New development director aims to help downtown Sharon thrive
Jun. 20—SHARON — The new director of community and economic development for the Sharon Community Development Corp. is learning the needs of businesses and creating a strong foundation for business owners.
"For me personally, I have two tasks: Improve the quality of life and increase foot traffic and economic development," said Jeff Feola, who was just hired to the non-profit last month. "The step before that has to be changing the perception of downtown."
Feola joins the SCDC after managing the first national tour of the Broadway musical, "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical," for the last 15 months. He's worked in New York City on and off Broadway, and touring large-scale musicals on the business end of the performing arts for the last 15 years. He got a taste of community development work when he came back to his hometown of New Castle during the pandemic.
"I look at downtown like a stage," Feola said. "Each individual show that needs their own advertising, their own marketing and their own brand."
The SCDC recognizes Feola as an asset to the revitalization efforts of Sharon.
"Jeff brings a wealth of event planning experience and an eagerness to get to know the community and help set folks up for success," said John Evans, SCDC board president.
Feola is currently on a "listening tour" of downtown business owners and community stakeholders. Coordinating synergy among them is toward the top of his list.
On Feola's list for the near-term includes expanding a successful concert last year to a three-part summer concert series in the green space downtown at the former Huntington Bank site along the Shenango River north of East State Street.
"Rockin' on the River" will kick-off June 28 with "Grandview Soul," followed by "My so-called 90s band" July 19 and "The Labra Brothers" Aug. 16. Concerts will run from 6 to 8 p.m. and attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs to set up in the green space.
"I'm excited to see the center of town energized by live music, while enjoying the view of the river and beautiful downtown Sharon," Feola said. "It'll be an opportunity to relax, dance and enjoy some really talented musicians."
Feola will also be involved in supporting events that other organizations are hosting in town, such as, WaterFire Sharon, the Farmer's Market and the Father's Day Car Show. He will be connecting business owners who are hosting events to build synergy and create multi-stop reasons for visitors.
"The opportunity to experience Sharon offers everything from big street festivals, to live music, to small classes that feed one's creativity," Feola said. I'm honored to help bring all of these to light."
Feola will not be just an event planner. His role offers very direct support for business owners as the SCDC becomes part of the region's strong entrepreneurial ecosystem.
"We are so fortunate to have resources — funding, training, direct support — for businesses in this area," Feola said. "I don't offer all the answers , but there is a fantastic network that Sharon is a strong part of and collectively we can help businesses thrive here."
Feola thanked Sherris Moreira for leaving the city with such a strong foundation for him to build upon.
"She did a wonderful job and I'm very thankful for the amount of work and that she put in a foundation, which we will continue to build," Feola said.
A grant from the city of Sharon to the SCDC allowed the organization to hire Angie Urban as executive director in late 2023.
The duo of Urban and Feola is guided by a 14-member board of directors, and, collectively, they are organizing a structure of revitalization efforts based on the best practices of the Main Street Model.
"I am enjoying connecting with entrepreneurs and property owners and beginning to find ways to serve as a connector to help the downtown thrive," Feola said. "To understand that the design and capacities of public spaces to hold events is paramount, and pairing that with novel ways to peak curiosity in visitors, then give them a fantastic experience while they're here is awesome to help see to fruition."
The mission of the SCDC is to drive community and economic development in Sharon and is the next evolution in revitalization efforts for the city. It is an independent non-profit, but works closely with the city of Sharon to establish plans and strategies for the long-term sustainability of the current positive momentum.
"The key is a collaborative approach," Feola said. "The SCDC has such a wonderful intentionality for making regional connections and setting people up for success and I'm proud to be part of it."
Follow Melissa Klaric on twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com
Follow Melissa Klaric on twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com
