Main Street Batesville (MSB) has selected Mandi Curtwright as its new executive director. She will replace the last executive director of MSB, Shannon Haney, who was recently promoted in the National Guard. Haney will continue to have an active role in the program on a volunteer basis.
“I’m excited to take on the role of Executive Director of MSB. It’s an opportunity to continue the work to preserve the history and help shape the future of my hometown,” stated Curtwright.
Main Street Batesville is a non-profit organization, certified by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and the Main Street America national association with a mission to revitalize downtown Batesville, through economic development and historic preservation.
Curtwright grew up in Pleasant Plains, AR and attended college in Batesville, and has called Batesville her home for the past 12 years. Curtwright brings experience in marketing, graphic design, business management, and fundraising, and she and her husband, along with Joe and Janelle Shell, are co-owners of the historic Melba Theater located in downtown Batesville. She and husband Adam have three children.
Curtwright served as a board member of MSB from 2012-2017 and has been actively involved in marketing and promotions for the organization. “Main Street has been a large part of my life for quite sometime now. When the downtown economy was declining, my husband and I along with the Shells, took ownership of the Melba Theater,” Curtwright added. “We knew that it would be risky, but we felt confident that renovating the historic movie theater would give an overall boost to the downtown area during a time when it needed it the most.”
Even with the astounding success of the downtown district and MSB, there are still areas in need of improvement, and she said she is up to the challenge.
“Downtown can sometimes feel too quiet,” she said. “I’d like to see more full-time residents living in mixed-use buildings, more retail variety to help drive foot traffic and visitors to the area, and more utilization of downtown’s event venues.”
Suzanne Magouyrk, president of the Board of Directors for the MSB, said she is looking forward to working with Curtwright.
“Talking with her, I can always feel the energy and excitement,” Magouyrk said. “We are sad to be losing Shannon as our Executive Director, but she will be around to work on some projects. Mandi has agreed to step in, and already has some great ideas.” Those include special “shop local” and dining promotions, formally honoring downtown business leaders in a community setting, enhancing marketing, advocacy and educational opportunities for businesses on Main Street Batesville, and additional parking.
About Main Street Batesville: Main Street Batesville is a non-profit organization, certified by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and the Main Street America national association. Main Street Batesville is not a funded agency of the city or county, or state. The organization runs on the work of volunteers and on funds donated by partners. The mission is the revitalization of downtown Batesville, through economic development and historic preservation.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current membership chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.