The Winds of Change Are Indeed A-Blowin'

Editor's Note: This week the Michigan Main Street Center @ MSHDA welcomed Jamie Schriner-Hooper to the team as our new Organization Specialist. We are thrilled to have her. She shares her thoughts on the move in this week's post.

By Jamie Schriner-Hooper
Organization Specialist
Michigan Main Street Center
Michigan State Housing Development Authority

So, Joe took my idea for a title with his Ch-ch-ch-Changes idea. Granted, I wouldn’t have thought of something as clever as that (have to do a bit of sucking up my first week), but my first blog idea is also all about changes. (Editor’s Note: Nancy Finegood actually named her own blog post last week, but the sucking up is always appreciated. However, I will take full credit, or blame, for this post's title.)

As you may or may not know, I’ve come to the Michigan Main Street Center from Old Town Lansing. I was one of the infamous “Main Street Managers” who works so hard to transform a community from blighted and scary to funky and fabulous. I was in my position about four years, in which time I became extremely attached to my community.

So, why you ask, make a move to the State and leave Old Town? Well, as I’m sure you can imagine, there were a number of reasons, but what rises up to the top is that it was time for a change. For those of you who work on a Main Street program, you know what I’m talking about when I say your community becomes your life. A main street manager’s role is cheerleader, garbage man, accountant and counselor – all at once. I literally had my family surrounding me in Old Town with my husband, two sisters and best friend all within a two-block span of my office. However, there comes a time in your life that you really probably should take a step back, have a few weekends to yourself and share what you do, both right and wrong, with other communities. It was time for me to pass the reigns on to another lover of Old Town, who luckily enough, happens to be one of my past interns and a wonderful person.

Now I have the opportunity to share with the Main Street Managers and communities all of the things that I always wanted to do, but simply never had the time. I’m here to provide resources, the good reference materials and any support you need. Now I’m able to go through the many mountains of reference material I’ve collected through the years that I fully intended to read, but just created dusty mountains. I’ll be able to save you that time and effort and get you the stuff that I believe to be most valuable. I’ll be working with each of your communities, gathering the things that worked well, and the things that you wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole, and provide those helpful tidbits to you and your committees.

What about those of you who aren’t a Main Street Manager or volunteer or don’t yet have a Main Street program in your community? I’m here to tell you all of the many reasons you should be working on a Main Street program and improving your community. I’ll come to you, talk to your community and the naysayers and show them how so many communities across the country are breathing new life into their downtowns. Believe me, you can’t argue with the statistics. They are impressive. Plus, this is a great way to quiet the people who always say “they should really do ____ to fix up the downtown.” We all know that you have no right to complain about things if you’re not making the effort to improve things. Main Street will get them involved. Even if you’ve tried things in the past and they didn’t quite work, try, try again. The times they are a changin’ and if you’re not on board to make sure that they’re changing in the right direction, you may end up with a downtown that looks like a ghost town or an Alpine village with everyone shopping at WalMart.

Long story short, I’m full of random ideas, resources and energy and am here to help. I look forward to working with each and every one of you and hearing your many crazy ideas!