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2020 Excellence in Downtown Revitalization AwardsLITTLE ROCK— As part of the 2020 Arkansas Municipal League Winter Conference heldFebruary 12-14 in the Capital City, Main Street Arkansas presented awards for Excellence inDowntown Revitalization to deserving program members. Main Street Arkansas is part of theArkansas Historic Preservation Program, an agency of Arkansas Parks, Heritage and Tourism.Nominations for the awards were garnered from submissions from participating Main Street andDowntown Network Community programs from around the state.The 2020 Excellence in Downtown Revitalizations Awards were presented by Secretary of theArkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourist Stacy Hurst:• Best Creative Fundraising Effort, The River Haunt, Main Street Batesville• Best Adaptive Re-Use Public, Independence County Library (nominated by Main StreetBatesville)• Best Adaptive Re-Use Private, The Royal on Main (nominated by Main Street Batesville)• Best Public/Private Partnership, Citizens Bank and Main Street Batesville• Best Downtown Public Improvement Project Public Space, Public Space, Maxfield Park,Main Street Batesville• Best Façade Renovation, First Community Bank, Batesville• Main Street Hero, L.C. Hartsfield, Main Street Blytheville• Best Special Event, 80s Mall Mash-Up, Downtown Little Rock Partnership• Outstanding Main Street Merchant, Brandy Thomason McNair of Bella Vita Jewelry(nominated by Downtown Little Rock Partnership)• Best Image/Branding Campaign, Organization, Main Street El Dorado• Main Street Hero, Paul Choate, Main Street El Dorado• Outstanding Community Education Campaign, Morning Brew, #TeamEureka made up ofEureka Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Eureka Springs Community Center and MainStreet Eureka Springs• Posthumous Recognition, Jim Holt, Main Street Eureka Springs• Best Downtown Promotion or Event, Invest Fort Smith: A Summit to Propel DowntownForward, 64.6 Downtown (Fort Smith) in partnership with Fort Smith Regional Chamberof Commerce• Best Downtown Cultural Heritage Tourism Project, Elaine Massacre Memorial(nominated by Main Street Helena)
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• Posthumous Recognition, Sam Elardo, Main Street Helena• Best Economic Impact Project, St. Bernards Healthcare Expansion (nominated byDowntown Jonesboro Association)• Best Downtown Improvement Project, Crow Group Corporate Headquarters Renovation(nominated by Downtown Morrilton)• Best Visual Merchandising Project, Gracefully Southern Accessories and Gifts(nominated by Main Street Paragould)• Best Image/Branding Campaign, Business, Loblolly Creamery (nominated by SoMa501)• Best Retail Promotion, SoMa After Dark, SoMa501• Best Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Project, Feemster Building (nominated by MainStreet Siloam Springs)• Outstanding Marketing Campaign, Main Street Siloam Springs• Best Downtown Public Improvement Project Streetscape, Bump Outs and MemorialPark, Main Street Siloam Springs and City of Siloam Springs• Outstanding Executive Director, Kelsey Howard, Main Street Siloam Springs• Best Downtown Public Improvement Project Public Art, “Watershed,” Main Street WestMemphis and City of West Memphis“Main Street Arkansas is the perfect combination of historic preservation, communityrevitalization, economic development, job creation and heritage tourism,” Hurst told a crowd ofapproximately 200 guests, including public officials from counties around the state. “It’s a greatprogram that is reaping huge rewards.”This event marked Arkansas Heritage Director Jimmy Bryant’s first Main Street awardsceremony. “It was a great night,” said Bryant. “Seeing Kelsey Howard, who was nominated byher peers, receive the Outstanding Director award was a real highlight. She’s a deservingrecipient and was genuinely surprised.”For more information about Main Street Arkansas and the awards, contact Greg Phillips, MainStreet Arkansas director, at greg.phillips@arkansas.gov or (501) 324-9150.Main Street Arkansas is a program within the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (AHPP),an agency of Arkansas Heritage. AHPP is responsible for identifying, evaluating, registering andpreserving the state’s cultural resources. Other divisions are the Arkansas Arts Council, the DeltaCultural Center in Helena, the Old State House Museum, the Arkansas Natural HeritageCommission, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the Historic Arkansas Museum and theArkansas State Archives. Arkansas Heritage is a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks,Heritage and Tourism.###
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 serves on the Arkansas Travel Council Board of Directors, is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current publicity 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.