About Junction City Main Street
Junction City Main Street, guided by an active and engaged volunteer board of directors seeks to make the designated downtown area an economic engine for the region and a location where friends and families can gather for shopping and socializing.
The 501c3 organization began operating in the spring of 2021 when the city was selected after a competitive application process as a designated Main Street.
Junction City is a town of 22,300 people linked geographically and patriotically with 15,000 US soldiers, and their families, stationed at the Ft. Riley Army base. The city celebrates the fact that it has one of the most diverse population bases in Kansas (5th most diverse county) and among Kansas counties has the second largest share of population that is African American. Another important demographic is Geary County is home to a young population (3rd largest share of county population below 17 years of age).
While the focus is on revitalizing and renewing business activity downtown, Main Street collaborates and partners with all entities focused on a successful region. A common refrain is “when good things happen in Geary County, Main Street will benefit.”
You are invited to explore this website, learn about the National Main Street 4-point approach that serve as a starting point for the strategies Junction City board will implement to create a vibrant economy.
Vision
Junction City Main Street – gateway to a thriving downtown and community.
Mission
Junction City Main Street, recognizing downtown is the heart of the community, strives to preserve and share the city’s history through a dedicated network of community volunteers driven to ensure the downtown provides a positive experience defined by a modern and robust economy and activities that engage and delight.
Four Points
The Main Street Approach® is centered around Transformation Strategies. A Transformation Strategy articulates a focused, deliberate path to revitalizing or strengthening a downtown or commercial district’s economy. Transformation Strategies should be organized around the Four Points:
Photo courtesy of Main Street America.
Meet the Board 2023
Past Chairperson
Theresa Bramlage – R2B4 Bramlage Foundation
Theresa serves as Program Director for The R2B4 Bramlage Family Foundation and moved back to Junction City almost five years ago to devote more time to the community that supported the family through the years with a focus on quality of life and having economic impact for the people of Junction City/Geary County.
Meet the Staff
Michaela Self, Executive Director
A native of Hutchison, Kansas, Michaela graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor’s of Marketing and Public Relations before choosing to return and make her home in Kansas. While in school, she spent 30 months in a paid internship with the San Marcos Main Street Program. That experience allowed her to be both familiar with how the program operates and convinced of the important role Main Street plays in revitalizing downtown.
Michaela comes to Main Street after serving in Customer Relations and Project Management with US Stone Industries in Manhattan.
Michaela begins serving as Executive Director on April 25 working in the new Junction City Main Street office at 131 W 7th Street, when she is not out and about in the community.
Terry Butler, Development Director
Born and raised as a military daughter, wife, and mother, with multiple assignments to Ft. Riley, Kansas. Junction City is home. Terry loves where she lives and wants others to feel the same. When she is not working as a physical therapist at Geary Rehabilitation and Fitness Center, or spending time with her family and caring for her grandchildren, Terry can be found downtown. Her passion is to support the revitalization of downtown Junction City such that it becomes the heart and soul of our community.
Hannah Hasbrouck, Event Coordinator
