One year ago, I stole a joke from Noreen Rueckert, the director of Green County Tourism, about getting along with the rest of the staff because we are both an office of one. I used it to open a self-interview. I do not have another joke, at least not a good one fit for print, but I am excited to do another self-interview.
Why am I excited to do this?
Every month, someone will bring up this column, and I’m grateful to the Times for the opportunity to share about Main Street. When I did the interview, I had many people tell me that they learned a lot about Main Street and nonprofit work specifically.
What am I looking forward to this year?
A lot! Twenty twenty-five is our 20th anniversary as an organization. We are working on doing justice to all the work that has occurred over the past 20 years. Our calendar will look as full as ever, but I want to hit pause in a way that we can celebrate. I am also excited to highlight, however ironically, some of the more fun things from 2005 like popped collars, cargo shorts, and Harry Potter!
Are any new events planned for 2025?
I think we have done a good job of adding events in a way that they can grow and we can sustain them. The wine walks, art walk, and now, Cheese Drop, will continue to be on our calendar for a long time.
But with it being our 20th anniversary, we want to offer a few “pop up” events. Be on the lookout for a concert slightly off the square next month and things through the end of the year. There has to be a big cake at some point, right?
How has the first part of the year started?
We’re lining things up!
First, we will have the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Monday, March 17th. I’m excited that many of Skip Brennan’s children will be grand marshals this year. Skip was one of the founders of Monroe’s parade and passed shortly after last year’s parade.
I’ve also spent time working with individual business owners. As I reflect on the past 20 years of my life, and specifically the 10 years with Main Street, I am in awe of the continuous changes, especially those that happen behind the scenes. It’s especially true as businesses change hands and entrepreneurs work to bring an idea to reality.
Main Street Monroe exists to serve the businesses downtown. Just this past week, I had two meetings with Green County Development Corporation — a phenomenal community partner — about securing funding for new business owners.
The city has also partnered with us to activate the empty lot on the southeast corner of the square. The goal is to have it be temporary, but it affords us the opportunity to bring back many of the great parts of when we had it as a community garden.
Who are Main Street’s community partners?
There are too many to list! That’s not hyperbole. I would be over the wordcount for this by a few hundred words. When we were confirming who to send thank you notes to for the NYE Cheese Drop, we had 50 groups, businesses, and individuals to thank. The community support is exceptional. There are so many great people doing great things. The opportunity to partner and maximize resources is a continual motivator for me.
How does my job work with the state main street program?
Wisconsin has one of the best state programs in the country. They provide so many technical resources and they’re based on what the communities’ needs are in that year. I report to a local board of directors, and we are entirely locally funded, but the state requires monthly reporting and handles the annual program accreditation process.
Just last week I sat on a roundtable discussion in Evansville on downtown design elements and next week I will be a featured speaker on a statewide webinar on business improvement districts.
With 34 Main Street programs across the state, it’s a wonderful network that is truly collaborative.
What’s the one thing that surprises people about my job?
Not directly related, but I’ve covered six different shops over the past years. If you see me behind a register, don’t be too surprised! I love talking to customers.
— Jordan Nordby is the executive director for Main Street Monroe. He can be reached at MonroeMainStreet@tds.net. Complete details on Main Street Monroe and its efforts can be found at mainstreetmonroe.org.
