WDBA discusses Main Street procedures

By MIKE NEUMANN The Independent

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Now that Woodstock is an associate Illinois Main Street member, the Woodstock Downtown Business Association will develop new bylaws to help guide the organizational structure and operation of the organization.
“We will be obtaining the assistance of the Illinois Main Street Program in developing these and drawing on that office’s extensive resources so that all our processes support the mission and goals of a designated Main Street Program,” said Lucia Matlock, WDBA president.
The Illinois Main Street staff recommends that an associate Main Street community have at least 25 active volunteers to serve on the board and its four committees. Board and committee members must have the skills to carry out the organization’s goals and must have the interest and time to commit several hours per week to volunteer efforts, Matlock said.
“The WDBA will welcome these types of community leaders and volunteers for board, committee and other volunteer positions,” Matlock said.
The WDBA plans to host a series of community informational sessions in January and February. All those interested in hearing about Main Street and volunteer opportunities should attend one of the sessions, Matlock said.
While the WDBA is in compliance with Illinois Main Street’s requirement of at least nine board members, Matlock noted that the organization could potentially add a few more members to its board. She said qualified representatives of Woodstock School District 200, the Woodstock Opera House and Woodstock’s museum sector are all being discussed for board membership.
Once the board is established and the governance structure and operation of the organization is determined, the organization will form its four committees. The committees will be based on Illinois Main Street’s four-point approach, which includes organization, design, promotion and economic restructuring committees.
“During our orientation session last month, we learned that the Illinois Main Street program recommends that a board member chair each committee,” Matlock said. “This process permits good communication flow and lends itself to good accountability practices.”
The committees will be rounded out with four additional members. Matlock noted that the WDBA will be looking for individuals “who can bring the right set of skills to each volunteer position and who have the enthusiasm to devote to a volunteer effort.”
“We will need individuals with skills in all of these areas (of the four-point approach),” Matlock said. “For example, from the promotion perspective, we need individuals who have a background in marketing, public relations planning and building an Internet presence. In the design area, we need individuals who have an interest and background in historic preservation.”
The Illinois Main Street Program will set a date for the WDBA’s visioning, strategic planning and training sessions. The sessions will likely be scheduled sometime during the first quarter of the year, Matlock said.
While the WDBA will keep its name for the time being, Matlock noted that the name, and whether to keep or change it, would be discussed during the visioning and strategic planning sessions. The organization will also discuss the timelines and procedures for hiring an executive director during the sessions.

This article was published in the December 5, 2007 edition of The Woodstock Independent.