Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC) is seeking nominations and applications for its next Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Founded nearly 20 years ago, by visionary business leaders, CMSC has served as the State’s central resource for downtown revitalization and management, providing technical support, regional cooperation, training and networking to 75 members (representing nearly 2 million residents), as well as a broad array of public and private leaders across Connecticut. Fulfilling a mission to be the catalyst that ignites Connecticut’s Main Streets as the cornerstone of thriving communities, CMSC has created a variety of signature programs and engagement opportunities to support creative redevelopment of once thriving downtowns.
In an era of persistent state budget shortfalls, CMSC offers an opportunity and pathway for building economic prosperity across its member towns and statewide. Recognizing the potential return on investment, innovative state and private leaders have helped propel CMSC forward by underwriting programs including Come Home to Downtown, Preservation of Place, Main Street Forums for the 21st Century, an annual Awards Gala, and Transit Oriented Development Initiatives. Through these efforts, CMSC supports downtowns, town centers and mixed-use neighborhoods across the State, from helping to define a community’s vision for its future, to understanding how to facilitate a mixed-use community or creating a plan to help local businesses recover from disaster.
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will be responsible for leading and managing all aspects of the organization, and for inspiring confidence from internal and external stakeholders. The CEO will serve as an engaging ambassador, fostering and developing deep relationships with key funders, partners, advocates, and political entities, at the local, state and national levels. Combining a personal passion for downtown revitalization with a dedication to operational and programmatic excellence, and exceptional communication skills, this individual will lead CMSC’s efforts to become a transformative organization, a statewide champion, and a national model of large-scale systemic change.
The ideal candidate will be a seasoned leader in community and economic development, downtown revitalization, and the process of transforming and growing organizations, with a natural ability to form and advance coalitions and strategic partnerships. S/he must be passionate about the powerful potential of twenty-first century downtowns, with a sophisticated understanding of the complexities and interdependencies of economics, real estate development, health, sustainability, land use, transportation, and inclusion, and how the health and economic vitality of Main Streets are inextricably linked to each of those systems.