Board of Directors & Staff

Downtown Manhattan, Inc.

Did you Know? Downtown Manhattan, Inc is a non profit community volunteer organization
working in the areas of economic development, street design and place making, retail and business
recruitment and marketing and promotion. It is our mission to increase consumer awareness; to
strengthen retail and professional business institutions; to increase the economic vitality of the City’s
center and to promote and attract new businesses to the downtown.

The DMI Board of Directors is grateful for your donation towards making events like this
possible!

Donate Here!

President:  Ben Burton, Owner of Community House & Switchgrass Development

Vice-President:  Dan Michaels, Operations Director at Eagle Radio

Treasurer: Kelly Karl, Pre-Construction Manager at BHS

Board Members at Large:

James Bond: Owner of Manhatchet

Damen Scheele: Community Bank President at United Bank & Trust

Caleb Hartig: General Manager of 324 Speakeasy

Lindsay Lowe: Owner of Platinum & Co.

Ali Goss: Owner of Enamored by Ali

Amanda Aslin: General Manager of Tallgrass Tap House

Ex-Officio Board Members:

Stephanie Peterson: Director of Community Development for City of Manhattan

Amanda Webb: Planning and Special Projects Director for Riley County

Kurstin Harris (Community Member at Large)

Staff:

Gina Snyder: Executive Director, DMI

Tanya Ram: Office Manager, DMI

Heather Hnizdil: Event Manager, DMI

Donovan Barber: Groundskeeper, DMI

Downtown Manhattan, Inc. Goals and Objectives
2024

• Initiatives Within Five Years
  • New Website
  • Work with Public Works to develop a process for use of public rights-of-way during construction
  • Work with Public Works to ensure maintenance on infrastructure is done in a timely manner
• Organizational and Administrative Processes and Efficiencies
  • Grow Friends of the Neighborhood Associate Membership Program to 10K
  • Secure Partners for 2024 Downtown Partners Corporate Sponsorship Program
  • Create 501c3 for the purpose of writing/receiving grants and accepting tax deductible donations
  • Hire part time Social Media/Content Coordinator
  • Identify funding source for Houston and 3rd Streets and the Frost Plaza beautification projects
  • Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of five Kansas downtown districts for economic comparisons to be used for our City Commission annual presentation and organizational growth
  • Create and support economic opportunities by promoting and advocating for the Downtown district through any and all viable options
  • Advocate for both public and private venues and spaces that are unique and available to all in an aesthetically appealing and walkable district
  • Increase revenue by 80K
• Partnerships, Sponsorships and Collaborative Efforts
  • Expand the Nourish Downtown partnership with Flint Hills Breadbasket
  • Create new partnerships/programming to support our mission of growing our patronage
  • Work alongside Museum of Art & Light to bring patrons to the district
• Events, Programming and Management
  • Create new event for main fundraiser/possibly replace Plates & Pours
  • Enhance event processes/procedures under new Event Manager
  • Frost/mall Plaza programming and ordinace for CCA
  • Create arts and economic development relationships with K-State and the Kansas Department of Commerce for the purpose of growing our art events and bringing patrons to the district