SKOWHEGAN — Dugan Murphy is stepping down as executive director of Main Street Skowhegan after 2 1/2 years at the helm of the town’s nonprofit downtown revitalization group.
Murphy is resigning to start a communications consulting business in Portland with his partner, Dela Taylor. Murphy will remain in his current position until Aug. 20 as the organization searches for a replacement.
Main Street Skowhegan executive directors
There have been five executive directors since the October 2005 Main Street designation.
The lineage of Main Street Skowhegan executive directors:
• Audrey Lovering — fall 2005 to fall 2007
•Lisa McLaughlin — December 2007 to April 2008
• Betsy Bourdeau — January 2009 to July 2009
• Jen Olsen — March 2010 to September 2012
• Dugan Murphy — March 2013 through Aug. 20, 2015
“The intent of it is that we want to expand,” Murphy said of his new business. “Right now I’m working on one downtown, and I want to have an impact on more downtowns.”
He said the new company, Nuf Sed Communications, will work with organizations such as Main Street programs across the state and small businesses to help improve their ability to communicate and get their message and their name out to a wide audience.
“We’re passionate about arts, downtowns, historic preservation, small business — things that are quirky and unique,” he said. “I’m not leaving Main Street Skowhegan because I’m not passionate about downtowns any more. It’s public relations; it’s communicating with the press; it’s branding, marketing; it’s shaping of a message.”
Murphy, 32, took over in March 2013 after former director Jennifer Olsen left to head Waterville Main Street.
The new Main Street Skowhegan director will administer the office and day-to-day affairs of Main Street Skowhegan, while supervising the staff and volunteers to attain the specific goals and objectives of the organization and its programs. Starting annual salary for the position is about $34,000 plus health and vacation benefits.
“Dugan is leaving Main Street in a very strong position,” said Board President Matt DuBois, of The Bankery and Skowhegan Fleuriste.
DuBois points to the reinvigorated board of directors as well as a strong volunteer base, which has led to more stable funding that Murphy helped create, along with new systems for budgeting and communications.
Main Street Skowhegan is a nonprofit organization focused on the ongoing revitalization of Skowhegan’s historic downtown. To celebrate its 10th year, Murphy and volunteers have organized special Decade of Development events, including a gala and auction May 30 held at Lakewood Inn, a June 27 golf tournament with the Skowhegan Rotary Club at Lakewood Golf Course and, on Aug. 8, the Annual Riverfest Craft Fair.
Main Street Skowhegan also recently unveiled the Main Street Skowhegan Savings Entrepreneur Challenge. The program includes three phases, with one or more businesses being selected to receive a $20,000 incentive package that includes a $10,000 forgivable loan, free accounting services and other benefits to aid in the start or expansion of their business. Other participants might be eligible for some benefits, as made possible by donated services from the business community. Applications for the challenge are being accepted.
In the last several years, Main Street Skowhegan has partnered with the Skowhegan Area Chamber and the town to complete the Skowhegan Indian sculpture restoration project and connect it to the rest of downtown with a new park and pedestrian corridor.
Main Street’s other recent achievements include securing a gift of 25 Bernard Langlais sculptures to be placed around the downtown, winning a grant to help Children’s Cottage owner Karen Lewia rehabilitate the long-vacant second floor of her historic downtown building, assisting Katie Quinn to expand her Ass Over Teakettle Bloody Mary Mix production business in the kitchen of the historic Masonic Lodge and organizing many downtown events.
Murphy will be using part of his time in the coming weeks to help the Main Street Skowhegan board of directors in hiring and training his successor.
“We’re sad to see him go,” said board member Sam Hight, of Hight Ford, “but we’re confident that his successor will have no problem picking up where he left off.”
Candidates for the executive director vacancy will find a job description and application instructions on the Main Street Skowhegan website.
Murphy, who grew up in Scarborough, received a master’s degree in community planning and a bachelor’s degree in urban planning from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning. He also received certificates in historic preservation and geographic information science at the school.
The Main Street Skowhegan annual budget is about $85,000, including the director’s salary, office rental, printing and other expenses. Taxpayers, local businesses and community fundraising each provide one-third of the money to fund the budget.
The Skowhegan and Waterville Main Street programs are part of the Maine Downtown Center’s approach to downtown revitalization with an eye on maintaining the historic integrity of existing buildings. The idea was developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1980 and is used in more than 2,200 communities in 44 states.
Other Main Street communities in the state are Bath, Belfast, Biddeford, Brunswick, Gardiner, Rockland, Saco and Sanford.
Doug Harlow — 612-2367
Twitter: @Doug_Harlow
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