Brenda Ferri Nominated for Main Street America’s Mary Means Leadership Award
Raton, N.M. – New Mexico MainStreet (NMMS) nominated Raton MainStreet Executive Director Brenda Ferri for the Main Street America Mary Means Leadership Award earlier this year for her outstanding dedication to downtown revitalization. On October 30, Main Street America announced Morganton Main Street Director Sharon Jablonski as the recipient of this award; NMMS would like to take this opportunity to recognize Brenda Ferri’s accomplishments.
“Brenda has an incredible ability to build partnerships and collaborate with community and district stakeholders, and the City of Raton,” NMMS Director Daniel Gutierrez said. “Her projects have served as a model for other districts to follow, and we all love her energy and enthusiasm for this important work.”
Raton MainStreet’s mission is to improve the quality of life by revitalizing downtown, fostering business prosperity and offering new economic opportunities. The organization promotes community pride and respect for cultural heritage to all generations. Raton MainStreet has successfully overseen façade improvements, upgrades to the Historic Shuler Theater, the reopening of the Historic El Raton Theater and the securing of funding for streetscape improvements along Historic 1st Street.
Under Brenda’s leadership, Raton MainStreet has established a culture of collaboration. Her contributions to revitalize Raton’s downtown district is a model for how local stakeholders, city government and state government come together through a shared vison and combine resources to create thriving places through capacity building, creative placemaking, and preservation.
“I love Raton and I love working with all of the organizations in Raton that have a similar vision of bringing our little city back to life,” said Raton MainStreet Executive Director Brenda Ferri. “I am so honored to have received this nomination. Thank you to everyone involved!”
The following recommendations supported Brenda Ferri’s application for the Mary Means Leadership Award:
- “Brenda is one of Raton’s biggest champions and protectors of our historic downtown,” Center for Community Innovation Executive Director Geoff Peterson said. “Raton is blessed with a tremendous inventory of commercial buildings from the late 1800s with a rich and colorful history to match. Raton MainStreet, with Brenda’s direction, has made remarkable progress in preserving and beautifying our downtown.”
- “Successful projects that Brenda has taken a leadership role in… have leveraged approximately $3mm of public infrastructure improvements completed over the past 4 years, and an additional $2.5mm of infrastructure improvements that are funded and scheduled to be completed within the next 18 months,” Raton City Manager Scott Berry, P.E. said. “Brenda’s efforts over the past five years have resulted in a remarkable improvement in Raton’s sustainability and opportunities to transform the local economic and community environment.”
- “As a downtown business owner within the MainStreet District, I can with utmost certainty say her hard work and dedication to this community has helped our downtown coffee shop, Enchanted Grounds, to survive and thrive in downtown Raton,” Enchanted Grounds Co-Owner Jessica Barfield said. “Since opening our business in 2016, Brenda and the Raton MainStreet Board of Directors have continued to improve the quality of life and business environment in Raton.”
Raton MainStreet was designated by New Mexico MainStreet from 1986-1990 and again in 2004-present day. Raton’s Arts & Cultural district was one of the first to be designated in 2009. Raton MainStreet’s district is home to the city’s center of commerce, significant historic buildings, and two registered historic districts encompassing the commercial core of downtown.
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About New Mexico MainStreet: New Mexico MainStreet develops local capacity to engage people, rebuild places and grow the entrepreneurial, creative & business environment resulting in economically thriving downtowns, greater business & employment opportunities and a higher quality of life. New Mexico MainStreet was founded in 1984 and currently serves 31 affiliated MainStreet Districts, 12 affiliated Arts & Cultural Districts, 7 Frontier & Native American Community projects, and 8 Historic Theaters.
Learn more about New Mexico MainStreet’s programs at www.nmmainstreet.org. New Mexico MainStreet is a program of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, gonm.biz.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 13, 2020
Contact: Jessica Mraz
JessicaL.Mraz@state.nm.us
(505) 365-3998