Madison Main Street Program

MMSP News

Madison Main Street Program hires Executive Director

The Madison Main Street Program has hired Nancy Gruner of Madison to serve as part-time Executive Director of the Program.
Before becoming executive director, Gruner sat on the Madison Main Street Board of Directors from 1996-2000 and 2004-2008, serving as President of the Board for over 3 of those years. She is the owner of two downtown businesses, Whimsy and The Good Life, and with her husband and four children has lived in Madison for 14 years. Gruner earned an MBA from the University of Minnesota and a BA in Social Studies/History Education from St. Olaf College.

Board President Gerry Reilly praised Gruner’s background, knowledge and skills. “She is more than qualified and we are very lucky to have her not only as our Executive Director but as a neighbor in our community.”

“This is a big step for the Program. People have been waiting a long time for an Executive Director to lead Madison’s Main Street Program again and I am thrilled for the opportunity,” Gruner said.

New board members

The Madison Main Street Program welcomed five new board members in 2008. They include Debbie Armstrong, Wanda Gross, Corey Murphy, Heidi Valco and Linda Wenning; they join current board members Bob Ems, Ann Lostutter, Jason Pattison, Gerry Reilly and Jerry Yarnetsky. Newly elected officers are Gerry Reilly, President; Heidi Valco, Vice President/Secretary; and Linda Wenning, Treasurer.

What we do

The Madison Main Street Program is dedicated to the revitalization of downtown Madison’s historic commercial district. It promotes the fun of being downtown through the summer music concert series, Music in the Park, and other events including Cars on Main and Light Up Madison. It also offers services and library resources on business, historic preservation and design. Major projects this year include leading the City Branding project in cooperation with the City of Madison, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Madison Area Chamber of Commerce, MIDCOR, the Lanier, and Historic Madison Inc., as well as planning the major event week for the City’s 2009 Bicentennial.

Our history

Madison’s Main Street Program has a nationally significant history. In 1977 Madison was chosen, along with Galesburg, Illinois and Hot Springs, South Dakota, to serve as a pilot city for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Project. The Project was in response to the economic devastation plaguing so many American downtowns. The Project developed comprehensive redevelopment strategies that have help many cities revitalize their historic downtowns.

Nationally, Main Street’s economic impact has been tremendous. From 1980 to 2002, Main Street communities have seen a cumulative net reinvestment of $17 billion, with an average reinvestment of $9.5 million in each community. More than 57,000 net new businesses and 231,000 net new jobs have been created, with the average cost of a job created only $2,394. In fact, with each dollar spent on operating a local program generating an average of $40.35 in return to the community, Main Street has become the most cost efficient economic development program in the country.

For more information or to volunteer

For more information about the Madison Main Street Program, or to volunteer, please visit our website, www.madisonmainstreet.com, email us at information@madisonmainstreet.com or stop by our offices at 132 E. Main St.