Holly Stecker, Executive Director, Downtown Boone, Mainstreet, February 05, 2026

Today, taking a little time to visit with Holly Stecker, who is the executive director of our downtown Boone Main Street, and helping to cover for Courtney, who, by the way, got busy. Sorry, but yeah, she had planned to be here. Yes.

As actually some of the chamber-related things that are going on, they have the LEAD program. Again, that's that leadership training that's once a month, the first Thursday of the month, so she's had to go pick that up today. Anyway, it's gone pretty well.

That's been a pretty successful program. You get a lot of interest in that. Sure, it sure has, and it keeps her quite busy.

Okay, let's talk a little bit about, well, let's go with some of the chamber-related things here first, because I figure she gave you a little list of, I can't be there, but obviously on the event side, she is really focusing on Pufferbilly.

It's the 50th anniversary, so she's working on it, and I'm guessing probably has a number of people that are involved. Yes, the steering committee has just really been rounded out. We're meeting about every two weeks right now, just gearing up and getting the plans.

We're really excited to announce the logo and theme that will follow our meeting, which is next Wednesday, the 11th. So look towards the end of next week for the 50th anniversary logo and Puffer theme.

Coming soon to an activity near you, and once again, we'll be needing some volunteers for that. Again, that's something I know she's been focused on that. Obviously a big thing, and from the Main Street side, because you do collaborate on some of this stuff.

Again, even though I keep explaining to people two different entities, same building, but two different entities, but there are things you do collaborate on.

We do collaborate, and this year I will be sitting on the steering committee bringing up the communications and marketing side of things for Puffer. Help promote it, make it bigger and better. So that's going to be going on.

I know one thing at the couple of council meetings ago, they were asked about the search for the executive director. Some of the board people were, so Courtney's not involved there, but they're still working on it, as far as I understand.

They had several people they were going to be interviewing. From my understanding, they've narrowed it down to six great candidates. They interviewed the first three maybe a week ago, and I believe they interviewed the second three this Friday.

So that announcement should be coming shortly. I think they had some weather affected some of the interviews there. So hopefully they'll find somebody to move in there. In the meantime, over on the other side, the Main Street side, you also have a lot of things.

Here we are only the month of February, but busy activity going on, too. I know shops, they've got their plans going with Valentines and everything else, but you guys are doing some digital workshops. Yes.

So one of our identified 2026 goals is to offer workshops and trainings for shop owners and building owners.

So we started planning this digital workshop probably mid-summer, and we've partnered with two great gentlemen, Robert Heinrichs and Matt Caesar, and they will come in and really walk through the digital side of things where if anyone out there is like me, we start talking SEOs and analytics, and it's going right over my head.

But there are things you can learn from this. One hundred percent. So the digital marketing class is a hands-on workshop. You bring your laptop, and we will do the work in real time.

So you don't walk away with a bunch of homework and feeling lost and like you just had a bowl of vocabulary soup here. A lot of acronyms. Can they tell you what the acronyms are? They will break it down. They will break it down. And like I said, it's hands-on.

We sold out our initial 20 seats. We expanded to 25 seats, and we've sold out again. So there is a chance for a wait list if you're interested and you didn't get signed up yet. Just shoot me an email, and we'll see what we can work out.

So the purpose for actually the businesses and things like that, what, is learn how to use these, how this information works, how you can use more digital in your business, I guess. Yes, and just a few simple Google steps that you can take to boost your business online.

So boost your presence online and really get that traffic driven to you and really understanding the backside of Google. And then the subsequent classes, workshops will focus on some AI and social media tools as well. Okay.

And again, all things that they hear about, but if you haven't been involved and probably don't have somebody from Edge coming in to work with you. Correct. Correct. And again, it gets to be a challenge.

Again for people that would like to be able to do this on their own and be able to help enhance their business. So yeah, got that, we'll keep going. So I mean, that was one really you started planning on it last year.

So these two, do they offer this program or did you find them or how did you? Actually a downtown Boone shop owner brought the concept to us.

And really to back it up even further, when we hosted the haunted buildings tour, the ticket sales were the idea was that the ticket sales from that would subsidize the cost for this so that we could offer it to the shop owners at a discounted rate. All four sessions are for $75.

And Matt and Robert themselves are about a hundred dollars an hour. So the haunted building tour subsidized that until we sold out twice and now it's self-funded. So there you go.

So you can get a little bit and those are the kinds of things that you look for the success for Main Street having that going too. Let's see, I know there are other things that you're focusing on on the Main Street side coming up. You know, we're not far away.

We're going to start talking farmer's market and other things like that. Do you have other things that you guys are because you said we had a lot of successful programs last year and we were looking to build on. We are looking to build on those.

So in the what's from the outside may seem like a quiet January and February. We're really doing all of the work to bolster the events that we did take on last year and look to grow and expand them.

One exciting adventure that I'm looking forward to planning is expanding crazy days to a vendor market down Story Street as well and drive some traffic from out of town.

Sure just to get more attraction, more activity going on, which is what that's the idea behind Main Street too. And gearing up the farmer's market. That's a big initiative for us in 2026. That'll be a big one too. Yeah, I will get going on that.

So one of the other things I know last year, Main Street itself again, the statewide organization offers a lot of opportunities. I mean, you know, we keep talking about what we're doing locally, but they are, it's still under the umbrella of the state and the state.

I mean, they're not giving up on any Main Street community. Oh no. So do they keep checking in with you to see what's happening? And again, are there, do they keep saying, would you need help with something? What's going on? The state directors meet every month.

We have a team's call, which just happened yesterday, where the local or excuse me, the focus yesterday was on the Iowa arts grants. And that was a great seminar on that. And we are looking at our spring workshop training, which will happen in Mason City.

I've got a myself and a board member will go up to that March 3rd and 4th. And then the same board member will join me in Tulsa for the Main Street America conference and that is April 12th through the 16th. Okay. Well, that's coming up also in March.

It's time for the, this is the statewide grant challenge grant it's called. And again, it's for building owners, isn't it? Primarily that's what the focus is. And it's actually through Main Street. I. Yes, it is.

The challenge grant is exterior facade grant and it's a very competitive process and you need to be a Main Street community to be considered for the challenge grant. And this year we will focus on starting this quite early in March.

We're going to host an open house for building owners. Let's see. So March 10th from there will be an open house from 12 to one and six to seven PM.

So building owners can come in and visit with us, understand what the application process may look like and what would be ideal, an ideal candidate for the challenge grant.

And I know that like from the city standpoint, I know because they do all the B diff and things like that, the facades, the front, the look and for Main Street, you go for that historic preservation. Correct. The historic preservation side of things.

And typically scored much higher for second story housing as well. Okay.

So again, there are things that they will learn as part of the open house has come in and maybe inquire, learn a little bit about it and see if this is something you wish to participate in because I'm guessing from the building owner standpoint, they're going to have to have some commitment.

Oh yes. Yes. And it's a matched grant. So we will have the partnership with the city there and just coordination all along the way. Yeah. It takes it, but pretty competitive. Yes. I'm guessing. Yes.

I was going to say, there's a lot of Main Street communities and they're all looking to have some sort of an improvement project. So that March 10th, building owners should mark their calendar. Yep. I'm guessing you keep reminding them anyways. Yes. An open house style.

This will be held in the boardroom at 903 story street. Just in and out. Come in and spend some time there and kind of like when the DOT does their things. Come and take a look at it and we'll show you the plan and if you have a comment and give it to us. Yeah.

Also, if you can't make it in, my email address is hollys at downtownbooneia.com. Just email me. Are there some other activities that are coming up that you chamber wise and or Main Street wise that we need to let them know about? Yes.

So on February 18th, the chamber and downtown Boone last year partnered for a Galentine's intention setting and a vision board activity. It was a great success.

Last year we had a blizzard that night and everybody stayed even late past the 8 o'clock hour and we had a really nice time. I'm excited to have participants come back and share the successes of their year and really focus on our professional goal setting.

So this is something you guys have worked on before and what did we give them? What did the people, the participants get? Okay, so I'll break it down for you.

A vision board is really an arts and crafts experience and each participant had a list of goals that they wanted to see and then you arts and crafts paste, cut and paste essentially your annual goals. So the idea here is that I will hear how that went and will present.

They'll get a chance to take a look at what they did. Correct, correct. And share it with others how the year actually went and how they progressed. Take a look back. There we go. So we're good. Now this is part two, review and then start for the next year. All right.

Do they need to sign up? What's the best way? The event is on Facebook and it's also on our website. So just go over. It's a job form sign up. It's free to anyone. Just sign up so that we can account for numbers and have treats for you. There we go. We got it.

Anyway, pretty busy, pretty active. I mean a lot of different things you still want to keep working on too. Other things you're looking at too or on the chamber side, did she have any other notes about things that are coming up?

I know they got a couple of new members and things like that. Yeah. Her board is, I think they're just really focused on getting back to fully staffed and work those out. We do have a new gal in the front. Yeah, operations person. Operations manager. Yep.

And she's working out wonderfully. Who is that again? Her name is Allison Larson. Okay. And really, like I said, we've got the Galentine's event, the digital marketing and the challenge grant open house coming up. Okay.

And on the chamber side, still working on all the pufferbilly things, hoping to get all the other things out there. I got to ask you because people are going to say you didn't say anything about RangBri. So new announcement, obviously.

We've got, I think they just were here the other day. Actually, the register had some of their people or the people that do it come through and do the thing. Again, just really getting started. But Chamber of Main Street, obviously, big part of what you're going to be planning.

And how can we be a part? Yeah. Yep. My understanding is that it's in the very early stages. They've got their team in place and we also understand, yeah, that the official route will be announced somewhere in April.

And I think that will help everybody finalize some plans after that. And Downtown Boone will just be ready to roll out the red carpet for the riders. Do what we can and help get all our businesses and all our members to be a part of it. Help Boone Chai. We'll be a party. Anyway.

That's no doubt. Coming up in July, of course, for RagBri, but that's a one-day thing and takes a lot of planning. It's kind of like a wedding. Very much so. I could only imagine. You get there and boom, all of a sudden that's done.

But we've got a lot of other things that'll be going on too. We know that the pair. As we talk about RagBri, we can sort of couple that and think about crazy days will be the Saturday following RagBri.

So as you think about RagBri, think about coming back Downtown on Saturday for a crazy day. Got a crazy day coming up too. And again, make it bigger and better. Go for some more. Even some more.

Holly Stoeckner has been our guest on our program today and once again covering for Courtney Sisson who's been busy doing other obligations with the chamber. But we do appreciate you taking time to come in and get us updated on what's going on. Challenge Grant, March 10th.

Again, building owners, if you need some information, want to find out more about what it is. And again, this will be an open house where they can come in and get more info. But mark your calendar down if you have any questions. Get a hodaholly at the.

Otherwise digital workshops still have some openings in your next ones. It's sold out. It's sold out. It's sold out. But you can get a, yeah, join the wait list through an email. Just shoot me an email. If this gets to be pretty popular, this might be a.

I could see bringing it back. We could see doing that again too. And it's hands on. I've been asked if it could be recorded and watch it. But I think truly the benefit happens from being in person.

So they're like, actually you're there doing stuff and they're right there to say, have you thought about doing, try this, do this. Yes. Or that you run into a roadblock. You need somebody to ask. Right there.

And on the chamber side, of course, Courtney working on all the Pufferbilly organization, going for the theme and much more. That'll be coming out soon. 50th anniversary this year. So yeah, there we go. Got to get that taken care of too. She's got a great team assembled.

That's good. It got a good committee there. And I know your board recently met and I think they feel pretty good about the directions. We're heading here. 26. So thanks for joining us today. Holly Stekker is the executive director for downtown Boone main street.

And of course, share space with the chamber, but, uh, collaborates on a lot of things. What is it? The 18th, right? You're gallantines day. Yeah. Okay. You got, thank you, Jim. Thanks for having me.