Main Street director reminiscences

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After more than five years at the helm of Main Street Delaware, Susie Bibler is moving on from her role as executive director of the nonprofit organization.

Bibler, whose last day with Main Street Delaware is Friday, has accepted a position as the development director of the Delaware County Foundation. Caroline Pusateri, who currently serves as the program coordinator for Main Street Delaware, has been appointed as the interim executive director.

“It will allow me to just focus on fundraising while still being able to be involved in the community, which is what I’ve enjoyed through the years. And I’ll be helping lots of nonprofits in the community,” Bibler said of the transition to the Delaware County Foundation.

Bibler came to Main Street Delaware in October of 2016 after previous stops with the American Red Cross, United Way, and the Columbus Zoo. Her decision to join Main Street Delaware was rooted in a desire to get reinvolved in the community and the “Delaware happenings,” something she had gotten away from after leaving the United Way.

“Working with the small business owners was different for me and something that I really enjoyed,” Bibler said. “Also, a lot of the event planning. Usually, with nonprofits, they typically have a few events a year. But obviously, with Main Street, just the amount of events, as well as the number of people who attended the events, was new and different.”

During her time with Main Street Delaware, Bibler has seen the organization and its events evolve in “so many ways,” she said. In particular, Bibler pointed to the attendance at the Farmers Market and First Friday events along with the different elements that have been added to them to make for “true community events.”

“Just seeing the number of people and businesses involved with those events has been really encouraging,” she said.

Bibler added she feels there has been an increased appreciation from the businesses for the work Main Street Delaware is doing in the community.

“I know our relationships with the business owners have improved,” Bibler said. “When I started with Main Street, there were somewhere around 2o business members … Now we have close to 100. Our relationships with the small businesses in the district have really grown, so I’m really proud of that.”

Bibler went on to say that when she began the executive director position in 2016, the organization wasn’t financially sound “to put it lightly.” Now, as she prepares to leave the organization, Bibler feels she is leaving it in a far better situation financially, which can be tangibly seen in the organization’s move to its current location at 20 E. William St.

“Moving the organization from kind of a storefront space into its own building that is more welcoming, not just to the community members but visitors also, is a huge accomplishment,” she said. “Being able to raise the funds to do that and to keep our annual budget going was pretty major … We would have never have been able to do that in 2016.”

As for the decision to leave the organization at this particular time, Bibler expressed a sense of fulfillment as well as peace of mind considering Pusateri’s readiness and ability to make for a seamless transition into the next era of the organization.

“I feel good. I feel like I’ve done what I can,” Bibler said. “I feel very proud of where I’ve been able to take the organization. In some ways, it is easier (to leave) just because of also having Caroline in place. When I started, it was just myself for two years. To have Caroline here to make sure things don’t fall through the cracks, it gives me some peace of mind about leaving.”

Bibler
https://www.delgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2022/05/web1_Bibler-1.jpgBibler

Main Street Delaware Executive Director Susie Bibler poses for a photo in front of the nonprofit’s former office on East Winter Street in downtown Delaware in this file photo taken a week after Bibler accepted the role back in October 2016.
https://www.delgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2022/05/web1__DSC0031-1.jpgMain Street Delaware Executive Director Susie Bibler poses for a photo in front of the nonprofit’s former office on East Winter Street in downtown Delaware in this file photo taken a week after Bibler accepted the role back in October 2016. File photo | The Gazette

By Dillon Davis

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Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on Twitter @DillonDavis56.

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