The work you do as leaders of your downtowns and Main Streets is transformative – changing not only the appearance and safety of a space but changing the attitudes, livelihoods, and quality of life of your constituents.

The Education & Training Director role at Connecticut Main Street Center was created to not only better serve our members but also to provide transformative learning experiences and opportunities that help our members be the leader their community needs.

Hi 👋my name is Kristen Lopez. I am CT Main Street Center’s new Education & Training Director.

Over the last 11 years I have had the privilege of tackling economic development from various positions and industries. But one consistent thread in all my roles was educating adults to reach their goals – whether it be obtaining a certification to reach their career goals or business training to build their dream business.

I have taught and advised hundreds of individuals pursuing their goals and there is nothing more rewarding than witnessing a “light bulb” moment. Transformative learning to me is more than educating on a topic or teaching a “how to,” it inspires and empowers the learner to take action they never thought possible before. In an ever-changing world, our main streets need bold leadership to take action never taken before.

I am so pleased to join the CMSC team and contribute to the mission of inspiring great downtowns throughout Connecticut. I’m looking forward to creating a robust education and training program that serves our members and supports our downtowns.

Here’s what’s on the docket for this year and beyond…

• More of the great webinars and programming you love that provide helpful insights and lessons learned from peers and subject matter experts on topics that matter most to you and your downtown. (Coming up next is our Food Halls & Public Markets webinar on February 22nd.
  
• Building a robust on-demand library of workshops and tools you can access anytime to get the support you need when you need it.
• And we’re most excited about developing a new Fellowship Program designed to increase our capacity to serve our members all around the state. Fellows will focus on economic development and historic preservation through a lens of sustainability and diversity, equity, and inclusion. We expect to launch this new program in 2023.

What are the topics you are most interested in learning more about? How can CT Main Street Center support you in your goals through training offerings? Do you have a case study or expertise that downtown leaders should hear? Please tell us in this short, anonymous survey. We want to hear from you!