Strengthening Connections: Attending Main Street America’s Coordinator Meeting
Keith Winge | December 29, 2025
Connections start with being present. In October 2025, Missouri Main Street leaders joined colleagues from across the country for the Main Street America Coordinator Meeting in Montana, hosted by Montana Main Street. The Montana Main Street program, housed within the Department of Commerce, operates differently from Missouri’s nonprofit model, but both have the same overall mission of supporting Main Street districts. This contrast underscored the diversity of approaches within the national network and highlighted the value of gathering coordinators together to share experiences, challenges, and solutions.
The Power of the Coordinator Network
The opportunity to learn from other coordinating programs and hear directly from Main Street America on emerging priorities serves as one of the most important aspects of these Coordinator Meetings. Kelly Humrichouser provided an update on the upcoming Hill Day in Washington, DC, scheduled for February 2026. This annual event brings coordinators and local Main Street leaders together for a day of education and advocacy, which amplifies the voice of Main Street nationwide. Kelly emphasized that advocacy must happen at multiple levels—locally with city officials, statewide with legislators through efforts like MMSC’s Capitol Day, and nationally through efforts like Hill Day.
Lessons from Billings
During our time in Montana, our agenda included a tour of downtown Billings and remarks from the city’s mayor. As we learned, funding economic development incentives in Montana presents unique challenges and requires ingenuity, as Montana does not collect a statewide sales tax. Despite these hurdles, Billings showcased a healthy mix of retail and restaurants and continues to work toward enhancing both the visitor and residential experience downtown.
Insights from Red Lodge
On the second day, we traveled to Red Lodge, a small community at the entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Like Billings, Red Lodge is leveraging the Main Street Approach™ to strengthen its downtown economy. Main Street America staff shared updates on several initiatives, including enhancements to the BOOMS Tracker and plans to expand the app with business inventories—though no target date has been set.
Coordinators provided feedback to Main Street America on the new Main Street Academy, which began incrementally releasing material over the past few months. Early reactions have proven overwhelmingly positive, with coordinators praising the Academy as a much-needed resource. The platform offers a mix of free materials and paid courses, giving local programs flexible options to deepen their knowledge.
Red Lodge’s hosts shared their unique perspective as a seasonal Main Street district tied closely to Yellowstone tourism and mentioned how they are developing off-season activities to extend their economic vitality beyond the peak travel season. Unlike Billings, Red Lodge is eligible to implement a tourism-based sales tax, which they use strategically to support infrastructure and economic development initiatives.
The Value of Gathering
The Coordinator Meeting in Montana reinforced the importance of the coordinator network within Main Street America. These gatherings provide the space to build relationships, share stories, learn new tools and strategies, and strengthen the collective voice of Main Street . Whether through advocacy at Hill Day, feedback on new resources like the Main Street Academy, or tours of communities facing unique challenges, the coordinator meetings remind us that collaboration is essential to sustaining and growing the Main Street movement.
