May 1 , 2024, St. Paul – This year’s Main Street Local Lightning Rod Award was granted to Mary Flicek, Wabasha Main Street Director, at the Minnesota Main Streets State Conference in Owatonna. This award recognizes an outstanding Main Street Staff Member, Volunteer, or Stakeholder, and the efforts they have put forth in support of Main Street efforts, either event-specific or in general support of the district.
Celebrating each of the Four Points (Design, Economic Vitality, Organization, Promotion) of the Main Street Approach, Minnesota Main Streets awards people, businesses, or organizations that have been catalysts for major change in their district. As an outstanding volunteer who has given thousands of hours of her time, Flicek has been instrumental in creating and maintaining the Wabasha Main Street program.
“It is very easy to say that this Main Street program simply would not exist without the energy, devotion, and care of this individual,” says Rethos Community Programs Director Emily Kurash-Casey. “I’ve been honored to work alongside Mary during my tenure as a local Main Street Director and I’m ceaselessly impressed by their energy, and their deep love of their downtown. It’s not a far stretch to say that this downtown has their fingerprints everywhere, and Wabasha Main Street is a better place for it.”
Over the past seven years, Flicek has been a connector, introducing new people and engaging with and serving on local commissions. She has also generated Historic Preservation publicity, lead local art and beautification projects, managed events, provided construction information, and maintained Main Street America’s Affiliate designation by on-time reporting, attending trainings, seminars, tours, and webinars – all while owning a historic building and operating her downtown business.
The Local Lightning Rod Award began in 2023, recognizing the service happening in Main Street districts in Minnesota. In the early days of the pandemic, artist and storyteller Mary Welcome wrote “We all have the ability to act as both lighthouse and lightning rod for the places we care about.” The idea of acting as a vessel to channel energy and keep places safe came to define the qualities of good people doing good work in good places as the basis for this award.
CONTACT:
Mary Flicek, Wabasha Main Street Director, Wabasha Main Street.
Wabasha Main Street’s Mission: To continue and encourage the collaborative efforts with the City of Wabasha for the economic development in the downtown district while strengthening our historic art and cultural heritage.
Shannon Laing, Minnesota Main Streets Manager
Rethos
shannon@rethos.org
651.377.8069
About Rethos
Rethos, formerly the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose board, staff, and partners work nationwide together to protect and promote communities shared environment and culture. The Minnesota Main Streets program at Rethos helps cities maximize both their people and built assets for economic vitality. Minnesota Main Streets is a Main Street America™ Coordinating Program and provides local Main Street communities with the training, tools, information, and networking they need to reinvigorate their downtown districts. More at https://www.rethos.org.