leinberger is a visiting fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC and founding partner of Arcadia Land Company, a new urbanism development firm dedicated to land stewardship and building a sense of community. Learn what’s happening with the climate change and transportation reauthorization bills, and find out about IDA’s and your roles in influencing these important policies. Richard Bradley, Downtown DC BID, Washington, DC (moderator) Christopher Leinberger, Brookings Institution, Washington, DC
10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Breakout Sessions and Mobile Workshops, Session VII Room 101A Want to Improve Your Management? Try CQI and Benchmarking
More than a decade ago, IDA promoted the concept of benchmarking. At the same time many institutions were experimenting with continuous quality improvement. It’s now even more important to use these proven management tools to assess and improve your work. Two leading downtown practitioners will tell you why these essential methods work and how to make them work for you. Thomas Chatmon, Orlando Downtown Development Board, Orlando, FL (moderator)
Stuart Taylor, Downtown Development District, New Orleans, LA James Wells, Block by Block, Louisville, KY Room 101B Technology Meets Problem-Solving: Crowdsourcing, Mobile Marketing & More
Raleigh and Madison provide textbook examples of how technology-based strategies are changing downtown management. Raleigh is breaking new ground with interactive maps and publishing “location aware” information to iPhones, Blackberries, and other mobile devices. Blending technology with old-school implementation, Madison used a web-based technique called crowdsourcing to develop effective strategies for managing its nighttime economy. Jim Blakeslee, Geocentric, Silver Spring, MD Allison Harnden, Responsible Hospitality Institute, Santa Cruz, CA
Room 101CD Big Idea: Creative Economies Employment, pay and talent attraction in the creative economy are on the rise, and developing creative assets help move downtowns and regions forward into distinct destinations. Find out how the Milwaukee region is working to propel itself forward as a cutting edge community and learn lessons you can apply. Andrew Taft, Downtown Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX (moderator) Christine Harris, Cultural Alliance of Greater Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI Erica Conway, C2 Graphics Productivity Solutions, Milwaukee, WI Matt Richardson, SmartWave Consulting, Milwaukee, WI
Room 102AB Managing Harm Reduction Programs
While glitzier programs get most of the attention, harm reduction programs can effectively deal with downtown life’s seamier side: exchanging and distributing needles, managing alcohol consumption and abuse and accommodating methadone clinics. Canada is leading the way in humane and creative approaches. Every organization should be aware of these issues. Don’t get caught unprepared. John Lambeth, Civitas Advisors, Sacramento, CA (moderator) Peggy DuCharme, Downtown Rideau BIA, Ottawa, ON John Gibbons, Ottawa Police Department, Ottawa, ON Stephen Bartolo, Shepherds of Good Hope, Ottawa, ON
Room 102C Downtown Retail: What can a BID do to Spur Successful Downtown Retail Business? Retail is a key component of any successful downtown. BIDs can promote retail development in many ways: providing parking alternatives, creating amenities and events and even working cooperatively with the brokerage community to attract and retain retail businesses. Learn what your downtown BID could do to promote retail development and operations. Deborah Tomczyk, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren SC, Milwaukee WI (moderator) Tom Bernacchi, Towne Investments, Milwaukee WI Vanessa Koster, Milwaukee Department of City Development, Milwaukee WI
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Closing: Working Lunch
With our nation’s economic problems and challenges across cities, IDA would like to offer maximum benefits for your conference dollars. Our final conference session is a working lunch, providing you the chance to share a table with your peers and discuss core downtown program areas such as innovations in place-making, public private partnerships, budgets during the recession, condo market slowdown etc. Results from table discussions will be compiled and made available to attendees after the conference.
Speaker Biographies
Joe Alexander
Joe Alexander’s duties at the Alexander Company include senior management, new
project presentation and negotiation,
development team oversight, stakeholder
relations, and operations oversight. Joe
previously served as special assistant to the
assistant secretary for administration and
management at the Department of Health and
Human Services in Washington, D.C. His duties
at HHS included consultation and
implementation in the areas of general
management, space planning, and facilities construction and leasing.
Randy Alexander
Randy Alexander has directed all aspects of the
Alexander Company’s business since its
inception in 1981. He is the primary visionary
for each of the developments undertaken by the
Company. Under his leadership, it has
undertaken the finance, development, design,
restoration, construction, and management of
over 250 new and historic buildings. Among the
Company’s notable accomplishments are the conversions of abandoned schools, mothballed
factories, turn-of-the-century high-rises, train
depots, hotels, and downtown buildings into
high-quality apartments, condominiums, hotels,
restaurants, and commercial buildings. In
addition, Randy has overseen the planning and
completion of several mixed-use urban
renaissance master developments.
Don Arambula
Don Arambula is a founding principal of Crandall Arambula, a nationally acclaimed urban
design firm based in Portland, OR. Don’s focus
in planning and urban design is to create livable
communities. Throughout his career, he has
worked on projects ranging from urban infill
housing to new town creation. He specializes in
integrating transportation and land-use needs to
create pedestrian-friendly, vibrant urban cores.
His award-winning projects include downtown
and traditional neighborhood development plans,
streetscape designs, design guidelines and policy
plans. Don has served as principal urban designer throughout the U.S. He has a bachelor’s
degree in landscape architecture and regional
planning from Colorado State University.
John Archer
John Archer has worked across North America
assessing and developing farmers' markets, and
has started applying his knowledge to other
centres such as the souks in Dubai, Doha, and
Tunis.
John Archibald
John Archibald was born and raised in Scotland
and completed his education at Telford College
in Edinburgh. After moving to the U.S., John
landed his first hotel position as banquet
manager at a Stouffer Hotel in Indianapolis.
Future experiences found him in other cities like
Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, and the U.S.
Virgin Islands. The allure of his hometown then
brought him back to Scotland where he owned
and operated his own restaurant, the Gretel, for six years. Beginning with the Hotel Mead in
Wisconsin Rapids, WI, John has held the
position of hotel general manager for 16 years.
He currently sits on the board for the Wisconsin
Restaurant Association, Visit Milwaukee, and
the West Town Association. Currently, he is the
general manager at the Hilton Milwaukee City
Center.
Mo Aswat
Mo Aswat earned an MBA at Nottingham University after specializing in public-private
business partnerships, and has over ten years of
practical city and town center management
experience. He served as executive director for
Bedford BID and as chair of BID Leamington.
He is also a fellow of the Institute of Place
Management. Mo’s work has covered
developing and funding town center companies,
managing the evening economy in towns, and
developing business-led partnerships on
industrial estates. Mo set up the Mosaic
Partnership, which provides advice and support from idea generation to implementation in the
fields of BIDs, estate and town center
management, and partnership development. The
company works with over 50 locations and has
advised 18 successful BIDs in the UK.
Maureen Atkinson
Maureen Atkinson is a senior partner at Urban
Marketing Collaborative, a subsidiary of J.C.
Williams Group in Toronto and Chicago. As a
specialist in retail and retail research, she has written articles and given lectures on retailing
and marketing in downtown for IDA, Urban
Land Institute, National Trust for Historic
Preservation, and many individual downtown
organizations. She is a past IDA board member
and holds a bachelor’s degree in administrative
studies from York University in Toronto.
Stephen Bartolo
Stephen Bartolo is the senior manager of Shelter, Recovery, and Managed Alcohol programs at the
Shepherds of Good Hope in Ottawa, ON. He has
been with the organization since 2002. His
programs specialize in meeting individuals
where they are at in life; this is done in a non-
judgmental, compassionate way and creates a
sense of community and belonging. The
Managed Alcohol Program is renowned around
the world as being an extremely successful harm
reduction based program that reduces emergency
services, decreases community disruption, and
restores dignity to the individual.
Owen Beitsch, Ph.D.
Owen M. Beitsch, Ph.D. has been with RERC
since 1990. Prior to joining the firm, he was a
principal with the real estate consulting practice
of Laventhol and Horwath. As an advisor with
RERC, he has been especially interested in the
activities of the state’s many special district
governments, their financial affairs, interactions
with the private sector, reporting procedures, and
systems to assure accountable behavior. He has helped many of the firm’s clients to secure
beneficial arrangements extending from the
increasing interest in public-private partnerships.
In addition to his advisory role in the areas of
privatization of public infrastructure and
services, Owen is currently authoring a paper on
the privatization of transportation systems. Owen
earned his master’s degree in urban and regional
planning from Florida State University and his
Ph.D. in public affairs from the University of
Central Florida.
Elizabeth Berger
Elizabeth H. Berger joined the Alliance for
Downtown New York as president in 2007. For
almost two decades, she advised cultural and
educational not-for-profits, as well as public and
private companies, on engaging and managing
government. In 2004, she received a New York
Dance and Performance “Bessie” award citation
for government arts advocacy. She has almost 30
years of experience with the state, federal, and
local government. An innovator in the field, she established non-legal government relations
practices at two highly regarded New York law
firms, and created the Department of
Government and External Affairs at Lincoln
Center for the Performing Arts.
Maclain Berhaupt
Maclain Berhaupt is the director of the urban
design plan for the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation. Maclain helps coordinate economic
development projects within the directives of the
urban design plan with the JRC Board, private
sector developers, the City of Jamestown, and
other stakeholder organizations. She previously
served as the special projects coordinator for the
State University of New York at Fredonia Center
for Regional Development and Governance and
as the executive director of the Chadwick Bay
Regional Development Corporation. She also
served as the director of development for the
City of Dunkirk, where she was instrumental in waterfront and downtown development projects.
Michael Berne
Michael J. Berne is the president of MJB
Consulting, a New York City-based retail
consulting concern that works across North
America on market analyses, retail strategies,
and tenant recruitment efforts. As one of North
America's foremost experts on downtown retail,
Michael has presented on the subject at the
annual conferences offered by IDA and many other organizations. Michael has lectured at the
University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of
Planning and has written articles for the Urban
Land Institute's Urban Land magazine. He has
served on expert advisory panels for ULI and the
International Economic Development Council.
Michael received his undergraduate degree at
Columbia College (Columbia University) and an
M.Phil degree from Cambridge University. He
lives on Manhattan's Upper West Side.
Christopher Beynon
Christopher Beynon is the director of planning
and development services at MIG with more than
13 years of experience in regional and urban
planning, downtown planning, land use planning,
and community design. He has developed
distinctive expertise in community design and
development, working with the public and
private sectors on neighborhood planning,
revitalization planning, infill site projects, and
new community development across the U.S. In
addition to overall project strategy and critical thinking responsibilities, he provides land use,
urban design, and transit planning expertise and
analysis; public meeting facilitation; developer
and consultant partnering; and process strategy
and management. Christopher has also managed
a variety of other land use planning and urban
design projects.
Daniel A. Biederman
Dan Biederman is the co-founder of Grand Central Partnership, 34th Street Partnership, and
Bryant Park Corporation, three of NYC’s most
successful BIDs. He currently serves as the
president of the latter two. In 1980, he co-
founded BPC and began the restoration of
Bryant Park. Under Dan’s guidance, BPC
instituted a program of security, sanitation,
capital repair, and public event planning that
transformed the park from a symbol of urban
neglect into a gorgeous, impeccably maintained,
and crime-free gathering place. Dan’s newer
projects include establishing the Chelsea Improvement Company to redevelop the public
realm in the lively blocks surrounding Chelsea
Market. He serves on the national or local boards
of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at
Harvard, the Trust for Public Land, 42nd Street
Development Corporation, Van Cortlandt Park
Conservancy, and Friends of Princeton Track.
Jim Blakeslee
Jim Blakeslee is the founder and principal at
Geocentric, which was established in 2005 with the vision of enabling clients in tourism and
economic development to self-publish and self-
manage high-quality interactive website content.
The firm has won numerous awards for web
development, destination marketing, and mobile
web applications. Jim has overseen the
development of several mobile applications, and
more than a dozen websites for IDA member
organizations.
Bruce T. Block
Bruce T. Block has been practicing law since 1979. He is a shareholder and chair of the firm's
real estate practice and is also a member of the
firm's board of directors. Bruce's clients include
private developers and investors, institutional
developers and investors, lenders, municipalities,
and community development authorities. He has
significant experience in a broad range of real
estate matters including land use planning,
zoning, eminent domain, historic tax credits,
multiple and mixed use ownership structures, tax
incremental financing and leasing, construction, and design contracts. Bruce's extensive contacts
in both public and private sectors are key factors
in his ability to navigate complex transactions to
successful and creative conclusions.
John Boler
As vice president of sales and marketing at
Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., John Boler is
responsible for leading the company's sales and
marketing strategy for its cornerstone event, Summerfest, the World's Largest Music Festival.
His functional responsibilities include
advertising, media and public relations, as well
as overseeing corporate sales and vendor
relationships, including 70 sponsorships and over
500 Business Group Sales clients and seat
licensing programs. John brings over 20 years of
experience in sales, marketing and
communications leadership. Throughout his five-
year tenure at Summerfest, he helped the
organization achieve yearly growth and
profitability. John currently serves on the Marketing Committee of Visit Milwaukee and
studied Business Administration at the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and La
Crosse.
Andrew Boraine
Andrew Boraine is chief executive of the Cape
Town Partnership, a public-private partnership
established in 1999 to lead the regeneration of
the Cape Town Central City. The role of the
Partnership is to develop, manage, and promote
the Cape Town Central City as a leading center where all can participate in and benefit from
commercial, retail, residential, cultural, and other
activities. The partnership also manages the work
of the Central City Improvement District
(CCID), a pioneering urban management vehicle,
and has established innovative Creative Cape
Town, Green City and 2010 Football World Cup
programs.
Kate Borders
Kate Borders earned her master's degree in non-
profit arts management from Columbia College, and her bachelor's degree in music from the
University of Arizona in 1998. She started
working as a program manager for the Coleman
Foundation in Chicago in 2000. Kate moved to
Peoria, IL to assume the position of executive
director for the Peoria Art Guild in 2003. She
assumed her current position, as executive
director of East Town Association, in 2005.
Leo Brideau
Leo Brideau is president and chief executive officer of Columbia St. Mary’s, Inc. (CSM) in
Milwaukee, WI. CSM is a multi-hospital system
which includes three acute care hospitals in two
counties, a rehabilitation hospital and a joint
venture orthopedic hospital. Leo also serves as
the ministry market leader for Ascension Health,
providing leadership and direction to the health
ministries in Missouri and Wisconsin. He
currently serves as chair of the AHA Payment Reform Task Force and as chair of the
Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) Health
Reform Task Force. He has served as a board
member of the WHA and as chair of WHA
Future Physician Work Force, and is a board
member of the Milwaukee Healthcare
Partnership, Metropolitan Milwaukee
Association of Commerce and the Greater
Milwaukee Committee.
Patty Brosmer
Patty Brosmer has been the executive director (now President) of the Capitol Hill Business
Improvement District (BID) since its inception in
early 2003. Prior to that, she was a consultant to
the interim board during the 3-year formation
phase of the BID. As former executive director
of the Georgetown Business & Professional
Association, she was instrumental in getting the
necessary legislation passed to allow the
formation of BIDs throughout the District of
Columbia. Her overall career includes extensive
background and many achievements in planning and development, public and government
relations, and community leadership.
Janice M. Brown, Ed.D.
Janice M. Brown is the executive director of the
Kalamazoo Promise. She was superintendent of
Kalamazoo public schools for seven years, and
has more than 36 years of experience working in
public education as a teacher, consultant,
professor, state administrator, principal, and
district official. Janice was named Michigan
Superintendent of the Year and received the national Athena Award, the Women of
Achievement and the Glass Ceiling Awards in
her community. She provides leadership in the
community for improved learning for all youth
and engagement/ and support from the total
community. She serves as the spokesperson for
the Kalamazoo Promise, and is responsible for
using it as the catalyst for economic renewal and
transformation of greater Kalamazoo.
Diane Burnette
Diane Burnette is the executive director of the
Main Street Corridor Development Corporation
(MainCor) and the chief administrator of the
Main Street Community Improvement District
(CID) in Kansas City, Missouri. She has been
with the organization since 2003 and was the
lead in the creation of the CID. She has had
several opportunities to build consensus and
collaboration among diverse stakeholders to
ultimately strengthen not only valuable urban infrastructure, but also the social fabric of
Kansas City. They have successfully
implemented the Cigarette Litter Prevention
Program in the area she serves and she also co-
owns a small business, Muddy’s Coffeehouse,
with her husband going on 15 years.
L. Dennis Burns
L. Dennis Burns, CAPP serves on the IPI’s
Board of Advisors; the IDA’s board of directors,
and is a member of the Parking Consultants
Council.
Daniel Carmody
After 20 years as a downtown manager in Rock
Island, IL and Fort Wayne, IN, Daniel Carmody
was hired in 2007 as the president of Detroit’s
Eastern Market Corporation (EMC), where he
leads the entity charged with operating the
region’s premier public market, renovating its
campus, and revitalizing the adjacent business
district. EMC also is a partner organization in
rebuilding southeast Michigan’s local food system. Since the mid-1990s, Daniel has also
served as a consultant to more than 30
community development programs throughout
North America, served on the board of directors
of the IDA, and is a frequent presenter at
conferences.
Ron Casey
Ron Casey is the executive director of
Downtown Summerside Inc. He has been
employed there since 2002. Downtown
Summerside Inc. manages a BIA in Summerside, a city of 13,500 in the province of Prince Edward
Island, Canada. Ron is a carpenter by trade and
has a planning technician diploma. He has
extensive experience in planning, project
management, marketing, and special events. Ron
has worked in every province in Canada and has
been project manager of many construction
projects throughout Canada.
Blake Chow
Captain Blake Chow was appointed to the Los Angeles Police Department in 1990 after having
served as a San Jose Police reserve officer. As a
police officer II, he first was assigned to Central
Area in 1991, where he worked foot beats and in
a plain clothes special problems unit which
targeted the problems of violent crimes, property
crimes, and narcotics. In early 2009, Blake
returned to Central Division and was promoted
to area commanding officer.
Mick Conlin
Mick Conlin is the senior vice president of Agent
Products. He has more than 20 years of
experience in the financial services industry, and
has focused on the prepaid industry since 1999.
Mick joined Meta in 2004 from Bank One-
Chase. He previously served in numerous
banking, card industry, and sales-related
capacities. He has appeared in numerous trade
publications and has spoken at a number of
prepaid industry gatherings.
Mindy Craig
Mindy Craig is a principal of MIG and has more
than 18 years of experience in providing
communications and marketing strategies,
planning, strategic planning, programming,
needs assessment, and financial feasibility
services to over 50 agencies and organizations in
North America. She offers a broad diversity of
experience to clients particularly in strategy
development. She served as the branding
specialist for the Downtown Calgary Retail, Branding and Urban Design Strategy project.
This high-profile project cohesively integrated
the realms of place-based branding, image and
identity, retail analysis, and urban design. Mindy
is also the president of America Walks and
serves as a representative on the National
Complete Streets Coalition Steering Committee.
David Dahlquist
David Dahlquist is a nationally recognized
public artist and teacher. He is the creative
director of RDG Dahlquist Art Studio, a comprehensive design and fabrication facility
within RDG Planning & Design, specializing in
the integration of artwork within building
architecture and the landscape. David and the
studio have completed over 30 major public art
installations across the country. He is a member
of many multi-disciplinary design teams,
influencing the content, site selection, planning,
and programming of numerous projects.
David Diaz
Since June 2007, David Diaz has led the
Downtown Raleigh Alliance as its president and
CEO. During this time, David has initiated a
retail strategy, the You-R-Here marketing
campaign, to create a new image and brand for
downtown, and has positioned the Alliance as an
entrepreneurial and reputable non-profit
organization in the Raleigh region. Between
2000 and 2007, David worked in Roanoke, VA
as a city planner and then as an assistant city manager, and finally as president of Downtown
Roanoke, Inc. In 2005, David was ordered to
active duty where he was awarded the Bronze
Star for his service in Operation Iraqi Freedom
as a trainer and intelligence officer. David
graduated from Virginia Tech in 1997 and
completed his graduate work in city and regional
planning at Cornell University in 1999. David
serves on IDA’s board of directors.
Ralph DiBart
Ralph DiBart is the founding executive director of the New Rochelle Business Improvement
District. BID programs he has created include a
loan program that allows building owners to
redevelop vacant space, expand properties, and
rehabilitate their façades; and the BID
Downtown Artist Spaces program that joins
property owners with vacant upper-floor space
and artists seeking affordable studios. Prior to
creating the New Rochelle BID in 2000, he
served as a director of retail planning for New
York City, worked with real estate developers in the private sector, and consulted the City of
Peekskill on its downtown redevelopment.
David Dillman
David Dillman is chief operating officer for the
Downtown Seattle Association, Metropolitan
Improvement District and Urban Mobility
Group. He is responsible for administration and
operations oversight of the $8.5 million dollar a
year budget for the three organizations, which
includes IT, finance, HR, urban environment
services, market research & analysis and urban transportation alternatives programs. David has
over 35 years of management experience. He is a
member of the State of WA Governor’s Jail
Industries Board, International Economic
Development Council and represents DSA and
MID on the Seattle Police Department West
Precinct Advisory Council and other Downtown
Seattle councils and committees.
Connie Dimond
Connie Dimond, a JJR Principal, brings more than 30 years of experience on urban planning
projects involving extensive community
involvement. She led JJR's team on the
successful Green Grand Rapids project.
Peggy DuCharme
Peggy DuCharme is the executive director of the
Downtown Rideau BIA in Ottawa. She has more
than 18 years of Canadian BIA experience. Her
significant BIA accomplishments affecting the socioeconomic environment include forming
social services partnerships to create Youth at
Risk Job Skills Development Employment
programs and creating Homeless Employment
and Panhandling Awareness programs.
Patrick Dunn
Patrick Dunn is a landscape architect and partner
with RDG Planning and Design and has 20 years
of experience designing and overseeing the
implementation of public and private urban
design projects. Of particular interest to Patrick is the integration of a community’s identity and
image within the context of civic outdoor places.
Patrick is LEED® accredited and challenges his
teams to integrate green infrastructure in creative
ways. He has collaborated with a wide variety of
artists and artisans to help create meaningful
downtown environments.
Brad Elmer
Brad Elmer is responsible for the coordination of
all phases of urban development projects in communities throughout the U.S. His
responsibilities include negotiating loan and
investment terms, managing entitlement
processes, presenting to public bodies,
neighborhood organizations, and special interest
groups, negotiating the purchase and disposition
of property, and analyzing investment
opportunities for equity investors and project
sponsors. Previously, Brad lived in Memphis,
TN, where he served as a development project
manager at the Center City Commission. At the
CCC, he was responsible for evaluating proposals for downtown development projects
and for developing and administering programs
for economic development. He has further
experience underwriting commercial real estate
loans at US Bank, where his work focused on
transactions that utilized Low Income Housing
Tax Credits.
Bronwen Evans
Bronwen Evans joined Keep America Beautiful
in 2006, after careers in international travel, publishing, and education. Bronwen manages the
Cigarette Litter Prevention Program, which has
been implemented in over 375 communities
around the U.S.. She manages all program
logistics, budget, and issues that are unique to
each local program. Bronwen is passionate about
gardening, nature, and the outdoors, and is
committed to community improvement and
recycling.
Marjorie Ferrer
Marjorie Ferrer is executive director of the
Delray Beach Downtown Marketing Cooperative
(DMC) and Downtown Development Authority
(DDA). Marjorie has been with the DMC since
the organization was created in 1993. Marjorie’s
primary areas of responsibility now include
generating sponsor support for special events and
initiatives, overseeing all DMC activities and
staff, and promoting Downtown Delray Beach
locally, nationally and internationally. Marjorie
also oversees all operations of the DDA, whose responsibility is to reinvest funds for marketing
the downtown, communicate with property
owners, maintain a downtown database, and
work on other clean and safe initiatives.
Together with merchants and local organizations,
Marjorie has helped to strengthen and create
many events for the purpose of economic
development, bringing more than one million
visitors to the downtown annually.
Charles Gauthier
Since 1992, Charles Gauthier has steered the
DVBIA with an impressive foray of vision and a
commitment to the future of Downtown
Vancouver, in particular, as it prepares to host
the 2010 Winter Olympics. He is responsible for
the overall management and strategic direction
of the association. Charles oversees a budget of
$2 million to further the association’s mission to
make Vancouver North America’s number one
business-friendly downtown. Charles currently
serves on the executive committee of IDA’s
board of directors. He was a recipient of Business in Vancouver's prestigious 40 Under 40
Achievement Award in 1996. The DVBIA has
also been recognized by the Canadian Society of
Association Executives (BC Chapter) and the
Business Improvement Areas of BC for its
leadership and advocacy role with the Safe
Streets Coalition.
Saleem Ghubril
Saleem Ghubril was born in Beirut, Lebanon.
Because of the civil war, his family immigrated to the United States in July of 1976. Saleem and
his wife, Patti, were married in 1981. They have
two children, Christina and Nathan, and live on
Pittsburgh’s urban North Side. He is the
executive director of The Pittsburgh Promise, an
ambitious initiative that aims to provide college
scholarships to Pittsburgh’s students, and see
them through to graduation; promote the reform
of Pittsburgh public schools, and see them
achieve excellence; and leverage the development of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods, and
see them through to prosperity.
Steve Gibson
Steve Gibson is president and founder of Urban
Place Consulting Group, Inc.,which was formed
in 2001 and specializes in organizing and
revitalizing business districts. Urban Place
evolved from the Main Street Group, Steve’s
prior consulting firm, which he founded in 1989.
From 1989 to 1992, Main Street Group was the
California representative for the national consulting firm Project for Public Spaces. Steve
has experience operating nine downtown districts
as president and CEO. As a consultant, he has
provided services to 45 districts in 35 cities and
24 states. Steve is a contributing author of
Business Improvement Districts.
Carol Gies
Carol Gies has 25 years of senior level
management experience in strategic planning,
marketing and research for leading corporations in the retail, restaurant, shopping center and
tourism industries. She founded 4Insights in
2002 to provide clients in these industries with a
better method for assessing retail expansion
potential. Today 4Insights works primarily with
cities and communities to develop short and long
range strategies that reduce the risk of their
investment in retail development or re-
development.
Steve Glynn
Fresh out of college in the early days of the dot com boom, Steve Glynn landed his first job as
website manager for a large financial software
corporation. Steve spent the next decade working
for and with other Fortune 500 companies
developing traditional and new media
communication strategy. In 2006, Steve created
Spreenkler (an organization of creative
professionals) using basic website and blog
software. Over the next two years he used a mix
of social media tools, word-of-mouth and in-
person events to build a passionate community leading to the resurgence of Milwaukee’s
creative class. In 2008, Steve spun the success of
Spreenkler into the launch of an actual business:
a creative services firm that educates students,
businesses and cities on how they can use social
media to connect with new audiences to grow
their ideas.
Craig E. Gossman
Craig E. Gossman is a principal with Kinzelman Kline and Gossman and has more than 30 years
of experience. He is an NCARB-certified
registered architect with a bachelor’s degree in
architecture from Ohio University. He has
continued his education in historic preservation
at Cornell University and new urbanism and
town planning at Harvard University. He is well-
versed on the design principles for urban
redevelopment and is a frequent speaker at the
National Trust for Historic Preservation’s
National Main Street Town Meetings, regional
and national planning workshops for the International Council of Shopping Centers and
the American Planning Association, and regional
downtown association conferences throughout
the country.
Robert Greenstreet
In his dual role as director of planning and
design for the City of Milwaukee and the dean of
architecture and urban Planning at the University
of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Robert Greenstreet has
led a groundbreaking partnership between the two entities. The innovative ‘town and gown’
relationship is the first of its kind in the nation,
whereby the school has a significant impact on
design and development, while reducing the
administrative cost to taxpayers. Under Robert’s
leadership, the city’s Division of Planning has
undertaken the first comprehensive plan in the
city and has enforced higher aesthetic standards
with the new Design Review Team.
Seth Grossman, Ph.D.
Seth A. Grossman received his Ph.D. from Rutgers University’s School of Public Affairs
and Administration. He is the executive director
of the Ironbound Business Improvement District
(IBID) in Newark, NJ, and is president of
Cooperative Professional Services, a consultancy
which provides research, planning, and
management services to BIDs. He was a senior
planner with the City of Trenton, NJ, and was
designer and administrator of the Business
Improvement District Services Program for the
State of New Jersey. Seth is co-founder and president of the New Jersey Managed Districts
Association (NJMDA). He founded and directs
the Rutgers University, National Center of
Public Performance’s online BID Management
Certification Program. He writes extensively on
BIDs, public-private partnerships, public
entrepreneurship and social capital, and the rise
of special districts.
Gary Grunau
With more than 42 years of construction and
development experience, Gary Grunau has an
extraordinary ability to analyze the feasibility of
a project, create a strategy to win public and
private community acceptance, and implement a
plan to take a project from conception to
completion. Gary has demonstrated a lifelong
commitment to southeastern Wisconsin and has
been instrumental in some of its best urban
projects. These include the Grand Avenue
Middle School, the Milwaukee Education Center
(created a modern education facility from an abandoned Schlitz Brewery building) the Hyatt
Regency, Schlitz Park, the Wisconsin Center,
Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin, the
Milwaukee Riverwalk System, the Time Warner
Building, and the Boston Store Revitalization.
His projects have won many awards, including
the Urban Land Institute Achievement Award
and The National Council for Urban Economic
Development Award for Schlitz Park.
Allison Harnden
Allison Harnden is vice president of the
Responsible Hospitality Institute (RHI), a non-
profit organization dedicated to assisting cities in
creating safe and vibrant places in which to
socialize. Allison is a graduate of San Diego
State University and formerly served as
coordinator for the Hospitality Resource Panel in
San Diego, a city-funded resource to seven
dining and entertainment-oriented BIDs. She is
co-author of Planning, Managing and Policing
Hospitality Zones: A Practical Guide, and has
provided consultation to assist dozens of North American cities in developing hospitality zones
and managing and policing their impacts.
Amy Harrell
Amy Harrell is the director of improvement
district services for Downtown Vision, Inc., and
has been part of the Downtown Vision team for
more than seven years. Amy's responsibilities
include overseeing Downtown Vision's efforts to
address cleanliness, safety, and parking issues,
working with Downtown partners to enhance the pedestrian and retail environments, and
continuing to provide research and information
to Downtown stakeholders. Prior to her current
position, Amy has filled the roles of director of
business development, special events manager
and office manager for Downtown Vision.
Before joining Downtown Vision, Amy worked
in accounting at Bank of America and the
Florida Times Union. She received her
bachelor’s degree from the University of North Florida, and is an active volunteer in the
Jacksonville arts community.
Donna Ann Harris
Donna Ann Harris is the principal of Heritage
Consulting, Inc., a Philadelphia-based consulting
firm that works in three practice areas:
downtown revitalization, historic preservation
and organizational development. Prior to starting
her firm in 2004, she was state coordinator for
the Illinois Main Street program for two years
and the manager of the Illinois suburban Main Street for four years. During her tenure, she
served 56 communities, led a staff of 12 and
managed a budget of more than one million
dollors. Donna also spent 15 years as an
executive director of three start-up and two
mature preservation organizations, each with its
own organizational and fundraising challenges.
Greg Hatem
Greg Hatem has successfully focused years of
business experience and leadership into revitalizing downtown Raleigh. Empire
Properties is making significant impacts in
historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and new
construction developments alike. Buildings,
blocks, and neighborhoods are benefiting from
strategic investments in both office and retail
spaces. Greg’s innovative approach to recruiting
downtown restaurants and retailers is creating a
more vibrant core and adding jobs. Empire
Properties has developed over 40 rehabilitation
projects and is recognized as a leader in
sustainable and progressive approaches in design and construction throughout downtown Raleigh.
Empire Properties is also embarking on two
major new downtown construction projects.
Greg has made significant contributions to
downtown and his tremendous legacy is sure to
only grow in the years ahead.
Michael Heeney
Michael Heeney is a principal and the executive
director of Bing Thom Architects in Vancouver,
BC. After studying at Trinity College in Toronto, he moved to Vancouver to attend architecture
school and has made his professional life there.
Michael excels in leading the firm’s most
complex design projects, which include Surrey
Central City, Tarrant County College, the Chan
Centre at UBC, and the Arena Stage theater
complex in Washington, D.C. His skills and
business acumen are complemented by a solid
grounding in sustainable design and LEED
accreditation. With a strong sense of civic duty, Michael is also involved in many cultural and
civic organizations and recognizes the
importance of cultural contributions to the health
and vitality of urban centers.
Deanna Inniss
Deanna Inniss is the retail recruiter for
Milwaukee Downtown BID 21. She was hired in
2009 to implement the Downtown Works retail
strategy. She is actively recruiting targeted
retailers to Milwaukee Downtown, focusing on
the merchandise mix recommendations of the retail street front strategy. Deanna is also a
resident and retail business owner. She came to
the BID with more than ten years of experience,
including stints at two retail corporations. In
2005, Deanna opened her own retail shop,
Freckle Face Boutique, in Milwaukee’s Historic
Third Ward. In 2007 freckle face was a finalist in
a national contest for "America’s Best Baby
Boutique" presented by The Cradle and
Pregnancy Magazine. It is known for its high
quality merchandise and focus on eco-friendly, sustainable products. Prior to opening her shop
in 2005, Deanna spent a decade developing
products for Kohls Department Stores and Gap,
Inc.
Thomas Kohler
Thomas R. Kohler joined Real Estate Research
Consultants, Inc., as senior vice president in
2002. Thomas culminated over 26 years of
public service as a senior executive with the City
of Orlando, over 22 years of that time serving as
executive director of Orlando’s Downtown Development Board and Community
Redevelopment Agency. As the director of these
two public organizations, he was involved in the
planning, programming, and development of
over $500 million in public and private ventures.
As a senior staff member of three mayoral
administrations, Thomas was an integral part of
almost every major development project in the
City of Orlando from 1977 to 2002. Presently, he
oversees the firm’s public sector services with
emphasis on redevelopment.
Vanessa Koster
Vanessa Koster was promoted as Milwaukee’s
city planning manager in 2008. Vanessa manages
planning staff and resources, and the
development of the comprehensive area plans,
downtown plan update and smart growth policy
plan. She has worked in the department of city
development for ten years. She works with
customers on design solutions that balance development needs with design quality concerns,
and works with a variety of organizations that
focus on regional planning, neighborhood
planning, urban design, and design guidelines.
Vanessa is a member of the American Planning
Association (APA), Wisconsin Chapter of the
American Planning Association (WAPA), and
Congress for New Urbanism (CNU). She holds a
master's degree of architecture and a bachelor's
degree in architecture and certificate in urban
planning from the University of Wisconsin-
Milwaukee.
Paul Krajniak
A native of Milwaukee, WI, Paul Krajniak is
executive director of Discovery World. The
education center, located on the shores of Lake
Michigan, is consciously situated at the juncture
where the urban world meets the natural world.
From this spot, Discovery World’s mission
embraces human ingenuity and the sustainability
of natural resources. At Discovery World, Paul
has created an educational engine where exhibits are combined with person-to-person interaction
and at-home learning experiences. Discovery
World’s mission explores innovation through
science, economics and technology education
and includes the biosphere, freshwater,
sustainability, and environmental issues. Paul’s
work has focused extensively on inspiring
innovation. He has led the charge to create
experiences that connect people, yet are
personal; utilize technology, yet embrace human
creativity; promote entrepreneurial endeavor, yet
embrace the involvement of established industry.
Tom Kroeger
Tom Kroeger became Lakeshore State Park
manager in 2008. Tom is responsible for daily
operations of the park, management of natural
resources, development of the park interpretive
programs, and the hiring and training of staff.
Prior to joining the Department of Natural
Resources, Tom was a principal with an
engineering firm for 25 years. He specialized in
brownfield environmental investigation and remediation, property transaction support, and
wetlands regulation and delineation. He earned
his bachelor’s degree from the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee and his master’s degree in
contaminant hydrogeology from the University
of Arizona-Tucson. He is a Wisconsin-licensed
professional hydrologist and a registered
Wisconsin wetland delineator. Tom is a lifetime
resident of the Milwaukee metropolitan area,
where he enjoys biking, kayaking, cross country skiing, camping, bird watching, and gardening.
Carl Kurlander
Carl Kurlander is an American television
writer/producer and screenwriter. He is best
known for his extensive work on American teen
sitcoms and has served as producer with Peter
Engel on a number of programs including Saved
by the Bell: The New Class, and as a screenwriter
who co-wrote the semi-autobiographical smash
hit St. Elmo's Fire. He is co-author of The F
Word: A Guide to Surviving Your Family with comedian Louie Anderson. Carl produced and
directed My Tale of Two Cities, which has been
called a "funny and heartfelt comeback story"
about the city which built America with its steel,
cured polio, and invented everything from
aluminum to the Big Mac, which is now
reinventing itself for a new age.
Joe Kurth
Joe Kurth currently holds the position of general
manager at the historic Pfister hotel. The Pfister is the flagship property of Marcus Hotels and
Resorts and 33-year AAA Four Diamond Award
winner. Joe began his 20-year career in the
hospitality industry with Hyatt Hotels
Corporation, having worked at downtown
properties throughout the U.S. He has also held
leadership positions in hotels in Memphis, TN,
Kohler WI, Los Angeles, CA, and returned to
Milwaukee in 2007 to join the Pfister
transitioning from Sarasota, Florida. Joe lives in
Brookfield and is an active member of the
Milwaukee Rotary Club, and a board member for the Greater Milwaukee Hotel Motel Association.
Thomas E. Lanctot
Thomas E. Lanctot is a principal of William
Blair & Company, a Chicago-based investment
banking and asset management firm, where he
leads the investment banking team that serves the
public and non-profit sectors and advises clients
on infrastructure privatization transactions.
During his professional career, Thomas has
played an active role in innovative infrastructure privatization and financing transactions for state
and local governments, airports, educational
institutions, convention facilities, museums and
cultural institutions, health care providers,
housing facilities, and public utilities. He was a
financial advisor to the City of Chicago and the
Chicago Park District for the $563 million long-
term concession and lease of the Grant and
Millennium Park underground garages. He is currently working on several infrastructure
privatization transactions in the United States,
including the $1.152 billion long-term
concession for Chicago’s Metered Parking
System.
Christopher B. Leinberger
Christopher B. Leinberger, a land use strategist
and developer, combines an understanding of
business realities with a concern for our nation's
social and environmental issues. Currently, he is
a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. He focuses on research and
practice that help transform traditional and
suburban downtowns and other places that
provide walkable urbanism. Chris is also a
professor of practice and director of the graduate
real estate development program at the
University of Michigan. This program trains the
next generation of real estate developers in the
building of sustainable walkable urban places.
Chris is a founding partner of Arcadia Land
Company, a new urbanism development firm dedicated to land stewardship and building a
sense of community.
Dana R. Levenson
Commissioner Dana R. Levenson is the
Managing Director in charge of the Royal Bank
of Scotland’s RBS North American
infrastructure banking business, where he is in
charge of advising potential sellers of
infrastructure assets and advising and arranging
the financing for buyers. Prior to joining RBS, he
was the City of Chicago’s chief financial officer. In this role, he oversaw the city comptroller’s
office and the departments of budget and
management, procurement services, and revenue.
In particular, he was responsible for the long-
term lease concession sales of both the Chicago
Skyway for $1.83 billion in 2005 and the
Chicago Downtown Parking System in 2006 for
$563 million. He also started the effort to lease
Midway Airport and has also led the effort to
raise the City’s bond ratings to their highest
levels since 1978. Levenson received his M.B.A. from New York University and his B.A. from
Brown University.
Jamie Licko
Jamie Licko, associate at Progressive Urban
Management Associates, provides project
management and lead support for P.U.M.A.’s
national downtown management and planning
practices. Her specialties include strategic planning, marketing and communications
strategies, community outreach, and BID
formation. Prior to joining P.U.M.A., Jamie
served as executive director for the Cedar Rapids
Downtown District, where she managed all
facets of a downtown organization that included
a BID, a membership organization and special
events, marketing, and branding programs.
Jamie’s prior experiences were in marketing and
communications, including work in television
news. Jamie is currently an IDA board member.
Paul MacKinnon
Paul MacKinnon has been an executive director
of a downtown revitalization agency for 12
years, in Halifax, NS. He began with the Spring
Garden Area Business Association in 1996,
working to promote the busiest retail street east
of Montreal. In 2002 he was hired to head up the
Downtown Halifax Business Commission.
During the past six years he has been actively
involved in events, promotion, advocating for
greater downtown investment by the city, and is currently the vice chair of the committee that is
creating the new downtown development plan,
Halifax by Design. Paul is an IDA board
member and has been actively engaged in the
Canadian Issues Task Force. He has been
attending IDA conferences since 2002, where
Richard Florida's keynote address in Boston
inspired him to become a local advocate for the
creative city concept. He is 37 years old, and
lives within walking distance of the downtown
with his wife and two young children.
Kathryn Madden
Kathryn Madden is an urban planner with 25
years of experience planning for cities across the
United States. She recently founded her own
firm, Madden Planning Group, and has been
teaching at the Harvard Graduate School of
Design since 2006. Her professional practice
focuses on regeneration of urban districts and
strengthening institutional campuses as centers
for learning, health, and economic development.
The role of urban institutions in economic development has been a central theme on recent
projects including medical and university
districts in Kansas City, Buffalo, Baltimore, and
Milwaukee.
Rocky Marcoux
Rocky Marcoux was appointed by Mayor Tom
Barrett to serve as commissioner of the
Department of City Development in 2004. Under
his direction, the department has focused its land
and economic development tools to leverage more than 11,000 jobs and strengthen
neighborhoods throughout Milwaukee. Rocky
has overseen the successful redevelopment of the
Menomonee Valley, the growth of companies
like Bucyrus International and Manpower, the
addition of a Milwaukee Job Corps Center to the
region, rehabilitation of the downtown Amtrak
Station, redevelopment of the Park East
Corridor, creation of a Neighborhood Business
Development Team to support entrepreneurs,
and launch of a large-scale project to put the 30th
Street Industrial Corridor back in business as a jobs generator. Rocky is an advocate for
Milwaukee's future and a passionate promoter of
the City's assets and opportunities.
Joseph Mariani, Jr.
Joseph Mariani, Jr. is the operations manager of
the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance
(HPOA), a non-profit organization that manages
both the Hollywood Entertainment District
(HED) and the Sunset & Vine Business
Improvement District. Joseph received his bachelor’s degree from the University of
California - Riverside and has been with the
HPOA since 2007. He has been instrumental in
the utilization of interactive technology
platforms for the BID’s security, maintenance
and marketing programs. Such service has
resulted in the optimization of the BID’s
resources and the creation of Hollywood’s first
way-finding website – NavigateHollywood.com.
Blair McBride
Blair McBride has been employed by Brantley Services, the parent company of Block by Block,
since 1994. Prior to his current role as executive
vice president, Blair served as Block by Block’s
business development manager. During this
time, he greatly expanded the number of
customers served by Block by Block. In his new
role, Blair has been charged with finding creative
new ways to deliver service, to further develop
Block by Block’s product offerings, to engage
customers to ensure quality, and to provide
oversight to the Block by Block corporate team responsible for daily operations. Blair holds a
bachelor’s degree from the University of
Louisville.
Midge McCauley
With her team at Downtown Works, the retail
consulting firm she founded, Margaret “Midge”
McCauley creates and implements sustainable
retail strategies that turn decaying urban zones
into vibrant, vital downtowns. She has been at the forefront of the metropolitan retail industry
since her days working with legendary retail
developer and real estate visionary Jim Rouse.
Midge’s method combines quantitative data,
such as demographics and psychographics, with
rigorous qualitative observation. She draws on
the resources and perspectives of retailers,
private developers, and others to help her clients
in cities nationwide successfully transform their
downtowns into dynamic environments that
serve the needs of everyone. Among other
appointments, Midge serves on the boards of both IDA and the Woodrow Wilson House
presidential museum.
Vicky McCormick
Vicky McCormick is the director of operations
for the Central City East Association (CCEA)
BID. CCEA currently manages three BIDs; the
Toy District, the Arts District, and the Industrial
District. Vicky administers the maintenance and
security which is comprised of approximately
50-60 contracted security and maintenance personnel. She is a retired Los Angeles Police
Department officer with 23 years of service. As a
Los Angeles police officer, she had many
assignments: training officer, narcotics officer,
self-defense and physical fitness instructor. Her
last assignment was that of a senior lead officer.
Sara Meaney
Sara Meaney is partner and left brain at Comet
Branding. Prior to joining Comet, she held
several marketing and communications
leadership positions, including VP of a communications agency, firm-wide head of
marketing for a leading national accounting firm,
managing director of marketing and
communications for a private equity/turnaround
investment company, and marketing director for
a startup biotech company, among others. She
has led national and international teams on both
sides of the client/agency fence to launch and
grow a myriad of business-to-business and
consumer brands across diverse industries. Sara
holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has completed
executive education programs at both Harvard
Business School and Kellogg School of
Management.
Tom Miller
Tom Miller received his bachelor’s degree in
architecture from the University of California-
Berkeley, and a master’s degree in architecture
from Columbia University. He is an associate
member of the American Institute of Architects and a member of the Construction Specifications
Institute and the National Trust for Historic
Preservation. Tom has worked in San Francisco,
at Skidmore Owings and Merrill in New York,
and Tokyo, employing his design skills while
learning a variety of approaches to creative
project delivery. Since Tom joined the Alexander
Company, he has been involved in the design
and construction of all of the Company’s most
significant developments. Tom’s superior
architectural design skills, knowledge of
structural and mechanical systems, and his knowledge of historic building codes and the
historic tax credit program requirements make
him an expert in multiple fields and a talented
project manager.
Michael L. Morgan
Michael L. Morgan was appointed secretary of
the Wisconsin Department of Administration in
2006. As secretary, he is responsible for
overseeing a cabinet agency involved in virtually
every aspect of public administration at the state level including the development of the state
budget and the provision of services to state
agencies. He has focused on the state's budget
challenges, working to lower state spending
through increased efficiencies while maintaining
priorities like education, health care and
economic development. Before coming to DOA,
he served as the secretary of the Department of
Revenue, where he played a vital role in
implementing a variety of tax reforms to support
middle class families and to grow and attract
businesses in Wisconsin. He also has significant experience with the City of Milwaukee, where he
worked on various development projects.
Elizabeth Nicols
Beth Nicols is the Chief Operating Officer for
Milwaukee Downtown, Business Improvement
District #21 and has more than 20 years of
management experience in the public, private
and not-for-profit sectors; 14 years experience
working for a board of directors with ongoing
organizational and community work; extensive knowledge and experience in implementing
downtown special events, projects and programs;
and strong, effective relationships with business
leaders, community based organizations,
government staff and elected officials. She is a
16 year member of the International Downtown
Association, serves as a director on that board
and also serves on a variety of other community
boards and committees.
Nancy O’Keefe
Nancy O’Keefe has served as the executive
director of the Historic Third Ward Association,
Inc. and Business Improvement District No. 2
since 1997. Nancy oversees the district
operations, which include two parking structures,
the Third Ward Riverwalk, streetscapes
improvements and the Milwaukee Public
Market. She also manages neighborhood events
such as the Summer Sizzle Jazz Festival,
Christmas in the Ward and the quarterly Gallery
Night and Day. Nancy serves on the City of Milwaukee BID No.2 Architectural Review
board, Friends of Lakeshore State Park board,
the Alliance for Downtown Parking and
Transportation board and is also a member of the
Summerfest Task Force, Collaborative
Downtown Marketing Group and Trolley Loop
Group.
Larisa Ortiz
Larisa Ortiz is principal of Larisa Ortiz
Associates, a consulting firm that supports communities in their commercial district
revitalization efforts. Their work includes
strategic planning, marketing and branding, retail
consulting, market research and demographic
analysis, and consensus building. Previously,
Larisa served as director of the Commercial
Markets Advisory Service, a national technical
assistance program of the Local Initiative
Support Corporation, the largest community
development intermediary in the nation. Larisa is
also publisher of the Commercial District
Advisor (www.commercialdistrictadvisor.com) the only national e-zine that focuses exclusively
on urban commercial district revitalization. It has
a national distribution of more than 3,000.
Jim Parker
Jim Parker is president and CEO of Digitell, Inc.,
a company that specializes in the digital
development of conference products and
services. Jim is a 30-year conference industry
veteran and frequent speaks to national
organizations on topics like the marketing and distribution of educational materials, green
initiatives, and virtual technology. Jim is known
throughout the conference industry for
pioneering numerous products and services,
including the first multimedia conference CD-
ROM, the first conference digital multimedia
library and his latest product release, avatar-
based virtual business environments. Digitell
provides services to more than 80 leading
organizations, and has serviced the world-renowned Chautauqua Institution for the past 24
years.
Rick Petri
Rick Petri is an attorney with Murphy Desmond
S.C. He has 29 years of experience representing
municipal and private clients and devotes his
practice to municipal law, alcohol beverage
regulations, land use, governmental relations,
employee discipline and related human resources
issues, mediation, and criminal and traffic
defense. Rick was very instrumental with the Downtown Hospitality Council Best Practices
Committee. His experience as the former City of
Madison attorney made him a perfect match for
the work at hand.
James Piwoni
James Piwoni, AIA, principal of James Piwoni
Architects & Planners, has practiced urban
design and architecture in Milwaukee for over 20
years. He is the co-author of the City of
Milwaukee’s Third Ward Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan and its Southeast Side Area
Plan. His architectural practice and professional
associations have produced award winning
public and private sector design projects.
Assignments have included work on commuter
and light rail initiatives, university campus
planning and facilities programming and design,
urban river walks and public spaces, and civic,
commercial and residential new construction and
renovation projects. Jim has specialized expertise
in adaptive reuse of urban loft buildings and
preparing design guidelines. He has been a member of the Historic Third Ward Architectural
Review Board since its inception in 1991.
David Raver
David Raver is the lighting designer for RDG
Planning & Design. He is the only member of
the International Association of Lighting
Designers in Iowa and one of seven Lighting
Certified Designers in the state. David brings an
expertise of combining aesthetics with current
technologies to create a fully functional, energy-efficient design that enhances the project.
David’s national reputation stems from extensive
product knowledge and his ability to maintain
specifications which benefit the overall project
and the owner. He is a Lighting Industry
Resource Council committee member. Eight of
David’s projects have received Silver, Gold, or
Platinum LEED® certification.
Stephanie Redman
Stephanie Redman, president of ReSurge, Inc.,
has 20 years’ experience in supporting and
advising organizations engaged in the
revitalization of traditional business districts.
Stephanie is a regular conference speaker and
trainer and a highly-skilled strategist and
planner. Her work addresses a variety of topics,
with special emphasis on organizational
structure, planning, management, and
governance. She regularly facilitates visioning
sessions, strategic planning processes, and
annual work plan development and provides trainings in organizational management.
Stephanie has consulted with and trained
revitalization organizations in more than 250
diverse communities in 41 states and
internationally.
Jacquie Reilly
Jacquie Reilly specializes in the development
and support of business-led partnerships and has
over 15 years’ experience in this field at local,
regional and national levels. She is BIDs director for the Association of Town Centre Management
(ATCM), heading up the National BIDs
Advisory Service, and leads the organization’s
work on BIDs in developing robust partnerships
and engaging with business and public bodies.
Jacquie joined the ATCM in 2002 to develop and
deliver the National BID Pilot, having gained
extensive experience of setting up and delivering
partnerships on the ground. She played a leading
role in shaping the BID legislation and wrote the
Good Practice Guide to BIDs signposted by
government.
Eric Robertson
Eric Robertson is the chief administrative officer
for the Center City Commission and is a native
Memphian. He is a graduate of University of
Memphis. Eric cofounded New Path, a political
action committee, in 2004. Since its inception,
New Path has successfully supported one
Memphis city councilman, and four of the nine
current Memphis City school board
commissioners in their candidacies. He has been recognized by the Memphis Business Journal
among its “Top 40 Under 40” and has also
received an Outstanding Alumni Award from the
University of Memphis’ College of Arts and
Sciences. He currently serves as the chairman of
the board of MPACT Memphis, the largest
young professional organization in the city.
Davis Rohrer
As executive director of the Downtown Development District, Davis Rhorer is
responsible for carrying out the mission of the
DDD to initiate, incubate, and support
partnerships that develop and enhance
Downtown Baton Rouge. In this capacity, he has
worked closely with the DDD board of directors,
private sector partners and local government to
revitalize Louisiana’s Capitol City, helping to
attract more than $1.7 billion in investments over
the last 20 years. Since the DDD was established
in 1987, Davis has served as a prominent leader
in the development of various plans and initiatives that have transformed the downtown
area. He is also currently engaged in Phase II of
Plan Baton Rouge.
Rebecca Ryan
Rebecca Ryan is an energetic entrepreneur and
the founder of Next Generation Consulting
(NGC), a research and consulting firm that helps
clients engage the next generation. NGC has
conducted interviews, focus groups, and surveys
with over 25,000 young professionals since 1998. Cities, states, arts organizations, and
companies use NGC’s research and applications
to attract and develop the next generation of
citizens, patrons, employees and customers.
Rebecca summarized her firm’s research in her
2007 book, Live First, Work Second: Getting
Inside the Minds of the Next Generation.
Jon Schallert
Jon Schallert is an internationally-recognized
speaker and small business expert who shows
businesses and communities how to become consumer destinations. He was born in
Wisconsin, raised in Colorado, and graduated
from the University of Colorado. For ten years,
Schallert worked for Hallmark Cards, where his
unique marketing strategies were publicized
throughout the company as the Schallert Method.
In 1996, he started his consulting firm, The
Schallert Group, Inc. His insight is frequently
tapped for national publications such as the Wall
Street Journal and Entrepreneur magazine. Jon
is the only consultant in the world to receive the “Top Motivator” marketing award from
Potentials magazine. He is a member of the
National Speakers Association, IDA, and the
National Main Street Network.
Scott Schuler
Scott Schuler has nearly three decades of
experience conducting retail and commercial real
estate research for clients in the Americas,
Caribbean and Europe. He was a pioneer in the field of psychographics, today a mainstay in
retail location research. To date, Scott has
completed studies in over 300 markets both
small and large. He recognizes and addresses the
challenges related to suburban competition,
merchant attraction and retention, and the
varying pressures exerted by population and
economic trends. Working for the Rouse
Company in the late 1970s, Scott was an integral
part of the team that spearheaded downtown
retail development. Since then, he has completed
retail market studies in more than 45 downtowns. Partnering with Downtown Works has enabled
him to carry his retail analyses from initial study
to implementation and ongoing evaluation.
Suzanne Schulz
Suzanne Schulz serves as the planning director
for the City of Grand Rapids, MI. Grand Rapids’
mayor is a vocal proponent of sustainability and
is advancing his community as a leader in this
area. Suzanne led the Green Grand Rapids
initiative and launched the Green Pursuits -- Special Challenge Edition community
engagement tool.
Mary Louise Schumacher
Mary Louise Schumacher, art and architecture
critic at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, is an
advocate for participatory journalism. She has
been generating a dialogue within the newsroom
and the community about the changing nature of
communication and the role of social media
tools. Art City, a multiplatform media presence
that incorporates a blog, Twitter, Facebook, video and multimedia collaborations with artists,
filmmakers and writers, recently won first place
in Multimedia Innovation from the American
Association of Sunday and Features Editors.
Schumacher earned the top award in competition
with some of the largest newspapers in the
country, including the Washington Post, Wall
Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and Los
Angeles Times.
Brad Segal
Brad Segal is the founder and president of
Progressive Urban Management Associates
(P.U.M.A.), a Denver-based real estate
economics consulting firm providing
management, marketing and economic
development services to advance downtown and
community development. The firm has served
more than 200 clients worldwide. Brad has more
than 25 years of downtown management and community development experience as both a
practitioner and consultant. He is one of the
nation’s leading authorities on downtown trends
and issues, strategic planning for organizations
involved in downtown and community
development, and creating BIDs. Brad holds a
master’s degree in business administration from
Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in
urban analysis from the University of California
at Berkeley. He has served on the boards of
directors of IDA and Downtown Colorado, Inc.
Kevin L. Shafer
Kevin L. Shafer became executive director at the
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
(MMSD) in March 2002. Prior to this role, he
served as MMSD’s director of technical services
since October 1998. In his current role as the
executive director, Kevin is responsible for the
overall management, administration, leadership
and direction for MMSD in meeting short- and
long-term goals and objectives; coordinates the
establishment of strategic goals and objectives and their approval by the Commission; oversees
the development of policies and operating plans;
and represents MMSD to its customers, bond
rating agencies, and the public. Kevin has been
instrumental in providing the regional leadership
in implementing green infrastructure in MMSD
facilities and on private property. This leadership
has resulted in a new development approach by
the communities and developers in the region.
Kent Smith
Kent Smith is the executive director of the LA Fashion District BID. Kent serves on the Project
Advisory Committee for the Los Angeles
Community Redevelopment Agency’s newly
created City Center Redevelopment Project. He
also serves on IDA’s board of directors. Kent
was previously president of the Forks North
Portage Partnership, an urban development
corporation, which leveraged over $250 million
in private and non-profit investments in
downtown Winnipeg, Canada. Under his
guidance, the Forks evolved into a popular tourist destination with a river walk and marina
on a national historic site, as well as the Forks
Public Market and an outdoor performance
center built for the 1999 Pan American Games.
Kent also worked for the City of Vancouver and
the City of Calgary, where he helped plan the
successful introduction of rapid transit systems
in those cities. He has a master’s degree in
environmental design from the University of
Calgary.
Tim Smith
Tim Smith has been the general manager of the
IC Milwaukee since 2007. Prior to moving to the
IC Milwaukee, Tim was the corporate director of
sales and marketing for Marcus Hotels and
Resorts in Milwaukee, which owns the IC.
During his time in that position, Marcus added
five properties to its portfolio. He has held
numerous sales and marketing positions within
his 20-year career with Marcus Corporation,
including director of sales and marketing at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center. Tim lives in
downtown Milwaukee with his wife, Peggy. He
is the president-elect of the Greater Milwaukee
Hotel Motel Association, the chair of the Visit
Milwaukee Convention Sales Committee, and is
a board member of BID 21 in Milwaukee and the
East Town Association in Milwaukee.
Susan Nigra Snyder
Susan Nigra Snyder is a registered architect
practicing with CivicVisions, based in Philadelphia. CivicVisions uses research,
analysis, and design to clarify community and
institutional values and goals in expressing
identity. Susan’s research investigates how local
identity is expressed, maintained, and able to
develop while being responsive to larger global
and media forces that affect the realms of
contemporary life. Her teaching over the last 20
years at the University of Pennsylvania includes
seminars and design studios that investigate the
forces of consumption on contemporary urban
form. She has received two University of Pennsylvania Research Foundation grants, and
has lectured and published widely on
contemporary processes of urban identity. Susan
is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and the
University of Pennsylvania.
Daniel Statema
Daniel Statema has been the president and
executive director of Downtown Sioux Falls for
nearly five years. Daniel was previously the
economic development director for Luverne, MN and the city planner for Janesville, MN.
Michael Stumpf
Michael Stumpf is a consultant in economic
development, market analysis, and community
planning. His portfolio includes more than 120
projects in 20 states, ranging from individual
sites to multi-million dollar developments. Michael has long been an advocate for
downtowns and neighborhood commercial
districts, and has specialized in finding and
planning economically-viable retail, office, and
mixed-use opportunities that let them compete in
a diverse marketplace. He is a past president and
current board member of the Wisconsin
Downtown Action Council and serves on the
board of the Mid-American Economic
Development Council.
Einar Tangen
Einar Tangen spent more than a decade helping
to develop Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward,
serving as both president and chairman of the
partnering non-profit Historic Third Ward
Association and BID No.2. He is currently the
president of the technology companies I-MCF
and E-TECH as well as the foreign technology
adviser for Heilongjiang Province, China and
Hebei Province, QEDTZ and lecturer for the
Beijing Center and Peking University. Einar also
writes a biweekly column, “The Dragon Dispatches,” for BIZ Times. He has served as
chairman of the State of Wisconsin International
Trade Council, the City of Milwaukee’s Public
Debt Commission, and the City of Milwaukee
Board of Zoning Appeals.
Julia Taylor
Julia Taylor was appointed as the first woman
president of the Greater Milwaukee Committee
in 2002. The GMC fosters public-private
partnerships and is a catalyst for economic
revitalization, education and quality of life as well as promoting collaboration on regional
issues. The GMC membership is comprised of
185 CEOs and other leaders in various sectors
including business, education, labor, and
philanthropy. Julia was the president of the
YWCA of Greater Milwaukee for 16 years. She
serves on the boards of the University Club, the
Governor’s Council of Workforce Investment,
VISIT Milwaukee and the Spirit of Milwaukee
and is co-chair of the United Performing Arts
Fund’s 2009 campaign.
George E. Thomas, Ph.D.
George E. Thomas is a historian practicing with
CivicVisions, based in Philadelphia. George’s
research investigates how regional history is
expressed in contemporary life. He also teaches
at the University of Pennsylvania, where his
courses in urban studies and historic preservation
seek to convey the interconnection between
history and patterns of modern life. George was the principal author of Frank Furness: The
Complete Works; Building America’s First
University: An Architectural and Historical
Guide to the University of Pennsylvania; William
L. Price: From Arts and Crafts to Modern and
the forthcoming architectural and cultural guide
to eastern Pennsylvania under the aegis of the
Society of Architectural Historians Buildings of
the United States series. He is a graduate of
Dickinson College and the University of
Pennsylvania.
Patrick Thompson
Patrick Thompson came to the Downtown
Development District in New Olreans in 2001 as
a ranger. He became public safety coordinator in
2005. In his current position as public safety
manager, his areas of focus are overseeing the
public safety rangers, managing police detail
contracts, increasing code compliance
downtown, and mitigating New Orleans’
homelessness downtown. Patrick serves on the
board of the Lafayette Square Conservancy and is active in the CBD Security Professionals
Association as well as the Greater New Orleans
Hotel and Lodging Security Directors
Association. Prior to his work at the DDD,
Patrick worked as a promotions director for both
WCKW and WEZB radio stations in addition to
freelance television production. He is a graduate
of the University of New Orleans. He and his
wife, Pallie, have two young children.
Steve Thompson
Steve Thompson has over 34 years in the recycling industry, 23 of which were with
Reynolds Aluminum Recycling Company prior
to its sale to Wise Metals in 1998. Since that
time, he has worked as a consultant for the
Aluminum Association. He is currently program
director for the Curbside Value Partnership.
This program is designed to boost participation
in residential curbside programs and to share best
practices of those programs among the
practitioners. Since January 2009, CVP has been
aligned with Keep America Beautiful. Steve is a member of the Board of Directors of the
Southeast Recycling Development Council, as
well as a past member of the Virginia Recycling
Markets Development Council. Steve has a well-
balanced base of experience with operations,
marketing and strategic planning assignments
over his career.
Elizabeth Via
Elizabeth Via is director of community development for the City of Manassas, VA. She
manages the day-to-day operations for the City’s
planning, zoning, historic preservation,
economic development and neighborhood
services programs. She has 20 years experience
in land use planning, historic preservation, and
economic development. She has worked
throughout the state in planning offices in Prince
William County, Henrico County and the City of
Hampton. She is a past president of the Virginia
Chapter of the American Planning Association
and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. She holds a master’s degree
in urban and regional planning from George
Washington University and a bachelor’s degree
in historic preservation from Mary Washington
College. She is also an instructor in land use
planning for the Engineers & Surveyors Institute
and the Prince William Association of Realtors.
Kurt Weigle
Kurt Weigle is president and CEO of the
Downtown Development District of New Orleans (DDD), where he has been instrumental
in attracting over $2 billion of new investments
during the last two years. He is a board member
of CBNO/MAC, the New Orleans Medical
Complex (NORMC), the New Orleans Police &
Justice Foundation, IDA, and the National New
Markets Fund. He is an associate member of the
Urban Land Institute. Kurt earned his master’s
degree in urban planning from the University of
Michigan.
Michael Weiss
Michael Weiss is the executive director of the
MetroTech BID in Downtown Brooklyn. The
BID has won numerous awards, including the
2001 IDA’s Achievement Award for Downtown
Management and the New York City Department
of Small Business Services Neighborhood
Development ShopABLE Award. Prior to
assuming his current position, Mike served for
ten years as chief of staff and deputy
commissioner for administration at the New
York City Department of Transportation, where he managed a variety of functions including the
agency budget, personnel, press, community
affairs and vehicle maintenance and repair. He is
a past president, and currently serves on the Past
President’s Council, of the International
Downtown Association. He is a founder and
chairman of the board of the Brooklyn Technical
High School Alumni Association.
James Wells
James Wells is vice president of the Midwest
Region for Block by Block, a provider of safety,
cleaning and hospitality services to improvement
districts across the country. In his role James is
responsible for providing quality assurance,
guidance, and direction to the safe and clean
programs comprising the Midwest region. Before
joining the Block by Block corporate staff he
served as the operations manager assigned to the
Louisville Downtown Management District's
Safety and Clean Team. James holds a bachelor's
degree in Marketing from Indiana University.
John D. Williams
John D. Williams began his career in the hotel
business in 1978 in Dayton, OH with Stouffer
Hotels and Resorts. He worked with Stouffer /
Renaissance Hotels in Cleveland, Boston,
Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City,
Washington, D.C., and St. Petersburg, FL until
2000. In April 2000, he joined Marcus Hotels
and Resorts at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee,
WI. He transferred to Oklahoma City in early 2006 to open the Skirvin Hilton. He has been
married to his wife, Deborah, for 27 years and
they have a daughter and son.
Jim Yanchula
Jim Yanchula is manager of urban design and
community development in the planning
department of Windsor, ON. His section’s
portfolio of responsibilities includes preparing
and revising the city’s Official Plan, Community
Improvement Plans, downtown revitalization,
acting as the city’s point of first contact for nine BIAs, and implementing the community’s
agenda of urban design activities known as
WindsorSEEN. From 1995-2003, Jim was
Windsor's City Centre revitalization manager,
working on key projects like the design of
Ontario's first commercial casino, the relocation
of Chrysler Canada's head office to downtown
Windsor, and riverfront development. He also
has held positions in provincial government,
urban design consulting, and as a sessional
lecturer at the Universities of Waterloo.
Tamara Zahn
Tamara Zahn has been president of Indianapolis
Downtown, Inc. (IDI) since 1993. Since forming
IDI, she has been instrumental in the
revitalization of Downtown Indianapolis and the
introduction of a number of innovative security,
parking, business improvement and marketing
programs and partnerships. Tamara was
previously the principal of Zahn Associates, a consulting firm specializing in urban
development. She has consulted in downtowns
throughout the U.S. Clients include Simon
Property Group, the Rouse Company’s American
City Corporation, and the Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey. She serves on the boards
of the Children’s Museum, Coalition for
Homelessness Intervention and Prevention and
IDA.
2009 Downtown Achievement Awards
New for this year, the Downtown Achievement Awards saw a significant revamping. In addition
to reducing the categories from 15 to eight to add value to the awards, we standardized the
criteria and created an award for those projects that meet the minimum criteria: The Award of
Distinction. This award indicates that those projects submitted meet what IDA considers to be a
standard of excellence in downtown and urban development and management.
This year we honor the following as Award of Distinction Winners:
Award of Distinction
Marketing, Communications and Events
1. Downtown Albany, NY: Quadricentennial Calendar
2. Baltimore, MD: Waterfront Invasion 3. Downtown Cheyenne , WY: Boots Walker Campaign
4. City of Clearwater, FL: Cleveland Street District Marketing
5. City of Columbia, SC: Urban Tour
6. Crystal City, Arlington, VA: Green Scene 7. Delray Beach, FL: Savor the Avenue
8. City of Edmonton, Alberta: BRZ Handbook
9. Forth Worth, TX: Molly the Trolley 10. Hollywood, CA: Navigate Hollywood.com
11. Downtown Houston, TX: Downtown Magazine
12. Jacksonville, FL: Make a Scene Downtown 13. Downtown Milwaukee, WI: Battle of the Chefs
14. Norfolk, VA: Restaurant Week Brand Campaign
15. City of Orlando, FL: Gibson Presents Guitar Town Orlando
16. Downtown Pittsburgh, PA: Downtown Living Exposed 17. Richmond, VA: Downtown Loft Tour of Image Marketing
18. Sacramento, CA: Dine Downtown Restaurant Week
19. St. Paul, MN: Saint Paul Staycation 20. Downtown Santa Monica, CA: Ice at Santa Monica
21. Downtown Ventura, CA: Virtual Ventura
22. Transportation and Sustainable Development
23. Downtown Billings, MT: Wayfinding and Historic District Walking Tour 24. Boise, ID: Parking Rate Assessment Process
25. Downtown Denver, CO: Get Downtown UnConventionally
26. Downtown Houston, TX: Dallas Street Improvement 27. Lexington, KY: Downtown Streetscape Master Plan
28. Lower Manhattan, NY: Downtown Connection
Public Space 1. City of Anaheim, CA: The Muzeo
2. Brant Park Corporation, NY: Brant Park Winter Programming
3. Charlottetown, PEI: Adopt a Corner 4. City of San Antonio, TX: Main Plaza: The Heart of the City
5. St. Louis Metro Area, MO: Old Post Office Plaza
6. Vancouver, WA: Turtle Place 7. City of West Palm Beach, FL: City Center
8. Wilmington, NC: “Ped Art” Program
9. Winnipeg’s West End, Manitoba: BIZ Mural Program
Economic and Business Development
1. Austin, TX: Downtown Austin Retail Initiative
2. Cleveland, OH: Hanna Theatre Re-Imagination 3. Eau Claire, WI: Jump Start Downtown
4. Downtown Los Angeles, CA: Demographic Study
5. Downtown Oklahoma City, OK: Skirvin Hotel Renaissance 6. City of Orlando, FL: The Paramount at Lake Eola
7. City of Orlando, FL: The Downtown Orlando Plaza
8. San Francisco Chinatown, CA: Chinatown Economic Action Plan
Planning
1. Dayton, OH: Strategic Building Re-Us Project
2. Fort Wayne, IN: Blueprint/Harrison Square 3. Greenwich South, Lower Manhattan, NY: Greenwich South Study
4. Missoula, MT; Greater Downtown Missoula Master Plan
5. Raleigh, NC: Livable Street Plan 6. Red Deer, Alberta: Making Progress, Seeing Potential – Greater Downtown Action Plan
7. San Antonio, TX: River North Master Plan
8. Virginia Beach, VA: Oceanfront Strategic Master Plan
Downtown Leadership and Management
1. Baton Rouge, LA: Arts & Entertainment District
2. Downtown Denver, CO: 2008 Democratic National Convention 3. Long Beach, CA: A Focus for Leadership and Development
4. Los Angeles City BIDS, CA: LA BID Consortium Formalizes and Gains City Council
Support
We also offer the Individual Achievement Award, for those who not only meet IDA’s high
standards, but go above and beyond to represent a true symbol of what it means to be a leader
in downtown communities and all those influenced by downtowns.
This year’s winner is... You’ll have to attend the Monday, September 14 General Session at
8:00 a.m. to find out!
Another new award beginning in 2009 is the Dan Sweat Lifetime Achievement award, named
after the man known for downtown innovations, leadership and generosity. It can truly be said that Dan Sweat transformed the profession of downtown executive. He set the standard for
moving downtown organizations beyond promotion and marketing to truly effective advocacy,
leadership and problem-solving through public-private partnerships. Among his initiatives were
the creation of an intown neighborhood housing corporation and spearheading of an effort to rebuild a burned out day care center in the heart of a public housing project. Through his
mentorship and example, Dan influenced a whole new generation of IDA executives across the
country. He served as Chair of the organization from 1978-79.
Dan passed away earlier this year and receives the award named for him posthumously on
stage Monday, Sept 14 during the 8:00 a.m. General Session.
Lastly, our highest honor is the new Pinnacle Award. These projects stand out as extraordinary
and represent the best of the best of what IDA considers the ultimate in downtown management
and urban development. This year, the Pinnacle Award goes to:
Pinnacle Winners 1. Oklahoma City, OK: Riverfront (Recognized Sunday Sept 13 during 8:00 a.m. General
Session)
2. City of San Antonio, TX: Luminaria (Recognized Sunday Sept 13 during 8:00 a.m. General Session)
3. Cedar Rapids, IA: Finding Opportunity from Disaster (Recognized Monday Sept 14
during 8:00 a.m. General Session)
4. Long Beach, CA: Bike Initiative(Recognized Sunday Sept 13 during 2:00 p.m. General Session)
5. Pittsburgh (Oakland), PA: Schenley Plaza (Recognized Sunday Sept 13 during 2:00
p.m. General Session)