Regional Retreats
You’re invited to dig into Main Street leadership!
Strong boards build strong Main Streets. As part of our Year of the Boards initiative, Washington Main Street is hosting a new opportunity specifically for local board members.
Regional Retreats are overnight destination workshops crafted to strengthen the skills of and connections between Main Street board leaders from across the state. Each retreat will include expert-led workshops and discussions on topics that include:
- The unique joys and challenges of Main Street organizations
- Effective governance and self-management through strong board culture
- Successful shared leadership between boards and executive directors
- Strategies for workplan accountability and sustainability
- How to set the stage for your next board members through a leadership pipeline
Whether you’re establishing your board foundations or refining existing systems, this retreat will provide strategies and tools to take your Main Street’s leadership to the next level. Leave feeling equipped and inspired to build up your board back home through best practices as well as a community of practice through new connections to your statewide network of peers.
Explore the Retreats
Four uniquely different Main Street Communities were selected to host the Regional Retreats. Choose the host community nearest you to save on travel costs (or better yet, bring a buddy to split costs!) or select a city farther away and take advantage of the chance to explore a new region of our state. The content will be the same at each Retreat, so choose the destination that appeals most to you!
📆 When: May 12-13
📍Where: Port Townsend, WA | Lodging info coming soon – registrants will be notified first!
⛵ Why: Port Townsend Main Street has been supporting the vitality of the Downtown and Uptown historic business districts since 1985. Our rich history and solid organizational foundation continues to fuel our success and support from the community. Our Victorian architecture centers our seaport town and is a big draw for visitors supporting our tourist economy that fuels our small businesses (retail, restaurant, accommodations, and experiences). Uniquely situated on the edge of a peninsula, Port Townsend’s main street is the heart of our community.
📆 When: June 8-9
📍Where: Camas, WA | Lodging info coming soon – registrants will be notified first!
🎨 Why: Historic Downtown Camas is a surprise gem! We started as a proud mill town and we still are! Downtown revitalization started in the early 2000’s and has brought the addition of delightful shops, restaurants, art galleries, lively pubs and cocktail bars, entertainment venues and the restoration of the beautiful Camas Hotel. Engaging public art, downtown lighting, a stunning tree lined main street, compelling architecture and the welcoming nature of our community round out your experience here. Join us and celebrate local authentic flair in our beloved southwest WA town.
📆 When: June 8-9
📍Where: Walla Walla, WA | Lodging info coming soon – registrants will be notified first!
🍷 Why: Walla Walla offers many of the experiences people associate with larger cities, including a vibrant food scene, renowned wine region, arts and culture, and a charming historic downtown district. These experiences take place within a compact, highly walkable downtown where restaurants, tasting rooms, shops, galleries, and public gathering spaces are all located within a few blocks. Visitors experience destination-level amenities while still enjoying the accessibility and connection that come with a smaller community.
📆 When: June 8-9
📍Where: Wenatchee, WA | Lodging info coming soon – registrants will be notified first!
🏔️ Why: Downtown Wenatchee is the heart of the North Central Washington region, a place where all are welcome to enjoy shopping, working, dining, playing and simply living. The improvements made in downtown Wenatchee in recent years and the capital projects slated in the near future are creating vibrancy and sustainability for years to come. The Wenatchee Downtown Association is leading towards its vision of downtown as the pinnacle of experience and opportunity.
Plan for Learning
These retreats are created especially for board members as a rare opportunity to work directly with Main Street experts and to connect to and learn from your peers. Our facilitators will present best practices and dive into discussion, so come with your questions and stories. Whether you’re just beginning your term as a Main Street leader or a board veteran, you’ll leave with strategies to strengthen your boards back home and Main Street memories – as well as new friends who “get it”! Because we explore the places we’re in, we encourage comfortable clothing and shoes. Here’s a sample agenda to plan around:
Day 1
12:00 p.m. Arrive for welcome lunch
1:30 p.m. Classroom session 1
3:00 p.m. Facilitated group discussion
4:00 p.m. Tour and/or group activity
6:00 p.m. Group dinner
Day 2
8:00 a.m. Optional “coffee’s on” discussion
9:00 a.m. Classroom session 2
10:00 a.m. Classroom session 3
11:00 a.m. Facilitated group discussion + wrap up
12:00 p.m. Optional group lunch
To get the most out of these gatherings, we encourage registering in pairs or groups. The first 3 seats are free for each Main Street Community and Affiliate! After that, the cost is $75 per person. It’s our goal to make this training accessible, so please reach out to us if you’d like to request a sliding scale based on organizational budget size.
Meet Your Facilitators
👤Joi Cuartero-Austin
💼Main Street America Senior Program Officer
As Senior Program Officer for Economic Vitality, Joi travels across the U.S. providing technical services to Main Street organizations in metro and rural areas. She’s no stranger to the joys and pains of board leaders, and draws from experiences across the nation as well as her state-wide leadership as Director of Illinois Main Street Programs and on-the-ground leadership as Executive Director for Batavia Main Street.
Joi brings a passion for structure and strategic planning to board support, including as a partner to our Washington Main Street staff on progress visits for designated Communities!
👤Norma Ramirez de Miess
💼Norma Ramirez de Miess Community Revitalization Strategies
Norma seamlessly integrates the value of her cultural assets, entrepreneurial spirit, strategic approach, and love for connecting with people into her work that preserves and enhances the heart of communities across the country. Through her 25+ year journey in Main Street, as a visionary local leader in Elgin, IL and then as the Vice President of Revitalization Services at Main Street America, Norma has become a trusted partner and respected thought leader in the Main Street movement.
You may recognize Norma from her lauded board leadership session at PLACES 2025 in Gig Harbor! Or one of the many other visits she’s paid to Washington over the last ten years. Norma now shares her visionary and strategic leadership with communities through her own consulting practice, Norma Ramirez Miess, LLC.
👤Sheri Stuart
💼Oregon Main Street Coordinator (recently retired)
Throughout her 30 year career, Sheri has worked at nearly every level of the Main Street movement: local, national, and statewide. Before spending over a decade and a half leading Oregon Main Street, Sheri was educating and learning alongside Main Streeters across the nation as staff at Main Street America and before that was leading the Port Townsend Main Street as Executive Director.
You may recognize Sheri from the Main Street Building Blocks workshop ahead of 2024 PLACES in Walla Walla or from her Mary Means Leadership Award presented at the 2025 Main Street Now national conference. Sheri is graciously lending us her expertise just months after retiring, don’t miss her!