The Centerville Mainstreet board includes (from left) Jane Herron, Joy Hunt, Rachael McCampbell, Brenda Brock, Concetta West, Julie Strahles, Gary Jacobs and (not shown) Becki Bates and Scott Husbands.
The nonprofit’s board hired Brock on July 11 but did not announce the action until its August 15 session. She has worked in economic development for more than 25 years, much of it in Hickman County as executive director of the Hickman County Economic and Community Development Association.
She became available after the county government defunded her position in June. Brock was the only applicant for the job with Mainstreet and was hired on July 11.
“I knew that I wanted to do something else,” she said. “This opportunity presented itself.”
Brock said her “intentional focus” is “on growing the Square . . . communicating with building owners,” and to be the local “resource person” to help achieve progress.
Mainstreet started here from within the Hickman County Chamber of Commerce, but is now nearly entirely independent, said Jane Herron, its chair; she owns the State Farm Insurance office here. A seven member board oversees work on four committees, as framed by the Tennessee Main Street project — Organization, Promotion, Designs and Economic Vitality.
Brock said Tennessee Mainstreet has added Historic Preservation and Inclusiveness to the required committees.
Those guidelines require a paid director on at least a part-time basis; Brock is the first to fill the slot on a paid basis; she is part time. The panel must also hold a federal tax exemption; Centerville Mainstreet is within days of accomplishing that, according to Scott Husbands, the local CPA who is a member of the board.
The seven-member board also includes Concetta West, owner of The Local Place, as vice chair and Joy Hunt, owner of Joy of the Hunt, an antiques and art venue, which opens next week just off the Square, as secretary-treasurer.
The seven-member board also includes Becki Bates, a building owner on the Square; Julie Strahles, who operates Hope on the Square, West and artist and downtown studio owner Rachael McCampbell. Mayor Gary Jacobs and Marcia Alexander, the chamber director, are non-voting members.
Mainstreet is funded by the Town of Centerville and the Centerville Industrial Board each providing $10,000 a year.
Its focus includes how to help local events. For the upcoming National Banana Pudding Festival, Mainstreet will sponsor Minnie Pearl portrayed by Laura Aydelott.
Mainstreet also has taken on three ongoing projects, picked up from HCECDA, which still has insufficient funding to hire a successor to Brock.
All three of those are grant projects, with $20,714 dedicated to them: LaunchTN, which aids entrepreneurs; Big Back Yard, a regional tourism collaboration, and funding to aid the CoWorks Center, through HCTN from a TVA grant.
Brock is in the CoWorks Center, which rents office space to businesses and individuals in addition to hosting meetings.
Fall events set
At the recent Centerville Mainstreet board meeting, board chair Jane Herron and executive director Brenda Brock presented two upcoming projects, developed by the organization’s Promotions Committee.
One is a Public Square lamppost decorating event, for a month beginning October 1. “Skelebrate Centerville” will require merchants to use skeletons in the decorations of 32 poles; window decorations will be urged.
The second will be a Haunted Tour of the downtown area, a one-night event on Friday, October 25. It precedes the annual Halloween Parade the next day.
The Haunted Tour, in groups of 15 people, will visit spooky places, including the old county jail, McDonald Funeral Home, Centerville Cemetery and the basement of the Old Courthouse. Guides will lead each group from site to site. Spooky stories — some of them based on real events — will highlight the walk.
This event is planned as a fundraiser for Mainstreet. Attendees will pay $12 apiece to participate.
Further details are being developed.
