If you have been out and about in the downtown area, you might have run into the newest face at the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). Mark Kelly has been hired as a part-time employee in charge of development and special events.
‘I’m excited to be a member of the Downtown Lake Orion team,? Kelly said.
‘I look forward to meeting individually with the Village’s business partners to help me help them. I want to solicit their expertise and ideas, have them consider sponsorships and encourage their continued involvement as volunteers.?
‘Volunteerism is the engine that drives successful programs,? he added.
Kelly understands the importance of volunteering. For the last few years, he has been active in doing volunteer work for Band of Angels Foundation, Paint Creek Center for the Arts and the Rochester Heritage Festival.
‘I used my sale skills to do fundraisers for those groups, and I quickly realized that I enjoyed that more than I enjoyed my day job,? Kelly said.
‘Last year I actually made a decision to retire from the commercial business world and donate myself to non-profits.?
It is Kelly’s experience with the business world, though, that he feels will help make him successful in his new position with the DDA.
He owned and operated a small business in the Saginaw area for ten years.
‘I think hopefully my experience as a small business owner will help me relate to the issues that local business owners are facing,? said Kelly.
He said that if you are a local downtown business owner, don’t be surprised when he pops in for a visit.
‘I hope to be able to leverage my business expertise and experiences through the DDA to support them in whatever way they deem best,? Kelly said.
‘I’m looking forward to hearing from them what they think they need, versus maybe what I, traditionally, think they might need,? he added. ‘To get sort of a reality check and be flexible to adopt to whatever best they think we need to do to help them.?
Local businesses that are interested in getting involved with the DDA aren’t just limited to downtown businesses.
Kelly said that the DDA hosts events throughout the year and they are always looking for volunteers and sponsors.
The next big event the DDA is hosting is the Flower Fair, which will be held May 19-20.
Kelly said they are still looking for vendors and sponsors to participate in the event.
Anyone interested in signing up as a vendor, sponsor or volunteer for the Flower Fair, or any other DDA event, is asked to contact Kelly at the DDA offices at (248)693-9742.