This is a full-time, exempt position requiring 40 hours per week. Standard work hours are Monday through Friday 9 AM to 5 PM, but flexibility will be required to accommodate evening and weekend events and activities. There will also be opportunities for travel.

Salary range will be $40,000-$50,000, dependent on experience, with 30-60-90 day and annual reviews with opportunities for salary increases based on performance.

Objectives

The Executive Director (ED) reports to the Board of Directors and will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for Claremore Main Street's programs, expansion, and execution of its mission. They will initially develop deep knowledge of field, core programs, operations, and business plans. Additionally, the ED will coordinate activities within the downtown or commercial district revitalization program that utilizes historic preservation as an integral foundation for downtown economic development. The ED is responsible for the development, conduct, execution, and documentation of the Main Street program and 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. In addition, the ED should help guide the organization as its objectives evolve.

Responsibilities

Administration:

•   Manage all administrative aspects of the Main Street program, including purchasing, record keeping, budget development, accounting, preparing all reports required by the Oklahoma Main Street Center 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 Claremore Main Street’s board of directors, district economic development strategies that are based on historic preservation and utilize the community’s human and economic resources.
•   Become familiar with all persons and groups directly and indirectly involved in the district. Mindful of the roles of various community interest groups, assist the Main Street program’s board of directors and committees in developing an annual action plan for implementing a district revitalization program focused on four areas: design/historic preservation, promotion and marketing; organization/management; and economic restructuring/development.
•   Utilizing the Main Street program format, develop and maintain data systems to track the progress of the local Main Street program. These systems should include economic monitoring, individual building files, photographic documentation of physical changes, and statistics on job creation and business retention
•   Ensure ongoing local programmatic excellence, rigorous program evaluation, and consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, and systems; recommend timelines and resources needed to achieve the strategic goals
•   Ensure effective systems to track progress, and regularly evaluate program components, so as to measure successes that can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents

Leadership:

•   Actively engage and energize Claremore Main Street volunteers, board members, committees, partnering organizations, and funders
•   Develop, maintain, and support a strong Board of Directors; seek and build board involvement with strategic direction for ongoing local operations.
•   Serve as ex-officio of each Main Street program committee and coordinate the activity of the committees, ensuring communication among committees is well established; assist committee volunteers with implementation of work plan items
•   Encourage a cooperative climate among district interests and local public officials. Strengthen the district community’s ability to carry out joint activities such as promotional events, advertising, appropriate store hours, special events, business assistance, business recruitment, parking management, etc.

Communications:

•   Deepen and refine all aspects of communications—from web presence to external relations with the goal of creating a stronger brand
•   Develop and conduct on-going public awareness and education programs designed to enhance appreciation of the district’s assets and to foster an understanding of the Main Street program’s goals and objectives. Use speaking engagements, media interviews, and personal appearances to keep the program in the public eye
•   Help build strong and productive relationships with appropriate public agencies at the local and state levels
•   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
•   Work with district merchants on Main Street program 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 the district; 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 district

Fundraising:

Planning & New Business:

•   Expand local revenue generating and fundraising activities to support existing program operations and future expansion
•   Use external presence and relationships to garner new opportunities
•   Design and complete strategic business planning process for program expansion
•   Begin to build partnerships in new markets, establishing relationships with the funders, and political and community leaders in the community
•   Be an external local presence that publishes and communicates program results with an emphasis on the successes of the local program

Resource Management:

•   Supervise any necessary temporary or permanent employees, as well as professional consultants
•   Participate in personnel and project evaluations
•   Maintain local Main Street records and reports, establish technical resource files and libraries, and prepare regular reports for the Oklahoma Main Street Center and the National Main Street Center
•   Monitors annual program budget and maintain financial records

Qualifications

The ED will be thoroughly committed to Claremore Main Street's mission. All candidates should have proven organization and relationship management experience. Specific requirements include:

 Education and/or experience in one or more of the following areas: commercial district management, economics, finance, public relations, planning, business administration, public administration, retailing, volunteer or non-profit administration, architecture, historic preservation, and/or small business development

 Commitment to quality programs and data-driven program evaluation

•   Sensitivity to design and preservation issues and must understand the issues confronting district businesspeople, property owners, public agencies, and community organizations
•   Past success working with a Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate existing board member relationships
•   Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures
•   Strong written and verbal communication skills; excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills
•   Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, well-organized, adaptable, and innovative approach to business planning
•   Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people
•   Passionate, energetic, and imaginative with integrity and a positiveattitude
•   Mission-driven, self-directed and capable of functioning effectively in anindependent environment
•   Proficient in Microsoft Suite and Zoom
•   Supervisory skills are desirable

To Apply

 Please email resume and cover letter to mainstreet@claremore.org by 5:00 pm on August 30, 2024.