Tomahawk Main Street Inc. earns Gold Tier status from state organization

TOMAHAWK – This week, Tomahawk Main Street Inc. announced that it has been named one of Wisconsin Main Street’s Gold Tier communities for the second year in a row.

The Gold Tier status, granted by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), highlights the state’s top-performing downtown districts.

Five other Main Street groups – Beloit, Racine, Sheboygan Falls, Watertown and Wausau – also earned Gold Tier recognition.

To earn the Gold Tier accreditation status within the Wisconsin Main Street program, a local downtown organization must meet strict performance standards. The evaluation heavily factors in scores from the Main Street America Community Evaluation Framework, alongside rigorous state-level participation requirements.

In earning Gold Tier accreditation, the Tomahawk organization said it has “exceeded strict performance standards through exceptional organizational effectiveness, community engagement, and revitalization impact.”

Main Street said performance is graded across six core national standards established by Main Street America:

• Standard one: Broad-based community commitment to revitalization.
• Standard two: Inclusive leadership and organizational capacity.
• Standard three: Diversified funding and sustainable program operations.
• Standard four: Strategy-driven programming.
• Standard five: Preservation-based economic development.
• Standard six: Demonstrated impact and results.

Main Street said it ultimately met high grading thresholds across all evaluation categories, going above baseline program requirements; demonstrating high levels of Board of Directors training attendance and staff participation in state workshops; and showing measurable success in local historic preservation, business recruitment and private economic investment.

The Tomahawk group also met training requirements from Main Street America by securing a minimum of 75% board attendance at state-level Main Street training events.

By attending at least three Wisconsin Main Street workshops or conferences within the fiscal year, Tomahawk Main Street Inc. Executive Director Jennifer Turkiewicz met continuing education requirements.

There are numerous benefits to being a Gold Star community, Main Street noted. That status allows the organization to gain access to priority assistance, specialized services and targeted consultant visits, and it may receive invitations to high-level policy and advocacy events to help shape statewide commercial district rules.

To learn more about what it takes to be a successful and effective Main Street community, visit www.tinyurl.com/3efw7m83.