Farmington's Downtown Development Authority needs a new board member. Any downtown business or property owner can apply by Tuesday, Oct. 13.
The opening follows the departure of Shawn MacDonell-Kavanagh, who served on the DDA board and chaired its Promotions Committee. MacDonell-Kavanagh, a former owner of Heights Brewing, helped bring downtown merchants together and championed collaborative events including the Hollywood Haunt and Ugly Sweater Crawl, the city said in a press release.
The new member will fill a partial term expiring Feb. 28, 2028. Full DDA board terms run four years. The board meets the first Wednesday of each month at 8 a.m.
The DDA oversees Main Street Farmington, the downtown revitalization program that Main Street America named a 2026 Great American Main Street Award winner at its national conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Main Street America calls the award the nation's top honor for preservation-based commercial district revitalization. Main Street Farmington was one of three programs recognized, alongside downtowns in Wytheville, Virginia, and Sykesville, Maryland.
Since the program launched in 2002, downtown vacancy rates have dropped from about 15 percent to below 5 percent, backed by more than $20 million in private investment, according to Main Street America. Riley Park, converted from a central parking lot, hosts concerts and festivals drawing more than 100,000 visitors a year.
The DDA has also invested in streetscape improvements and gathering spaces including Dinan Park, Masons Corner and the Art Park Promenade. It supports small businesses through programs like the Retail LAB incubator and small business grants.
Jess Westendorf, the DDA's executive director since June 2025, said when she was appointed that she sees public spaces and small businesses as the core of a thriving downtown and wants to build on that energy in Farmington.
Applicants can submit a board and commission application to Farmington City Hall at 23600 Liberty St., email it to [email protected] or call 248-699-5121.
