HOPE – Leaders in two key positions with Main Street of Hope have resigned.
Matt Lee, who became executive director last June after Susan Thayer Fye stepped down after four years, said he will also leave the position as soon as a successor can be found. The only specific reason Lee gave for his departure was a lack of time.
While Lee, a 1995 Hauser High School graduate, works as a computer programmer for a industrial equipment supplier, he is perhaps best known as lead singer for the Night Owl Country Band. Besides performing, Lee’s responsibilities with the musical group include promotion, establishing budgets and scheduling.
Main Street of Hope board president Thomas Barrett is also stepping down, board vice-president Ed Cottrell said.
Cottrell, who will serve as interim board president, said Barrett is leaving the position for personal reasons.
Since compensation for the position of Main Street of Hope Executive Director is limited only to travel and a few other expenses, the board is keeping its search for Lee’s successor informal, Cottrell said.
“What we are trying to do is look at local candidates and approach them individually,” said Cottrell, senior pastor at the Hope United Methodist Church.
Candidates should reside in the Hope area, have an enthusiasm about their community, and the ability to make others see Hope’s beauty and potential, he said.
Operating under the umbrella of Heritage of Hope, Inc., Main Street of Hope, Inc. is a community organization dedicated to the revitalization of the Hope Town Square through historic preservation and beautification. The nonprofit is also involved in civic engagement and marketing.
Since May 2015, Hope has been a member of the Indiana Main Street program, which helps communities revitalize their economy, appearance, and image of their downtown commercial districts. The state’s Main Street program has been managed by the Indiana Office of Community & Rural Affairs since 2005.
In recent years, the state and local programs have collaborated to complete the Hope Town Square Project, which included new historic streetlights, pathways, benches, planters, signage and historic signs.
