State of Main 2026 – Connecticut Main Street Center

Tuesday, June 16th, 2026

The premier gathering of Main Street stakeholders dedicated to the vitality of our downtowns.

Presented by Loureiro Engineering Associates

View the event program to learn more about our speakers, sponsors and exhibitors.

Event Playlist

View videos of the State of Main Address, panel discussions, and awards on Youtube.

Recorded by IntersectMedia

Speaker Bios

Policy Watch: Legislation Affecting Your Downtown

Alder Caroline Tanbee Smith, Ward 9, City of New Haven

Caroline Tanbee Smith serves on the City of New Haven Board of Alders as the Alder of Ward 9. Outside of this role, she is the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at the Friends Center for Children working at the intersection of childcare, housing, and education. Prior to Friends Center, she was the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Collab, a community accelerator supporting early-stage entrepreneurs in Greater New Haven. On the Board of Alders, she launched Best City to Start, a policy campaign focused on making New Haven the best city to start and grow a business.

How does your role contribute to a thriving main street?

“Small businesses are some of the most trusted institutions in our country: They are where we go to start our mornings, end a long week, and gather with neighbors. Thrilled to be part of a coalition of elected officials, nonprofit leaders, and community members advocating to make it easier for small businesses to start, grow, and thrive in our neighborhoods and Downtowns”

State Rep Eleni Kavros DeGraw, CT-17

State Representative Eleni Kavros DeGraw was elected in November 2020 to represent the 17th District in Avon and Canton. She is currently in her third term.

In her first term, she brought back nearly $2 million in bonding dollars to her district, passed the phase-out of the personal income tax on Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), passed a Workforce Disability Pipeline bill, and a Veterans Municipal Property Tax Credit bill. In her second term, she passed Connecticut’s first Student Loan Debt Relief bill and the Purple Alert System legislation to aid families with missing adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

She is a member of the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus, the Fire and Safety Caucus, the Climate Caucus, and the Intellectual and Developmental Disability Caucus.

Eleni is a graduate of James Madison University and The Campaign School at Yale (formerly the Women’s Campaign School at Yale) as well as Emerge Connecticut, the State Legislative Leadership Foundation Emerging Leaders program, the Council of State Governments Eastern Leadership Academy, and most recently, she became a Toll Fellow. Throughout her career, she has served on many boards and currently is a member of the Board of Connecticut Foodshare’s Development Committee, the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, and the James Madison University College of Arts and Letters Board.

She is the House Chairwoman of the Planning and Development Committee and serves as a member of the Public Health and Appropriations Committees.

How does your role contribute to a thriving main street?

“My role as the House Chair of Planning and Development contributes to a thriving downtown when we pass meaningful legislation that addresses blight and vacancies and how we can encourage businesses to want to start and grow on CT’s Main Streets.”

State Rep Maria Horn, CT-64

State Representative Maria Horn is proud to represent Connecticut’s 64th Assembly district, including nine towns in the northwest corner of the state.

A native of Ohio, Representative Horn earned her B.A. from Princeton University in 1986 and attended the University of Chicago Law School, obtaining her J.D. in 1993. Before beginning her law career, Representative Horn spent four years working in corporate finance at JP Morgan & Co. Her legal career included work as a law clerk for a federal judge, and the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton, before joining the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Criminal Division.

After relocating to Salisbury with her husband and three young children, Representative Horn chaired the boards of a domestic violence agency and a local school, served on the Salisbury Board of Finance, and raised funds to build the local firehouse and to create a program for local schools to prevent and combat substance abuse.

She was first elected in 2018 and was reelected this past year. During her second legislative term, Representative Horn was appointed Chair of the Public Safety Committee and served on the Environment Committee and Energy & Technology Committee. She previously served as Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee. Rep. Horn was recently appointed to House Chair of the Finance Committee for the 2023 legislative session.

Representative Horn lives in Salisbury with her husband, three children, and their dog.

How does your role contribute to a thriving main street?

“A thriving downtown is more than a collection of storefronts – it is the heartbeat of the community it brings together. Investing in the infrastructure that can make that happen, from sidewalks to sewer systems to support for entrepreneurs and artists, creates both economic opportunity, and connection at a time when community is more important than ever.”

Moderated by: Ryan Bingham, Co-President, Sullivan & LeShane

Ryan Bingham is President of Finance & Operations and lobbyist at Sullivan & LeShane, Inc., one of Connecticut’s leading government relations firms. He first rose to prominence in 2005, when he was elected Mayor of Torrington — the youngest elected mayor in Connecticut’s history — and went on to lead the city through several years of growth and redevelopment. That experience running a real Connecticut downtown still shapes how he approaches his work today.

Known for tireless leadership and a gift for building consensus, Ryan has earned a reputation for crafting win-win deals and cultivating the relationships that move things forward — both at the State Capitol and in city and town halls across the state. At Sullivan & LeShane, he advocates for clients before state and municipal leaders on the policy issues shaping Connecticut’s communities, while helping those clients find new opportunities to grow here in CT.

Ryan’s biggest and best accomplishment in life has been his family. Married to his wife Jennifer for 15 years and proud parent to his son Blake (12) and daughter Ellie (10).

Having sat on both sides of the table — as an elected official and as an advocate — Ryan brings a practical, results-oriented perspective to the place where policy meets economic development.

How does your role contribute to a thriving main street?

“Downtowns don’t come back to life because of any one building or grant or developer — they come back because the right people finally sat down together around a shared vision and a shared plan. After two decades doing that work as both an elected official and an advocate, I’ve learned that the strongest Main Streets are built on relationships and trust long before they’re built with brick and mortar.”

5 Things Every Main Street Should Be Doing

Kennedy Winslow, CMSC Field Services Coordinator

How does your role contribute to a thriving main street?

“As Field Services Coordinator, I see myself as a Main Street ‘technician’. I may not be able to install banners on poles, but I can certainly walk you through the steps of funding and administering a sponsored banner program! I’m always interested in learning what main streets and other organizations are doing around the state and how I can share info with others when they’re looking for proven strategies to advance their downtowns.”

Securing Your Future: The Case for a Dedicated Economic Development Director

Kevin Bielmeier, CEDAS President

Kevin Bielmeier is serving his second term as President of the Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS), and organization he joined in 2016. He served two years as 1^st VP and the board since 2021. In 2019, he became the Town of Southbury’s first Economic Development Director. The town achieved Gold Certification for Best Practices in Land Use and Economic Development in 2024.

Previously, Mr. Bielmeier worked for the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC) through its transition into AdvanceCT, providing onsite municipal economic development services to the multiple towns throughout the state and serving as staff liaison to the Bradley Development League (BDL).

Prior to CERC, he served as the Economic Development Director for the Town of New Milford where, in two years he converted a school into a community center, helped launch a successful 5,000 SF co-working space, multiple breweries, new restaurants and retail shops, a community art co-op, an affordable housing development and a riverfront development project, while rebranding the town, producing a promotional video, and securing and implementing millions in state funding to remove a contaminated factory and remediate a 72-acre brownfield site.

Kevin’s diverse career path has also included business development, corporate fundraising, video production, cruise directing, and professional acting for stage and screen.

With dual bachelor degrees in Business and Music, he currently is VP of Development for Curtain Call, a year-round nonprofit theatre in Stamford. He is most proud of his long-lasting relationship with his wife Josie, and their two amazing daughters. They live in their dream home by the sea in Lordship.

How does your role contribute to a thriving main street?

“The annals of economic development have shown that when a downtown thrives, all boats rise. But thriving downtowns do not just happen. They require vision, a collaborative approach, and strategic action. We are committed to advancing the practice and process of economic development in Connecticut. One way we do this is by sharing strategies and ideas among peers, across sectors, on ways to spur development and revitalize communities. Core to this effort are downtowns, for that is where you find the heartbeat of a community.“

Downtown Development Outlook

Karmen Cheung, Regional VP, Pennrose

Karmen Cheung serves as Regional Vice President for New England at Pennrose, where she leads a team delivering thoughtful, community-driven affordable housing across the region. From early concept through construction and beyond, she is deeply involved in shaping developments that respond to both market needs and community vision.

Over nearly a decade at Pennrose, Karmen has advanced more than $300 million in development, creating nearly 700 new homes. Her work spans transformative projects like The Pryde, Boston’s first LGBTQ+ affirming senior housing community, as well as nationally recognized historic adaptive reuse efforts. She has also led complex brownfield and transit-oriented redevelopments across New England, unlocking value in underutilized sites.

Karmen’s work is shaped by her own experience growing up in affordable housing, which fuels her commitment to creating communities that are not only high-quality, but rooted in dignity, stability, and opportunity.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University and dual master’s degrees from MIT in City Planning and Real Estate Development.

How does your role contribute to a thriving main street?

“A lot of our work focuses on bringing new life to sites—whether it’s a historic building, a brownfield, or a transit-adjacent parcel—and turning them into housing at a scale that adds consistent activity and energy to the area. By appropriately densifying in walkable, downtown locations, you create the kind of critical mass that supports local businesses, activates streets throughout the day, and makes transit and infrastructure more viable.”

David Genovese, CEO, Baywater Properties

R. David Genovese founded Baywater Properties in 2001, following a 12-year career in real estate investment banking in New York and London. Prior to founding Baywater, David served as Co-Head of Real Estate Investment Banking for Credit Suisse First Boston. Previously, David served as a Managing Director in Bankers Trust Company’s Real Estate Investment Banking Group. Through the course of his career in investment banking, David was responsible for a variety of transactions valued in excess of $15.0 billion, including mergers and acquisitions, equity offerings, bond offerings, securitized financings, bank loans, and principal investments. David is an honors graduate of Colby College and The London School of Economics and Political Science. David also received an MBA from The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania. David is currently a member of the Board of Directors of The Human Services Council of Norwalk, the Darien Athletic Foundation and The Real Estate Finance Association of Connecticut. David has served as a member of the Board of Overseers of Colby College, and as a board member of the Darien Technology and Community Foundation, the Darien YMCA, the Darien Historical Society, and Darien Revitalization, Inc. In 2007, David was named as one of the “40 under 40” business leaders in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

How does your role contribute to a thriving main street?

“To create a place that people love, we must focus upon great design, utilizing high quality materials that visitors to our center recognize and appreciate. That is the first step. As important, however, is curating a mix of businesses that are synergistic and feed off of each other, businesses which reflect the wants, needs and aspirations of the community. Design, materials, and use are like a symphony that we have to carefully and individually consider as we assemble these related but disparate components of our work. If we succeed, we can create environments that exceed the expectations of visitors, which drives the financial success of the businesses located in our projects, thereby creating places with enduring value.”

Greg Vaca, Founder & President, GRAVA Properties

How does your role contribute to a thriving main street?

“Gregory Vaca began his real estate career in investment banking in New York City in 2003, following his graduation from Columbia University. He then joined Tishman Speyer — one of the world’s preeminent developers of large-scale mixed-use properties — where he spent 14 years across New York City, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, ultimately serving as Managing Director of Acquisitions and Development and then as Chief Operating Officer of the firm’s Brazil operations.
During that time, Mr. Vaca led or played a decisive role in acquisitions, development, commercial leasing, asset management, dispositions, and fundraising — raising over $700 million and overseeing a 5-million-square-foot portfolio across Brazil. His project credits include the landmark Pátio da Marítima mixed-use development in Rio de Janeiro’s revitalized port district, the Bradesco Insurance headquarters, and the Alameda Jardins residential tower in São Paulo, among many others. Mr. Vaca founded GRAVA Properties to apply his deep expertise at the neighborhood scale — with a focus on sustainable, human-centered development that addresses today’s urgent housing needs.”

Moderated by: Natalie Deduck, Director of Operations & Finance, CMDA

Natalie Deduck is the Director of Operations and Finance for the Connecticut Municipal Development Authority, where she oversees the CMDA’s low-interest loan program that provides gap financing to transit-oriented development projects throughout Connecticut. Previously, as Deputy Director of Dispositions for the City of Boston, Natalie led the development of public-private partnerships that activated underutilized publicly owned land—delivering new public libraries, affordable housing, commercial spaces, and parks across the city. Before joining the City of Boston, she worked in leasing and community engagement at Bok in Philadelphia, a historic school adaptively reused as a hub for more than 200 local small businesses and artists.

How does your role contribute to a thriving main street?

“The Connecticut Municipal Development Authority helps cities and towns develop vibrant neighborhoods near train and bus stops and in downtown areas. As Director of Operations and Finance, I work with projects throughout Connecticut — figuring out where CMDA funding can fill the financial gap to create transit-oriented development across the state.”

Systems Thinking for Regional Collaboration

Austin Dziki, Associate Director, CT Green Bank

Austin is an Associate Director on the CT Green Bank’s Environmental Infrastructure team where he supports the development and execution of new programs that generate private investments in nature-based solutions, climate resilience, and other environmental infrastructure projects across the state. In his role, he oversees project origination, market development, and partnerships to advance measurable environmental and social impacts through Green Bank financing for projects in environmental infrastructure.

Austin is originally from Brooklyn, CT and currently lives in New Haven, CT. Prior to joining the Green Bank, Austin served as an Investments Manager at New Forests, a global investment manager of nature-based real assets, where he specialized in climate-smart timberland transactions, carbon strategy, and cross-functional deal execution. Austin takes a science-based approach to finance and program development, drawing from prior experience in ecological research, conservation, ecotourism, and forestry across New England, Latin America, and Africa. Austin holds a degree in Biology from the University of Vermont and Master of Forestry from the Yale School of the Environment, where he currently teaches a course on Forest and Ecosystem Finance.

How does your role contribute to a thriving main street?

“The CT Green Bank helps modernize Main Street with investments in energy efficiency and climate resiliency that protect neighborhoods from rising costs and climate impacts, strengthening the foundation of a thriving downtown and supporting investments in economic growth and development. We help and build vibrant, resilient places where people and businesses can flourish by lowering energy expenses, improving comfort and safety, and giving local businesses climate-resilient room to grow.”

Rista Malanca, Director of Economic & Community Development, NW Hills Council of Governments

Rista Malanca, AICP, is currently the Director of Economic & Community Development for the Northwest Hills Council of governments with 20 years of municipal experience.
She has worked on many redevelopment projects, including the reuse of environmentally contaminated properties, housing developments and placemaking projects. She works with the 21 Municipalities in NW CT to create economic growth within the Region and assist business owners, investors and developers to achieve their goals.
Rista has a passion to create vibrant spaces and walkable downtowns. She serves as the Co-Chair of the Naugatuck River Greenway Steering Committee and Vice Chair of the CT Greenways Council. She also serves on the CT Brownfield Land Band and is a CEDAS board member.

How does your role contribute to thriving main streets?

“My role supports local leaders, both municipal staff and community volunteers, by helping them access the resources, expertise, and administrative assistance needed to advance downtown revitalization efforts. Working at a regional level, I focus on developing and leveraging tools, programs, and partnerships that strengthen local capacity. This includes connecting communities with subject matter experts, facilitating educational opportunities, and providing project support to help initiatives move forward efficiently and effectively. Through collaboration and resource-sharing, I help create the conditions that enable vibrant, resilient downtowns to thrive.”

Michelle Lapine McCabe, Executive Director, Connecticut Main Street Center

Michelle brings over a decade of non-profit management experience to Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC). Her expertise in program development and strategic planning led CMSC’s expansion of its educational and technical assistance programming, member assistance offerings, and championing statewide policies that benefit Connecticut’s downtowns and Main Streets.

Michelle and the CMSC team developed an innovative new downtown management assessment tool;launched several new programs including Main Street Accelerator focused on local team leadership training and project implementation, and Diversity on Main, a partnership with the Black Business Alliance focused on filling storefront vacancies; engaged in regional work in partnership with the Northwest Hills Council of Governments and the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce; and identified key issues for advocating on behalf of Connecticut’s main streets. Michelle serves on the boards of Connecticut Arts Alliance, Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS) and Connecticut Preservation Action.

How does your role contribute to a thriving main street?

“As Executive Director of Connecticut Main Street, I strive to support both the excellent work being accomplished by the CMSC staff and the ambitions, vision, and hard work of our towns and cities to create and manage their thriving downtowns. I advocate for increased investment, policy tools, respect, and visibility because all four are needed to truly see our main streets succeed.”

Dan Onofrio, President & CEO, Bridgeport Regional Business Council

How does your role contribute to a thriving main street?

“A thriving community isn’t built by any one sector, it’s built by the relationships between them. When a business opens, expands, or chooses to stay, it sends a signal. Our job is to amplify that signal and create the conditions for more of it. That means advocating for smart policy, investing in our workforce, and making sure the people who drive this economy feel supported. We all have a stake in the health of our downtowns and regional economy.”

Moderated by: Kristen Lopez, Senior Director of Programs, CT Main Street Center

Kristen Lopez is Connecticut Main Street Center’s Senior Director of Programs. She is a cross-sector, entrepreneurial, economic development professional with 15 years in program development, marketing, and training and education with a focus on microenterprise and small business development. Prior to joining Connecticut Main Street Center, Kristen was vice-president at a $30M real estate development start-up combining affordable living, light manufacturing, and historic preservation for small business owners with limited resources to start and grow profitable businesses. Additionally, she has launched an online marketplace to increase access to markets for underserved makers, implemented 6-figure marketing campaigns for continuing education in higher education, and developed proprietary curriculum and small business advising tools. Kristen is an AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer alum, a StartingBloc Fellow, and Next City Vanguard Fellow. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Messiah University.

How does your role contribute to a thriving main street?

“Thriving downtowns are created by dedicated local champions, and I’m grateful to play a supporting role in helping them succeed! I think of myself as a coach and cheerleader helping communities solve problems and move ideas into action by creating impactful programs, trainings, and resources.”

Time to Celebrate!

Quentin Williams Downtown Hero Award

This award honors the legacy of state Rep. Quentin “Q” Williams. Q was a great friend of CMSC and a champion for all of Connecticut’s downtowns. This award honors those who embody his greatest strengths, including tireless advocacy, working collaboratively to achieve common goals, bringing a multitude of voices to the fore, and working to create downtowns that are inclusive and welcoming to all.

Congratulations to Lauren Coakley Vincent!

Learn more

Founder’s Award

This award recognizes individuals and organizations that champion a comprehensive, strategic management approach to revitalizing historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

Congratulations to Elizabeth Donius!!

Learn more

2026 Accelerator Cohort

Main Street Accelerator is a dynamic, six-month professional development and team-building program designed to empower local Main Street teams to implement small-scale, high-impact projects that spark positive change in their downtowns. Learn more about participating communities below.

DEEP RIVER

Local leaders from several town commissions and departments worked together to reinvigorate the main street area with a new banner program along the downtown, including light poles sponsored throughout the year and brackets provided by the town.

FAIRFIELD

A team comprised of members from the Town, Chamber of Commerce, and cultural institutions worked with key stakeholders to increase awareness, foot traffic, and economic activity for the newly established downtown Cultural District via a new marketing and branding campaign.

TORRINGTON

The team of city and cultural organization leaders collaborated on a plan to revitalize and increase the vibrancy of the North End, while transforming city lots into spaces that support Hispanic businesses, celebrate culture, and connect the North End with downtown.

VERNON

Municipal staff, commission members, stakeholders, and residents focused on changing negative perceptions of the downtown via a mural at the gateway of the downtown across from a pending large-scale redevelopment of an old factory

WESTBROOK

A team of local stakeholders from a variety of community groups investigated ways to improve the illumination of two town-owned park properties to enhance the existing buildings, monuments, trees and public art.