Executive Director

Who We Are:

Uptown Partnership is a stakeholder-led historic commercial district revitalization organization utilizing the Main Street Approach to attract investment and renewal in Uptown, Martinsville, VA. Our mission is to create a vibrant, attractive, adaptive, and charming Uptown District that is welcoming to visitors, residents, and investors by: increasing the stock of high-quality housing options; championing the development of diverse businesses, entertainment, and dining options; supporting the rehabilitation of existing buildings and appropriate infill; and building a vibrant, inclusive community identity through frequent communications, support of Uptown marketing, events and promotions. Our executive staff and active board work in collaborative partnership with the community, the City of Martinsville and Henry County governments, the Harvest Foundation, and the Department of Housing & Community Development. More information can be found at www.uptownpartnership.com.

Work Objectives:

The Uptown Partnership executive director is the lead coordinator of activities within the Uptown Martinsville commercial district revitalization program that utilizes the national Main Street Approach as an integral foundation for uptown economic development. They are responsible for the development, conduct, execution, and documentation of the organization and its programs. The executive director is the principal on-site staff person responsible for coordinating all program activities and volunteers, as well as representing the community regionally and nationally as appropriate. The ED position has an anticipated hire date of May 1, 2023. Salary range is $60,000 - $70,000. Review of application materials will begin on March 15, 2023. Uptown Partnership recently retained a consulting firm to develop a comprehensive Community Vision Plan. The Vision Plan is now in the activation phase and the ED will provide significant leadership in guiding community-led initiatives in the execution of strategically selected aspects of the Vision Plan.

Uptown Partnership has been accepted into the Virginia Main Street’s Mobilizing Main Street Program. As part of a two-year cohort program, the ED will lead efforts and participate in meetings and engagements to steward UP’s journey through this program including the stewardship of committees related to the Main Street Program’s four pillars of economic vitality, design, promotions, and organization. Additionally, the ED will lead the board in fundraising efforts and be pivotal in the formation and maintenance of relationships with city, business, and committee entities in the revitalization of Uptown Martinsville as a community and economic asset.

Full Range of Duties to be Performed:

The director should carry out the following tasks:

• Coordinate the activity of the Uptown Partnership program committees, ensuring that communication among committees is well established; assist committee volunteers with development and implementation of work plan items.
• Manage all administrative aspects of the Uptown Partnership, including purchasing, record keeping, budget development, accounting, preparing all reports required by the Virginia Main Street program and by the National Main Street Center, assisting with the preparation of reports to funding agencies, and supervising employees or consultants.
• Develop, in conjunction with the Uptown Partnership’s board of directors, uptown economic development strategies that are based on the Main Street Approach and utilize the community’s human and economic resources. Become familiar with all persons and groups directly and indirectly involved in Uptown. Mindful of the roles of various uptown interest groups, assist the Uptown Partnership’s board of directors and committees in developing an annual action plan for implementing an uptown revitalization program focused on four areas: design; promotion; organization; and economic vitality.
• Develop and conduct ongoing public awareness and education activities designed to enhance and promote an understanding and appreciation of Uptown Martinsville’s assets and foster an understanding of Uptown Partnership’s organizational goals and objectives. Use speaking engagements, appropriate social media, traditional media opportunities, interviews, and any other sources, including small group and one-to-one interactions to keep the organization and its activities and successes in the public eye.
• Assist individual tenants or property owners with physical improvement projects through personal consultation or by obtaining professional design consultants; assist in locating appropriate contractors and materials; provide advice and guidance on necessary financial mechanisms for physical improvements.
• Assess the management capacity of major uptown organizations and encourage improvements in the uptown community’s ability to carry out joint activities such as promotional events, advertising, appropriate store hours, special events, business assistance, business recruitment, parking management, and so on. Provide advice and information on successful uptown management. Encourage a cooperative climate among uptown interests and local public officials.
• Advise uptown merchants’ organizations and/or chamber of commerce retail committees on Uptown Partnership activities and goals; help coordinate joint promotional events, such as festivals or business promotions, to improve the quality and success of events and attract people to uptown; work closely with local media to ensure maximum coverage of promotional activities; encourage design excellence in all aspects of promotion to advance an image of quality for the uptown.
• Help build strong and productive relationships with appropriate public agencies at the local and state levels.
• Utilizing the Main Street program format, develop and maintain data systems to track the progress of the Uptown Partnership. These systems should include economic monitoring, individual building files, photographic documentation of physical changes, and statistics on job creation and business retention.
• Represent the community to important constituencies at the local, state, and national levels. Speak effectively on the program’s directions and work, mindful of the need to improve state and national economic development policies as they relate to commercial districts.
• Develop and maintain relationships with regional and local developers and potential investors in Uptown properties to help drive initiatives focused on housing stock, community economic development, and launching community businesses.

Resource Management Responsibilities:

The executive director supervises any necessary temporary or permanent employees, as well as professional consultants. They will participate in personnel and project evaluations. The executive director maintains Uptown Partnership records and reports, establishes technical resource files and libraries, and prepares regular reports for the Virginia Main Street program and the National Main Street Center.

The executive director monitors the annual program budget and maintains financial records.

Experience, Job Knowledge and Skills Required:

The executive director should have experience leading Main Street revitalization organizations of rural towns/cities with population over 10,000 people but not exceeding 75,000. The executive director should have education and/or experience in several of the following areas: commercial district management, economics, finance, public relations, planning, business administration, public administration, volunteer or non-profit administration, architecture, and/or small business development. The executive director must be sensitive to local design and preservation issues and must understand the issues confronting uptown businesses, property owners, public agencies, and community organizations.

The director must be entrepreneurial, collaborative, energetic, imaginative, be able to creatively solve problems, well organized and capable of functioning effectively in an independent environment.

The director must possess strong people and relationship skills. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential.

Ongoing Performance Assessments:

The executive director shall meet periodically with the Board president to review performance against the director’s job description. Annually the Board President will solicit performance input from partnering organizations, Virginia Main Street staff, significant funding sources, and the residential and business community within the Uptown district.

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Interested candidates should send a letter of interest and resume to:

info@uptownpartnership.com. Questions should be directed likewise. Salary range is $60,000 - $70,000.

‍Application review will begin on March 15, 2023.

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