Mt. Airy USA

Mt. Airy USA

Commercial Revitalization & Communications Associate

Project Goal(s)

The fellow will build capacity in communications and program-delivery to support a variety of business district beautification and community revitalization projects in a diverse Northwest Philadelphia neighborhood. This will help bring more connect the program with more constituents as well as funders. It will also help to attract new businesses to the Germantown Avenue commercial corridor, creating jobs and decreasing the vacancy rate and attract new customers to the corridor to sustain new and existing businesses.

Agency Information

Website www.mtairyusa.org

Agency Mission To preserve, empower and advance a vibrant and diverse Mt. Airy by stimulating development responsive to the community’s needs.

Address 6703 Germantown Ave., Suite 200; Phila., PA 19119

Total number of Agency Staff Members 10

Agency Budget $1,000,000

Community Need

Please state in measurable and quantifiable terms the specific community need that the Philly Fellow will address

The Philly Fellow will assist the organization to continue its economic development work along the Germantown Avenue commercial corridor. Their work will help to increase local employment and address blight on the Avenue and the surrounding neighborhood through decreasing commercial vacancy rates and improving physical conditions. Managing broader communications activities for the organization, their work will also address the need for high quality housing and credit counseling services and will help connect the organization’s real estate rehabilitation efforts to low-moderate income homebuyers. The population served by these activities are the 40,000 neighborhood residents, the over 600 people served by the counseling program, and over 200 local small business owners.

Describe how your agency addresses this need, and how the new capacity created by this fellow will help alleviate the problem

Mt. Airy USA's programming is organized within three distinct areas. The first, commercial corridor revitalization- works to improve the business climate along Mt. Airy's main street, Germantown Avenue, through a solid combination of programming aimed at 1) physical improvement, including strategically targeted façade improvements and a comprehensive streetscape improvement renovation; 2) district marketing and retail promotional initiatives; 3) business retention and recruitment; and 4) cleanliness and safety. The second, commercial and residential real estate development works to remove blight and invigorate area markets through strategic acquisition and redevelopment. The third, neighborhood programs, works to improve the quality of life for neighbors through services including housing counseling, the provision of financial literacy trainings and workshops and community organizing. Additional capacity for communications and program delivery will enable the organization to better support important gains for the neighborhood and region while generating new successes in more distressed areas of the district.

Describe the level of community involvement in the fellow’s project

Community involvement is a crucial component of the work to improve the Germantown Avenue commercial corridor. For promotional initiatives, the fellow will work with a steering committee comprised of key stakeholders including local business owners, commercial property owners and representatives of the two local civic groups. Through the fellow’s communications and public relations activities, they will regularly interact with neighborhood constituents who are interested in being informed and/or involved.

Job Description

Please outline in list form the fellow's duties and responsibilities

1. Enhance and administer an organizational communications strategy.

2. Manage and coordinate public relations activities designed to promote the organization’s work and accomplishments as well as attract customers and businesses to Germantown Avenue.

3. Update website on a regular basis

4. Develop and distribute quarterly e-newsletters for local constituencies.

5. Develop and distribute marketing materials for the organization and for the Germantown Avenue business district.

6. Coordinate and manage district retail promotional initiatives designed to increase foot traffic along the Germantown Avenue commercial corridor.

7. Generate local business participation in business development and promotional activities.

8. Work with the Program Director to develop new initiatives

9. Assist the real estate and housing counseling departments in marketing projects and services to eligible clientele.

10. Support corridor improvement project activities through: a. Organizing creative fundraising events b. Grant-writing c. Data collection and maintenance d. Communications e. Community organizing

11. Maintain property and business inventory data and a listing of available commercial spaces to facilitate business recruitment activities.

Please outline in list form the skills/qualifications a fellow should have to succeed in the position

1. Excellent written and verbal communication skills

2. Process-oriented and able to perform tasks independently.

3. Strong project management and organizational abilities.

4. Strong interpersonal skills.

5. Motivated and high energy.

6. Creative- ability to ‘think outside the box.’

7. Comfort working with diverse populations.

8. Working knowledge of internet and social media marketing.

9. Experience with/ knowledge of website maintenance.

Please describe your agency's plan to orient and train the fellow

The fellow will meet weekly with their supervisor and will be invited to attend meetings relating to the array of work the organization conducts. Additionally, he/she will receive orientation and training for each project they work on from the relevant staff leadership. The fellow will also be provided the opportunity to attend external trainings and conferences on best practices in non-profit communications. Finally, the organization will coordinate meetings for the fellow with communications professionals in other regional non-profits.

Name and title of the fellow's immediate supervisor

Elizabeth Moselle; Director of Commercial Corridor Revitalization

Please briefly describe plans for supervision of fellow

The fellow will primarily report to the Director of Commercial Corridor Revitalization, but may report to the Executive Director or other department directors as other projects require. The fellow will meet regularly with supervisory staff to review project progress, ask questions and receive feedback.

Will fellow be working at the same address listed above? Yes

Will the fellow have their own…

Office? Fellow will have their own Desk? Fellow will have their own Computer? Fellow will have their own

Please approximate the percentage of time the fellow will work…

Independently 60%

As a team member in a group setting 25%

As a team leader in a group setting 15%

Will the fellow be expected to travel as part of the position? Yes

If so, how often and where? Periodically (less than once a month) the Fellow may attend meetings in Center City.

Will the fellow need the following to carry out the position…

A driver’s license? No

Their own car? No