Americus Main Street is dedicated to fostering a robust central business district with a creative cultural experience and living environment. We encourage a vibrant inclusive business climate, promote unique special events, and design the historic core as an inviting location for the community and its visitors.
Who We Are
MISSION STATEMENT
VISION STATEMENT
We envision downtown Americus as a thriving city center for residents and visitors alike, where its diverse shopping, dining, living, and entertainment options create a vibrant community of choice for all.
THE MAIN STREET STAFF

Qaijuan J. Willis
Main Street Director
qwillis@americusga.gov
(229) 924-4411 Ext 247

Jennifer English
Program Coordinator
jenglish@americusga.gov
(229) 924-4411 Ext 235
MAIN STREET BOARD
Angela Smith, Chair
Georgia Southwestern State University
angela.smith@gsw.edu
Ivy Oliver, Vice Chair
Oliver Farm
ivy.v.oliver@gmail.com
Divya Patel, Treasurer
Windsor Hotel
sales@windsor-americus.com
Dawn Daniels-McNear
Habitat for Humanity
ddanielsmcnear@gmail.com
Charmaine Edge
Code Black ATL
codeblackatl@yahoo.com
Hank Hart
Kinnebrew Co.
hankhart42@gmail.com
Adair Hoffman
Three’s Company Too
adair759@yahoo.com.com
Courtney Minix, Secretary
Pointer Mercantile
pointermercantile@gmail.com
Yorka Ralwins
Forsyth Carousel
gallery.rag@gmail.com
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD
Charles Crisp, Chair
Property Owner and Developer
charlescrisp@bellsouth.net
Eshonda Blue, Secretary & Treasurer
Innovative Senior Solutions
blue-wright@innovativecaregiving.com
Deborah Pless
Habitat for Humanity
djohnsonpless@habitat.org
Hank Hart
Kinnebrew Co.
hankhart42@gmail.com
Brandon Vann
New Era Land Company
bvann@neweraland.co
Rick Whaley
Citizens Bank President
rwhaley@cboa.com
OUR COMMITTEES
PROMOTION
Promoting Main Street takes many forms, but the ultimate goal is to position the downtown or commercial district as the center of the community and the hub of economic activity, while creating a positive image that showcases a community’s unique characteristics. This can be done through highlighting cultural traditions, celebrating and preserving important architecture and history, encouraging local businesses to market cooperatively, offering coordinated specials and sales, and hosting special events aimed at changing perceptions of the district and communicating to residents, investors, businesses, and property owners that this place is special.
ECONOMIC VITALITY
Revitalizing a downtown or neighborhood commercial district requires focusing on the underlying Economic Vitality of the district. This work is rooted in a commitment to making the most of a community’s unique sense of place and existing historic assets, harnessing local economic development opportunities and creating a supportive business environment for small business owners and the growing scores of entrepreneurs, innovators, and localists alike. With the nation-wide growing interest in living downtown, supporting downtown housing is also a key element of building Economic Vitality.
ORGANIZATION
A strong organizational foundation is key for a sustainable Main Street revitalization effort. This can take many forms, from a standalone nonprofit organization, to a program housed in a municipality or existing community development entity. Regardless of the organizational type, the focus is on ensuring that all organizational resources (partners, funding, volunteers, etc.) are mobilized to effectively implement the Community Transformative Strategies.
DESIGN
A focus on Design supports a community’s transformation by enhancing the physical elements of downtown while capitalizing on the unique assets that set the commercial district apart. Main Streets enhance their appeal to residents and visitors alike with attention to public space through the creation of pedestrian friendly streets, inclusion of public art in unexpected areas, visual merchandising, adaptive reuse of older and historic buildings, more efficiently-designed buildings, transit oriented development, and much more.