About

WHo we are

Tahlequah Main Street Association, Inc. (TMSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization proudly affiliated with the National Main Street Center and part of the Main Street America network. At its heart, TMSA is powered by passionate advocates, dedicated volunteers, engaged stakeholders, and community leaders who work every day to strengthen and revitalize our downtown. Together, we help drive reinvestment, create local jobs, and inspire a lasting sense of pride in place.

Mission Statement

Enhancing the Downtown Tahlequah experience and culture for residents and visitors alike, by actively promoting, engaging, and fostering relationships with our community and partners.

Core Values

Build | Support | Preserve

TMSA By-Laws

By-Laws

Agenda and Minutes

About the Main Street Movement

Over the past 35 years, the Main Street movement has transformed the way communities think about the revitalization and management of their downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. Cities and towns across the nation have come to see that a prosperous, sustainable community is only as healthy as its core.
The Main Street Four-Point Approach® is a unique preservation-based economic development tool that enables communities to revitalize downtown and neighborhood business districts by leveraging local assets – from historic, cultural, and architectural resources to local enterprises and community pride. It is a comprehensive strategy that addresses the variety of issues and problems that challenge traditional commercial districts.
As a unique economic development tool, the Main Street Four-Point Approach® is the foundation for local initiatives to revitalize their districts by leveraging local assets—from cultural or architectural heritage to local enterprises and community pride.
The four points of the Main Street approach work together to build a sustainable and complete community rejuvenation effort. They are Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Reconstruction.

Four Point Committees

Jessie Barnard (Chair)
Lisa Pinnick
Lillian Thrasher
Jennifer O'Daniel

The resurrection of a downtown or neighborhood commercial district requires focusing on the underlying Economic Vitality of the district. This work is rooted in a commitment to making the most of a community’s unique sense of place and existing historic assets, harnessing local economic opportunity, and creating a supportive business environment for small business owners and the growing scores of entrepreneurs, innovators, and localists alike. With the nation-wide growing interest in living downtown, supporting downtown housing is also a key element of building Economic Vitality.

Learn more about Economic Vitality here!

Dillin Springwater (Chair)
Brad Hale
Tristan McDowell
Danny Perry
Michelle Naylor
Lora Buechele
Cassie Bartlett
Irmari Basson
Angeo Basson
Justin Barnes

A focus on Design supports a community’s transformation by enhancing the physical elements of downtown while capitalizing on the unique assets that set the commercial district apart. Main Streets enhance their appeal to residents and visitors alike with attention to public space through the creation of pedestrian friendly streets, inclusion of public art in unexpected areas, visual merchandising, adaptive reuse of older and historic buildings, more efficiently-designed buildings, transit oriented development, and much more.

Learn more about Design here!

Kim Lee (Chair)
Aisling Sosa
Michael Payne
Joe Mack
Marla Grant
Shawna Welch
Stephanie Osborn

Promoting Main Street takes many forms, but the ultimate goal is to position the downtown or commercial district as the center of the community and the hub of economic activity, while creating a positive image that showcases a community’s unique characteristics. This can be done through highlighting cultural traditions, celebrating and preserving important architecture and history, encouraging local businesses to market cooperatively, offering coordinated specials and sales, and hosting special events aimed at changing perceptions of the district and communicating to residents, investors, businesses, and property-owners that this place is special.

Learn more about Promotion here!

Christie Campbell (Chair)
Sydney Smith
Karen Murphy
Chandler Romero

A strong organizational foundation is key for a sustainable Main Street revitalization effort. This can take many forms, from a standalone non-profit organization, to a special assessment district, to a program housed in a municipality or existing community development entity. Regardless of the organizational type, the focus is on ensuring that all organizational resources (partners, funding, volunteers, etc.) are mobilized to effectively implement the Community Transformative Strategies.

Learn more about Organization here!