Downtown Development Authority Coordinator - City of Fennville - Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM)

CEDAM's AmeriCorps Information: CEDAM's AmeriCorps program connects local and statewide agencies to meet neighbors' critical needs. Members create community, build capacity and serve neighbors across Michigan. Our AmeriCorps program advances equity for Michiganders in two key ways 1. Cultivating the next generation of leaders in the community economic development field and 2. Supporting economic inclusion for Michiganders. 

Organizational Information: The City of Fennville is a small city, located in Allegan County, MI. The City strives to be a diverse and inclusive community, which will grow and prosper through sustainable actions to provide a home for generations. The City carries out that mission through eight adopted values of transparency, accountability, efficiency, openness, creativity, respect, inclusivity, and compassion. The City envisions a future in which they are a sustainable and well-connected City that welcomes, supports, and encourages innovation, while celebrating the City's growing diversity, and the chosen individual will help support that vision in their work.

Role and Responsibilities:

• Participate in CEDAM AmeriCorps monthly meetings, trainings, events, data collection, reporting and additional items as needed.
• Participate in AmeriCorps & Michigan's AmeriCorps events and trainings.   
• Support existing and new businesses by assisting city leaders  through:  
  • Conducting a business support survey, in order to collect information from businesses on needs 
  • Increasing public relations and communications between the businesses and programming by public institutions 
  • Develop a resource document (business development toolkit) for businesses with frequently asked questions and requested information. 
  • Assist with marketing, creating, and implementing community events 
  • Further developing the facade improvement grant program 
  • Develop an entrepreneur mentorship and business incubator program  
  • Work with City staff to enable cost sharing agreements between businesses, for services such as trash and recycling. 
  • Establish a “Shop Small” campaign or incentive program with city staff 
  • Plan, coordinate, and provide educational workshops to small businesses, focusing especially on business development resources. 
  • Implementation of goals recommended by comprehensive economic development strategy (being completed in fall of 2024). 
• Support housing and neighborhood repair programs by assisting city leaders through: 
  • Conducting a housing support survey, to collect information from residents on needs for housing and neighborhood repair. 
  • Creation of a rental readiness toolkit, providing resources to landlords and tenants
  • Establishment of a housing repair incentive program or microloan program
  • Work with Fennville District Library to establish a tool library for repair programming. 
  • Establish a volunteer network of individuals willing to assist with pro bono home repair. 
  • Plan, coordinate, and provide educational workshops to participants, focusing especially on home ownership and home preservation. 
• Create flyers and manage social media posts to increase program awareness of opportunities, volunteer opportunities, and educational events. 
• Assist the DDA Board with program development to further the above goals.  

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Willingness and interest in working with a diverse population, while modeling patience, kindness, flexibility, respect and maintaining privacy to those we're assisting in the community; 
• Experience, knowledge, or interest to learn about small business development
• Experience or desire to learn about home repairs/rehabilitation work

Minimum Qualifications:

• Be at least 18 years of age. Applicants must have HS diploma, GED or working toward the completion of one.
• U.S. citizen, U.S. national or lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
• Pass the following National Service Criminal History Checks: State of Michigan background check, State of residency (if not Michigan), FBI Fingerprinting, and State & National Sex Offender Registry

Compensation: 

Members will receive a living allowance of $26,000 distributed in even increments, bi-weekly. Members will receive student loan forbearance for qualified loans, health care package, childcare assistance upon eligibility, and continual professional development. Upon successful completion of service an education award in the amount of $7,395 will be issued. Members will serve 1,700 hours for the term = 40 hours/week. CEDAM's AmeriCorps Program is an equal opportunity employer. Reasonable accommodations will be made for interview/service as needed. All interested candidates must be available to spend 40 hours in training the week of September 9.