8:00-8:45am

There is no charge for MDC Member Communities (Main Streets and Affiliates). The cost is $10 per webinar for all other attendees.

An annual appeal should be part of your fundraising plan every year. Join us to see how some of our downtown programs approach their annual appeals, and what they yield for results. Annie O’Rourke, Board Chair of the Brunswick Downtown Association, will focus on board engagement. Zach Schmesser, Executive Director of Our Town Belfast, will focus on his annual business partners program.

MDC Webinars are quick learning opportunities providing great Maine examples from our Main Street and Affiliate Communities. Sessions will be presented in Zoom Webinar format. Short presentations by each speaker will be followed by a Q&A with question posted via the chat function. The sessions will be recorded, and recordings will be shared with all registrants after the webinar.

Speakers:

I has been involved with the BDA for over 15 years. I first served as the representative from Parkview Medical Center where I was Director of Volunteer Services. After a hospital merger, I remained on the Board as I led a Capital Campaign for the small parochial school in town. And, I currently serve as the Chair of the Board representing the Brunswick Inn. Owning and operating a small business first in Connecticut, a 150 seat, full service, “continental” restaurant, and later a Bed and Breakfast here in Topsham cemented my belief in the importance of small businesses working together with their community. Hospitality is my first love and my work with the BDA is a natural extension of that love. Who knew where that B.S. in psychology would lead?

Zach joined Our Town Belfast in January 2018. He has more than 10 years of experience in event planning and community building, as well as business and non-profit management. He has also been a small business owner. As the Events Director at the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, he managed the organization’s signature events including BikeMaine, a week-long bike ride that focuses on economic and community development throughout the state of Maine. Zach is a graduate of Unity College, with degrees in Adventure Therapy and Adventure Education Leadership, and Husson University, with a Master’s in Business.