Monroe's Main Street Program has a New Person at the Helm

When Emily Russell took up a position with Clearview Regional Medical Center last year, it left a gap at the helm of Downtown Monroe's Main Street program.

That gap has now been filled. Meet Sadie Krawczyk, the new Main Street program director for Monroe.

Krawczyk, who is from Grayson, officially took over the job on Feb. 20 this year, but she's been working it a little longer than that. Krawczyk has been seen around town for several months, attending city council meetings and getting to know local residents.

"My husband, Brian, and I have been working with a local church, Grace Monroe at the Cotton Mills, since July of 2012. Grace Monroe is a church plant of our main campus in Snellville, Ga.," Krawczyk said. "Our plan was to simply come out for the summer and help a bit, but we became so drawn to the potential in Monroe that we wanted to plant some roots here. We've gone so far as to purchase an old home in downtown Monroe, which we're fervently trying to renovate for our family of six before the end of the summer. We love the town of Monroe and the wonderful people who live here, and we think the next few years hold incredible promise and opportunity for this community."

Krawczyk brings a lot more than just a love of the community to the table.

"For all of my working career, I've been involved in non-profit management and service, which largely entails fundraising, event hosting, coordinating volunteers, and bringing many varied elements and people together to accomplish a common vision. I also ran my own small business consulting and bookkeeping business for the past six years," Krawczyk said, adding she went back to school a few years ago to enhance her ability to serve her clients, earning an MBA with a concentration in accounting. "Hopefully this experience will greatly help carry out my new role as Main Street Director."

Krawczyk said she spent the first few days on the job last month going through the files of past Main Street directors. 

"Some great groundwork has been laid and I'm looking forward to building on the already strong foundation of Downtown Development," she said, adding she is excited by the prospect of "empowering local business owners and helping make downtown Monroe a vibrant heart of the city for visitors and citizens alike. Downtown is the heart of a city. In the same way that a healthy heart brings life to the body as a whole, a vibrant downtown can foster growth in our entire city. Monroe area citizens, businesses and organizations will benefit from a growing downtown that fosters local economic investment and a sense of community. When downtown thrives, we all win."

Helping make downtown a destination for all elements of daily life is what Krawczyk sees as her role in the community.

"Living, working, playing, shopping, eating, and gathering with friends and family. We want Monroe to be a walkable/livable city," she said. "As we continue to host our annual events and grow the entertainment, lodging, and food establishments in and around downtown, we will be making this ideal more of a reality."

With the early paperwork out of the way, Krawczyk is looking forward to helping host the first big event in the city since she officially came on board - the 8th Annual Memories in Monroe Classic Car Show. The show, sponsored by BB&T Insurance, is scheduled for March 16.

"It should be a great event with around 200 classic cars filling the downtown blocks of Monroe," Krawczyk said.

If you want to find out more about Downtown Monroe and the Main Street Program, you can click on the website or Facebook page. Another event already on the calendar includes the Super Summer Kids Activity Fair scheduled for April 25.

See also:

• Friday Night Concerts Bring Downtown Monroe to Life
• Bands Booked for 2013 First Friday Night Concerts