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Stephanie Sullivan wants to improve the Town of Middletown as a legacy for her two children.

And now that the town has selected her as its first manager for the Main Street Maryland program, she is getting the chance to attain that goal.

"When my kids are grown and they come back to visit, I want the town to be something they're proud of," she explained. "My goal for Middletown is to create an environment where it's a destination. Instead of people driving through town because there's an accident on [Interstate] 70, I want them to come visit our restaurants and shops."

In order to carry out all her visions for Middletown, Sullivan, 37, must first work to transform its fledgling Main Street program into a self-sufficient, free-standing entity. That will require extensive organizing, fundraising and bringing in volunteers from the community.

"The very first goal is community support and, with the help of the burgess and commissioners, getting the board set," she said.

In order to be eligible for the state program, communities must commit to employ a program manager and provide a program budget for a minimum of three years, as well as organize and maintain a volunteer board of directors and committees made up of public and private sector individuals, according to the program's Web site.

Middletown was accepted into the state program in June; on Sept. 5 Sullivan was selected from among 16 applicants to fill the position.

A Main Street manager's duties include marketing downtown to new businesses, encouraging and recruiting new volunteers and working with grants and fundraising.

The program's goals are grouped into five categories, all focusing on the central goal of preserving and improving downtown areas in order to promote economic development. The categories are design, organization, promotion, economic restructuring and "clean, safe and green."

In order to implement the program, Main Street managers should have background in fundraising, volunteer organization or related fields, according to the program's Web site. Sullivan owns a marketing consulting firm, Avant-Garde Concepts, where she works full-time.

"Some of the key things [in a Main Street manager] are good personal skills, excellent communication skills and good organizational skills," Town Administrator Drew Bowen said. "If you're someone that doesn't like to talk to people, this isn't your job."

Sullivan also had extensive previous knowledge about the program, which allowed her to hit the ground running once she started the job. She began working with the town a year ago to pursue and study the Main Street program, and ended up being a veritable expert on the topic.

But Sullivan is quick to say that the town's acceptance into the program and her work alone will not guarantee Middletown's success. She is calling for volunteers to help her keep Middletown a great place to live.

"The designation is not the end-all be-all. Now that we have the designation, we've got to work to make it successful," she said. "It's one thing to say you support something, but it's time for us to act – roll up our sleeves and do the work – to make it successful."

For now, Sullivan, a Severna Park native who attended Towson University and moved to Frederick County 13 years ago, is still getting acclimated to the job.

She is also raising two children: 11-year-old Shea and 9-year-old Jack, with the help of her husband, John.

The part-time manager position will require about 20 hours per week of work without benefits; the town has budgeted a $15,000 annual salary.

Other Main Street Maryland-designated communities in Frederick County are Brunswick, Frederick, Mount Airy and Thurmont.

Design: Enhancing the physical appearance of the commercial district by rehabilitating historic buildings, encouraging supportive new construction, developing sensitive design management systems and long-term planning

Organization: Building consensus and cooperation among the many groups and individuals who have a role in the revitalization process.

Promotion: Marketing the traditional commercial district's assets to customers, potential investors, new businesses, residents and visitors.

Economic Restructuring: Strengthening the district's existing economic base while finding ways to expand it to meet new opportunities and challenges from outlying development.

Clean, Safe and Green: Enhancing the perception of a neighborhood through the principles of Smart Growth and sustainability.

Source:

www.neighborhoodrevitalization.org/

programs/mainstreet/mainstreet.aspx