Friday, Nov. 04 2011 11:21AM
Drape named DLSMS executive director
By Miranda Wycoff, mwycoff@lsjournal.com
Recently director of the Arts Incubator, Trisha Drape, is now executive director of Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street Inc. A downtown Lee's Summit resident for the past 17 years, Drape has volunteer for the organization for several years as well. 11.3.11 Julie Scheidegger
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closeDowntown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc. has a new leader at its helm.
And while the search committee looked far and wide for applicants, in the end they found their ideal candidate in their own back yard.
The DLMS board approved the appointment of longtime downtown Lee’s Summit resident, volunteer and board member, Trisha Drape, as executive director of the award-winning organization Tuesday evening. “I live downtown, I shop downtown, I eat downtown. There’s hardly anything I haven’t volunteered for,” Drape said. “I love the small business owners and the entrepreneurs who choose to take a risk and invest in our community and I want to help them any way I can.
“My heart has always been with this organization, downtown business owners and staff. This job is a dream come true.”
Drape – replacing Jeanine Rann, who resigned in July to take a position with the Missouri Main Street Connection, the state’s Downtown Main Street organization – will not officially begin her duties until Nov. 11, but she already has a lengthy list of ideas for the organization.
Goals include finishing up the final unfinished tasks named in the Downtown Master Plan, begin implementing the Business Development and Retention Strategy completed in 2010, and look at ways to involve the neighborhoods directly adjacent to the core business district. And that’s just what came to mind first.
She said she also hopes to concentrate more on historic preservation and revitalization by becoming more proactive working with developers and educating existing building owners about how to keep the historic integrity of their buildings. But a personal goal, and one she plans on starting right away, is to “go and meet every merchant and stakeholder, listen to their concerns and get their feedback.”
And business owners who already know Drape – and there are a lot of them – are just excited that she was chosen for the job.
“Down here there is already such a sense of community. And for someone who already knows that, and what we’re about, it’s just reassuring,” said Amy Robertson, owner of Cameron’s Home Furnishings. Her father, and co-owner, Steve Tominia said he sees Drape’s appointment as another step forward for the organization that has seen much success lately – culminating with the distinction of Great American Main Street Award winner in 2010.
“We’ve had so many accomplishments lately and we want to keep heading in the right direction. She’s got a connection with the stores and stakeholders downtown and we just think she’s exactly what we need.”
The majority of Drape’s career has been spent in the publishing/newspaper industry; she served as editor of the Lee’s Summit Journal from 2001 to 2006. She also served as the director of communications for the Aircraft Electronics Association, an international trade association headquartered in Lee’s Summit, and the editor of its magazine. Most recently, she was director of a nonprofit arts organization.
“We are really excited to have Trisha join our team,” said Sarah Shore, assistant director. “We know she has a passion and commitment to downtown and we know she’ll be able to come in and hit the ground running.”
Earlier this year Drape was the recipient of the Mary Stacy Downtown Ambassador of the Year for her work promoting downtown. She has also served two terms as a DLMS board member – serving on the Economic Restructuring Committee. She has also been active with the Lee’s Summit Arts Council and LS360’s Community Branding Committee.
“I really believe in a sense of place in a community to keep our citizens and business owners engaged. And in Lee’s Summit, that place starts downtown. It really is the heart of the community,” Drape said. DLSMS Board President Ryan Smarr, who is also relatively new to the position, said he’s excited by Drape’s appointment.
“There have been a lot of changes to the organization in a relatively short period of time, but I think this will bring in a new era for the organization and take us to a whole new level,” Smarr said.
