New Main Street Director introduced

EL DORADO — The El Dorado Advertising and Promotion Commission was introduced Tuesday to new staff members of two local nonprofit organizations that are supported by the commission to help promote events that bring people to town.

Commissioners learned that Main Street El Dorado has chosen Beth Brumley as the new executive director of Main Street El Dorado.

Brumley, formerly Beth Chadwick, previously served on the MSE board of directors and was board president during MusicFest XXV, which featured MC Hammer, Jake Owen and Vanilla Ice, in 2012.

Later, Paul Choate — the current president of the Main Street board, who, coincidentally, succeeded Brumley as Main Street board president in 2013 and was reappointed this year — said Brumley was selected out of three finalists who “were all capable of managing our program.”

Choate said Main Street El Dorado sifted through more than a dozen resumes before narrowing the pool down to three candidates who were invited for interviews with the MSE executive committee and a representative from Main Street Arkansas.

Choate noted that all of the applicants were hometown residents who were familiar with the local Main Street program.

Brumley stood out of a field of candidates with similar attributes that would benefit Main Street El Dorado, Choate said.

Brumley has worked in marketing and public relations for area nursing homes and health and rehabilitation facilities, including Oak Ridge Nursing and Rehabilitation.

She also has retail experience, having previously worked for WalMart, Choate pointed out.

“When it came right down to it, her history with Main Street, plus with her being past

president of Main Street … We’re happy we found someone with her work history, work history and passion,” Choate said.

Brumley accepted the job last week and went to work on Monday.

“She knows it’s a challenge because we’re changing pace here,” Choate said, referring to Main Street’s new direction and focus on economic restructuring, organization, and design, three components of the national Main Street program’s four-point approach to downtown revitalization.

Main Street El Dorado has said that El Dorado Festivals and Events, Inc., will take the lead with the fourth point: promotions.

Festivals and Events expects to unveil this year the first phase of its massive plan to develop an arts and entertainment district in Downtown El Dorado.

The private, nonprofit program is mounting a $1-plus million rollout with a bevy of events planned for September.

Austin Barrow, president and chief operating officer of Festivals and Events, introduced A&P commissioners Tuesday to new Chief Marketing Officer Bob Tarren.

“He just moved here,” Barrow said.

Tarren told commissioners that he has more than 35 years of experience in marketing, having served in several capacities, including ad agencies, startups, Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits.

He came to El Dorado from

Pittsburgh, having moved there after spending three decades in Virginia.

Tarren explained that Festivals and Events understands that its plan depends on out-of-market visitors to survive, so the organization is looking to promote its events outside of a 150-mile radius.

In other business, Brumley reported that Main Street $1,470 of $5,900 in funding that had come from the A&P commission to help promote the Harlem Globetortters 2017 World Tour, which stopped in Wildcat Arena on Jan. 31.

“Since it was a sold-out event, we did not have to spend as much on marketing,” Brumley said.