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CMSC CEO Patrick McMahon Announces Departure
July 25, 2021
Connecticut Main Street Center's popular CEO, Patrick McMahon, announced his resignation after four years at the helm of the state's leading downtown resource. "It has been an honor and privilege to work with CMSC's talented staff and dedicated volunteer Board in assisting communities with the critically important work of downtown revitalization. I'm confident I'm leaving the organization in good hands, with a stable financial footing and solid relationships that will help secure CMSC's future," said Mr. McMahon. "It makes it easier to pursue my next endeavor knowing CMSC is well-positioned to take on its new strategic goals and challenges."Indeed, the CEO has much to be proud of, having accomplished the goals he set for himself when he took over from the organization's founding CEO, John Simone, in 2017. "When I came aboard my priorities were to stabilize CMSC's funding, which was really reliant on grants and made it tough to plan for multiple years out, increase membership, and improve relationships with legislators and the State," said Mr. McMahon.
Mr. McMahon furthered all of those initiatives, most notably securing $350,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding for the organization for each of the next two fiscal years during the recent legislative session. "The Covid pandemic has certainly made people realize how important our downtowns are to our communities and local economies, and how critical CMSC's work is for teaching people how to craft downtowns that are safe, vibrant, and resilient," said Mr. McMahon. He also shepherded a recent strategic partnership with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) that resulted in greater education, communication and advocacy between the organizations' constituencies.
During his four-year tenure as CEO, 16 new communities joined the CMSC member network, as well as several Professional Affiliate organizations. Mr. McMahon also led the company's Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program, helping communities such as Enfield and Old Saybrook to establish Tax Increment Financing Districts, through which the municipalities are utilizing the financing mechanism to enable community development. In addition, Mr. McMahon has been a leading voice for adaptive reuse of historic buildings, as well as Transit Oriented Development, mixed-use development, and small business assistance.
"We thank Patrick for his dedication and hard work over the last four years," said Michael Andreana, Chair of the CMSC Board of Directors. "He's been a tireless cheerleader and advocate for Connecticut's downtowns and Main Streets, and it's clear how much he cares about CMSC and loves this state. We certainly wish him well as he pursues this next chapter."
Patrick will stay through July 30th, after which CMSC's Associate Director, Kimberley Parsons-Whitaker, will serve as Interim CEO while a search is conducted for Mr. McMahon's replacement. Looking forward, CMSC plans to grow upon its successes through continued collaboration with CCM, increased outreach to communities, additional diversified funding, and taking on a new leadership role at the intersection of Economic Development, Historic Preservation, Sustainability, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
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