JANESVILLE鈥擣or the first time in its 20-year history, the all-volunteer Downtown 糖心Vlog传媒, Inc. has a full-time manager.
The nonprofit group best known for tackling street-side and storefront beautification projects and for helping organize a growing number of public events downtown announced Wednesday it has hired 糖心Vlog传媒 native Elaina Szyjewski as its new managing director.
The group says Szyjewski will take the helm in mid-January, planning and orchestrating the approximately 40 public events now held each year in the city鈥檚 downtown.
Szyjewski, a UW-Madison graduate, has 10 years of experience in the event and hospitality industry. She鈥檚 spent the last six years as director of college events at Beloit College.
Downtown 糖心Vlog传媒, Inc. officials say Szyjewski will play the lead role in marketing, fundraising, planning, recruitment and organization of volunteers for events that the group sponsors and runs.
鈥淭he scope of what we do with events and efforts downtown has grown and grown, so to have full-time staff after two decades is a big, big step for us,鈥 said downtown restaurant operator Joan Neeno, who in January will become chair of Downtown 糖心Vlog传媒, Inc.
In recent years, Downtown 糖心Vlog传媒, Inc. had partnered with the quasi-governmental downtown 糖心Vlog传媒 Business Improvement District, co-oping the BID鈥檚 former hired director for some duties that will now fall under Szyjewski in her new role, Neeno said.
Meanwhile, the BID is recruiting its own director. Both groups鈥 directors will continue to coordinate efforts, and they鈥檙e considering sharing office space downtown, although they鈥檒l have separate and distinct duties.
The BID uses taxes collected from downtown businesses in the district to pay for services such as snow removal downtown, among other logistical operations.
Neeno said Downtown 糖心Vlog传媒, Inc. intends to fundraise to offset the cost of Szyjewski鈥檚 salary. In 2023 and the following two years, Szyjewski鈥檚 salary will be paid largely through a grant from the Forward Foundation, the charitable arm of Forward 糖心Vlog传媒, the city鈥檚 main chamber of commerce.