A Jacksonville non-profit continues to stay one of the top of its kind in the nation. Jacksonville Main Street has been awarded Main Street American Accreditation for 2023, continuing a streak of reaching the accomplishment for more than twenty consecutive years.
Main Street America is a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Executive Director of Jacksonville Main Street, Judy Tighe says, she feels that achieving accreditation really adds validity to what Jacksonville Main Street does.
“It’s not just a local group of people, this is a statewide and national organization. Jacksonville Main Street has to meet certain criteria and we have to maintain this high level of quality in our programming, our partnership development, and all of the projects that we do in order to achieve this accreditation standard.”
Tighe says Main Street is thrilled to have been recognized again with accreditation. She says reaching this milestone each year takes the work of many local volunteers.
“The fact that we’ve been able to do that for over two decades is a pretty phenomenal testament to our volunteers and all the people that help make this work. It’s not just one or two people, it’s a lot of people, every year.”
Tighe says the continued accreditation status helps Jacksonville Main Street fulfill its mission of enhancing the quality of life, cultivating the historic integrity and helping businesses to thrive downtown.
The Jacksonville Main Street event season kicks off in just over one week with Maifest on Saturday, May 6th, followed by the Downtown Dash shopping event on May 20th.
For more information on Jacksonville Main Street, or to get involved and become a volunteer, visit jacksonvillemainstreet.com, or call 217-245-6884.