Join us May 6 – 8 in Birmingham, Alabama, for the 2024 Main Street Now Conference!
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Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams
We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.
Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street
Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.
Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America
Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!
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Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.
Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street
Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.
As Vice President of Field Services, Neighborhood Commercial Districts, Dionne plays a crucial leadership role in expanding technical service offerings to neighborhood commercial districts, lead the retention and growth of Main Street America (MSA) City Coordinating Programs, the Big City Network, and designated Neighborhood Commercial districts. She leads MSA’s Neighborhood Services division. Comprised of a team of committed leaders who use MSA’s Main Street Approach to create thriving neighborhood commercial districts and community leaders. Prior to taking on this position, Dionne was the Director of UrbanMain, a project MSA launched seven years ago to expand its engagement and offerings in urban neighborhood commerce districts.
Dionne has more than 20 years of project management experience, specializing in the revitalization of commercial districts and urban economic development. In addition to supporting opportunities for capacity building, she has vast experience working with community stakeholders, identifying and implementing initiatives in partnership with community-based groups, governmental and philanthropic institutions. Dionne worked as a Senior Program Officer for Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Chicago prior to joining MSA in 2016. While there, she created and administered the award-winning Business District Leadership program as well as the award-winning Smart Communities demonstration. She also managed economic development initiatives for the Chicago office. Before joining LISC Chicago, Dionne worked as a Financial Planning Analyst for the Department of Community Development of the City of Chicago, where she led the administration of the Rehabilitation Grant Programs for Eligible Chicago Residents and Small Business Owners as well as the Tax Increment Finance Interest Subsidy Program for Developers.
Dionne has a bachelor’s in communications from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a master’s in public administration from Roosevelt University. Dionne serves on the board of the Small Business Anti-Displacement Network (SBAN), a group of professionals dedicated to avoiding the displacement of small businesses in gentrifying areas. To offer the research team strategic guidance, Dionne also served as a member of the advisory board for the Center of Technology in Government’s “Enabling, Smart Inclusive and Connected Communities: The Role of Public Libraries” research project at the University of Albany in New York. Additionally, she has participated in Urban Land Institute (ULI) Advisory Service Panels across the nation.
In her hometown, Dionne participates on the advisory boards of a several organizations in Chicago, including Equiticity and Chicago Cares. She also participates in the Economic Development Committee of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP).
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Community economic development leaders need to get creative with their fundraising plans, identifying and securing diverse funding sources from both inside and outside their community
San Francisco, CA © Bjorn Bakstad
The Equitable Economic Development Fellowship is a two-year, one million-dollar effort funded by the Surdna Foundation and the Open Society Foundations to help equity, transparency, sustainability and community engagement become driving forces in local economic development efforts.
