Description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Executive Director serves as the primary economic driver, advocate, and visionary for Downtown Howell. This position functions as the Chief Executive Officer of the Howell DDA (a public authority) and provides strategic oversight of the Howell Main Street Inc. (a 501(c)(3).

The Director is responsible for advancing the long-term economic strength, private investment, redevelopment, business growth, and strategic competitiveness of Downtown Howell.

The Director works collaboratively with the City of Howell, Howell Main Street Inc., business and property owners, financial institutions, regional and state economic development partners, and other community stakeholders.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
 

1.  Economic Development & Business Attraction

•         Actively recruit new businesses, developers, and investors to fill storefront vacancies and diversify the downtown retail/dining mix.
•         Maintain current inventories of storefront vacancies, available commercial properties, business openings and closures, and expansion opportunities.
•         Serve as the primary liaison and advocate for existing downtown business and property owners, connecting them to resources, grants, and city services.
•         Utilize data-driven market analysis to identify economic gaps and develop targeted retention and expansion strategies.
•         Collaborate with the City Manager, Planning Commission, and local economic groups to streamline development and zoning pipelines.
•         Track business, property-owner, developer, and investor relationships through a professional contact management or CRM system.

2.  Financial Management & DDA Governance

•      Develop, monitor, and manage the annual DDA budget, ensuring compliant use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) revenues under Michigan PA 57 of 2018.
•         Prepare and present monthly financial, operational, and milestone reports to the DDA Board of Directors.
•         Identify, write, and administer federal, state, and private grants to leverage TIF dollars for capital improvement projects.
•         Maintain comprehensive records and ensure compliance with all state-mandated DDA transparency reporting requirements.
•         Provide long-range forecasting of TIF revenues, fund balance, capital commitments, and future investment capacity.
•         Serve as the DDA's principal liaison to Howell Main Street Inc., including its measurable deliverables, performance indicators, and reporting requirements.
•         Maintain the Howell Main Street’s master level accreditation, following the National Main Street "Four-Point Approach" (Organization, Promotion, Design, Economic Vitality).

3.  Data, Market & Performance Measurements

•         Develop and maintain a Downtown Economic Dashboard as a standing responsibility, presented regularly to the DDA Board.
•         Track measures such as storefront vacancy, business openings and closures, private investment, grants secured, TIF trends, residential units, property owner outreach, and developer and investor activity.
•         Use measurable outcomes to identify trends, evaluate programs, recommend resource allocation, and communicate the DDA's impact to the community.
•         Establish annual performance targets with the DDA Board and report progress against those targets on a regular basis.

4.  Administrative Collaboration

•         Participate in regular municipal staff meetings to align downtown initiatives with City Public Services, Planning, and Police departments.
•         Maintain bi-weekly communication syncs with the City Manager to ensure operational transparency and collaborative problem-solving.

Requirements

Education & Experience Preferred:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Economic Development, Urban Planning, Public Administration, Business Administration, Marketing, or a closely related field.

Minimum of 3–5 years of leadership experience in downtown management, economic development, Main Street programs, or non-profit administration.

Certified Main Street Manager (CMSM) credential or Michigan Certified Economic Developer designation.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Proven Self-Directed Leadership: Must be a highly motivated self-starter capable of managing multiple projects, setting strategic goals, and executing them with minimal daily supervision.

Economic development and financial acumen. Strong understanding of redevelopment, development economics, business attraction and retention, incentives, real estate, TIF, municipal finance, grants, and capital planning.

 Data-informed decision making. Ability to use market information, financial analysis, project tracking, and performance measures to guide recommendations and resource allocation.

 Communication Excellence: Exceptional public speaking, written communication, and interpersonal skills to effectively engage business owners, elected officials, city staff, volunteers, and the media.

Relationship Builder: Proven track record of managing a diverse board of directors, uniting fragmented stakeholder groups, and motivating volunteer committees.

Technical Proficiency: Familiarity with Geographic Information System mapping, graphic design tools (e.g., Canva), social media marketing, and standard office/financial software.(QuickBooks)