After five years of being the lead advocate for downtown Columbus, Main Street Columbus Executive Director Amber Brislin announced Tuesday she will be resigning from the organization. The date of her official resignation is undetermined as Brislin said she plans to stay on board with Main Street to help find and train her replacement.
In an email sent to local media outlets Tuesday afternoon, Brislin said she wants to spend more time with her family:
“I have absolutely loved my time with Main Street Columbus and want to make sure my replacement is set up for success,” the statement read. “I am more than willing to take the time necessary to make sure all of the projects and programs of Main Street Columbus keep progressing as they should.
“I have put my all into this position for the past five years; the people I have met and the things I have learned are priceless to me. I will always cherish the many accomplishments that I have had the pleasure to be a part of and all the friends that I have made along the way.
“This was a very difficult and bittersweet decision, but I feel it is the right time for me to focus on other priorities. I plan to remain involved in our community and am happy to know that I always have and always will call Columbus, MS my home.”
Main Street Columbus board president Brandt Galloway stated that the search process for a new director will begin in the upcoming weeks.
“We will advertise for this position at the appropriate time as soon as a search committee has been formed,” Galloway said.
The mission of Main Street Columbus is to enhance local culture and quality of life through planning, growth, diversification and preservation of the Downtown historic district. Main Street Columbus was named a Great American Main Street community in 2010, a honor bestowed to only five communities nationwide each year. Columbus is the only town in Mississippi to ever receive this distinction.
Main Street Columbus continues many downtown beautification and enhancement projects throughout the year. It also manages the Hitching Lot Farmers Market and plans several special events throughout the year, including the Market Street Festival, Downtown Christmas and Spring Open Houses, the Columbus Christmas Parade, Wassail Fest, New Years’ Eve Block Party, Sounds of Summer and Noon Tunes.
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