Executive Director

Downtown Sanford, Inc (DSI). seeks an energetic, innovative professional to promote our downtown area and manage our state and nationally accredited Main Street program. DSI is a 501c3 private non-profit organization managed by a 13-member board of directors. It is under contract with the City of Sanford as a third-party agency receiving Municipal Service District (MSD) tax dollars as compensation for providing downtown management services. DSI has diversified funding sources which include funds from the City of Sanford and MSD taxes, with the balance of funds raised by DSI primarily through sponsorships and event income.

Duties of the DSI Executive Director
The Executive Director is responsible for coordinating activity within Downtown Sanford that utilizes historic preservation as an integral foundation for downtown economic development. The incumbent is responsible for the development, conduct, execution, and documentation of the Sanford Main Street program. The Executive Director is the principal on-site staff person responsible for coordinating all program activities locally, as well as for representing the community regionally and statewide as appropriate. In addition, the Executive Director should help guide the organization as it grows and as its objectives evolve. Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Organization:
– Supervise the DSI support staff, including conducting annual performance evaluations
– Develop and retain strong working relationships with downtown stakeholders, including property owners, business owners, and residents
– Develop and retain strong working relationships with City and County staff, as well as directors of partnering organizations including the Sanford Area Growth Alliance, Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Corporation, and the Tourism Development Authority
– Develop and manage the annual DSI budget
– Manage monthly meetings of the DSI Board of Directors and standing committees
– Assist in the recruitment of directors and committee members as needed
– Conduct an annual strategic planning session
– Retain existing relationships with sponsors while fostering additional relationships that
result in meeting or exceeding the budget for sponsorships as part of the DSI’s budget

Promotion:
– Support the staff in carrying out the existing calendar of events
– Provide input on existing events that includes assessing the effectiveness of events and making recommendations to improve existing events while determining which events no longer support the current economic vitality strategies
– Manage social media campaigns
– Manage the Downtown Sanford website
– Manage the scope of work with DSI’s contracted marketing firm

Design:
– Assist the Design and Beautification Division Committee in reviewing grant applications
that fall under the committee’s responsibility to approve
– Work with property owners and business owners to encourage thoughtful and appropriate design improvements
– Work with city and county staff on public improvements being considered for the MSD

Business Development:
– Maintain a data base of available spaces and properties
– Field inquiries for available business locations and properties for sale, connecting interested parties to the appropriate contacts to facilitate leasing and purchasing
– Stay abreast of resources and programs that support business recruitment and business retention

– Work with developers in navigating the development process, serving as an advocate/liaison with elected officials and city/county staff as necessary to facilitate large- and small-scale development projects that support the overall economic well- being of the district

As part of and in addition to the above Duties, the Executive Director is responsible for seeing that DSI meets the Scope of Services and Performance Measures as outlined in the Contract for Services between the City of Sanford and DSI.

Job Knowledge and Skills Required
Successful candidates will have the following:
– Undergraduate degree in a field related to economic development, planning, construction, design, or any other field(s) that relate directly to the above job description
– Minimum four years of experience as a manager of a Main Street program or downtown revitalization program

Candidates must have the following characteristics:
– be sensitive to design and preservation issues
– understand the issues confronting downtown business people, property owners, public agencies, and community organizations
– be entrepreneurial, energetic, imaginative, well organized, and capable of functioning effectively in an independent situation
– have excellent verbal and written communication skills

Salary and Benefits
The DSI Executive Director will be offered a competitive salary compensation package commensurate with experience.

Application Process
Interested candidates should email the following to Sharon Spence, DSI Chairman, at downtownsanfordjobs@gmail.com:
– Current Resume
– Three references with email address and phone number
– A brief (one page maximum) written description of why the candidate’s experience and skill set make him/her a strong candidate for this position

This position is opened until it is filled.

For additional information please email Sharon Spence a list of questions or a request for specific additional information and DSI will respond accordingly. No phone calls, please. downtownsanfordjobs@gmail.com