Sometimes you can come home again, which is the situation for former Downtown Barrie BIA executive director Craig Stevens, who is coming back to the post.
Stevens previously held the role for 15 years before leaving in November 2019 when he accepted a position at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) Foundation as a business development officer involved with fundraising for the new expansion campaign.
“I really enjoyed the opportunity to work for RVH and assist with the initial stages of the campaign," he said. "After a year, I was able to move into an opportunity to assist the Ontario BIA Association as a consultant working on a grant evaluating the real time impacts of COVID between rural and urban downtowns which was exciting.
"Furthermore, I have been able to take the opportunity to embrace entrepreneurism myself and partner with my brother in his commercial real estate capital company developing the residential side of the business,” Stevens added.
When the opportunity came up to return to the BIA, Stevens said he was really excited to assist with what the organization was doing.
“I have always kept in touch with what was happening during my time away," he said. "I was really happy to see Open Air Dunlop be so successful. That type of event was a hopeful vision way back a number of years ago with the first patio pilot project and then the new streetscape development.
“I am also grateful for the solid foundation that the BIA staff and board have put the organization in as a result of their proactive approach during the pandemic supporting our downtown businesses," Stevens added. "That work has created a more robust and agile organization.”
Since rejoining the BIA officially on May 2, Stevens said he's quickly learning and appreciating how, over the past 18 months, the BIA staff team and board of directors approached the pandemic head on to support local businesses that were hit so hard.
“My main goal is to continue to serve and support the board and the business members through to the end of this term and then prepare for a new four-year term with a fall election,” he said.
“Additionally, this will be the second full season of Open Air Dunlop and a summer of more public events like we used to have prior to the pandemic. We really want to make them special for all of our visitors and businesses and bring people back to enjoy downtown Barrie," Stevens added.
