Main Street McMinnville has been designated as an accredited National Main Street Program for 2012. The organization meet the standards set by National Trust Main Street Center.
“We are very honored to receive this accreditation,” said Main Street McMinnville executive director Carla King. “It is not an award, but an earned accreditation which consists of 10 criteria. We work on these criteria all through the year.”
The information accumulated throughout the year is organized in a book and presented to Kimberly Nyberg, Tennessee Main Street director. Nyberg reviews the information and submits it to the National Main Street Trust for its review and approval.
If the process sounds difficult, it is. King says accreditation is a year-long effort that begins anew each year.
“It’s not an easy task to complete,” she said. “As soon as we have completed that year, we start working on the next year. It’s an ongoing process.”
The national organization evaluates the performance of Main Street organizations for the prior year and determines if it met the 10 performance standards and criteria required to be named an accredited Main Street program. Setting standards for programs help keep the Main Street movement strong and focused nationally.
The 10 standards of performance require a Main Street program to:
• Develop vision and mission statements relevant to community conditions and to the local Main Street program’s organizational stage;
• Have a comprehensive Main Street work plan;
• Possess and exhibit a historic preservation ethic;
• Have an active board of directors and committees;
• Have an adequate operating budget;
• Have a paid professional program manager;
• Conduct a program of ongoing training for staff and volunteers;
• Report key statistics;
• Have a current membership in the National Main Street Network membership program.
If accreditation is given, the award is presented by the governor of Tennessee during his conference.
There were 764 Main Street communities that earned national accreditation. For more information about Main Street McMinnville, call 506-5335 or visit www.mainstreetmcminnville.org.