Who are Diane and Donna and how can they help?

The team behind Accelerating Downtown Organizations is Diane Williams and Donna Ann Harris, both nationally known revitalization specialists. We have known each other for more than ten years, having met at Illinois Main Street where we worked together for more than five years. Since then, we have partnered on other downtown projects around the country and are delighted to bring our respective skills to you through Accelerating Downtown Organizations.

Biographies

Donna Ann Harris is the principal of Heritage Consulting Inc., a Philadelphia-based consulting firm that works in three practice areas: downtown revitalization, historic preservation and organizational development. Prior to starting her firm in 2004, she was state coordinator for the Illinois Main Street for two years and the manager of the Illinois suburban Main Street for four years. Prior to her Main Street career, Donna spent 15 years as an executive director of three start-up and two mature preservation organizations, each with its own organizational and fundraising challenges. In the last two years, Donna published a book, New Solutions for House Museums, as well as scholarly articles in Forum Journal, History News and Main Street News on business improvement district feasibility, advocacy and membership development. Donna earned a Master of Science degree in Historic Preservation from Columbia University in New York City, and a Master of Governmental Administration degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Diane Williams joined Business Districts, Inc. in 2003 with a unique combination of public and private sector experience. Diane’s careers in both sectors encompass three decades of experience in understanding markets and their relationship to strategy development, and within the last decade, their significance to commercial district revitalization and preservation economics. During Diane’s first five years with Business Districts, Inc., she also served as the Executive Director of Evmark, the downtown marketing and management organization in Evanston, Illinois. Previously, Diane was the Assistant State Coordinator for Illinois’ statewide Main Street program for five years, where she worked with 56 communities on economic restructuring and design issues. Prior to pursuing graduate studies in historic preservation, Diane Williams was a Vice President at Citibank in Chicago. She has twenty-one years of banking experience, including thirteen as a commercial banker to the small business market. Diane has a Master’s degree in Historic Preservation from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Diane also completed undergraduate business courses at Northwestern University and M. B. A. coursework at DePaul University.