SDI Chooses New Board of Trustees and President

The (SDI) Board of Trustees held its first meeting of 2012 with newly elected Trustees - two returning Board Members, Rich Lorenson of Schroth & Lorenson Jewelers, Stephen Pardee, Resident at Large and Robert Weakley, Property Owner of 73-75 Union Place, who is new to the Board.  Today the Board of Trustees elected the following officers.  Emi Havas, Chairperson, Paperfolio; Kevin Smallwood, Vice Chairman, Smallwood Financial; Detlef Felschow, Treasurer, Hilltop Community Bank, and Lori Dahl, Secretary, Coldwell Banker.

 "This is my second time being chairperson," said Havas, who runs the store Paperfolio. "We have a good board, and a great executive committee," she said.

Summit Downtown, Inc. is a non-profit corporation which represents all retailers and businesses in the Special Improvement District.  The purpose of SDI is to encourage the development and improvement of the quality of life in the business community in the downtown.  It is governed by a 20 member Board of Trustees that comprise downtown retailers, downtown property owners, and community residents, members of the Common Council, the Mayor and the City Administrator.

The tax revenues are dedicated to benefit the downtown and the City of Summit.  SDI promotes the downtown and its retail/business community through print and online advertising throughout the year and events such as Annual Restaurant Week, Girls’ Night Out, Summit Farmers Market, the Spring and Fall Street Fairs, Festival of Fine Arts and Crafts, Antique/Classic Car Show, Halloween Trick or Treat, and December Holiday Events.  We also partner with other non-profits such as the Summit Historical Society, Suburban Chambers of Commerce, Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Shaping Summit Together and Summit YMCA..

 According to Havas, it's a team effort making downtown Summit what it is. "Every one does a lot of work," she said. "We're 95 percent full, you can't hate that in this economic time," said Havas. However she did offer one thing she hopes to see change in the future, and that's parking. "If we can solve the parking problem we are off and running." Havas is a member of the common council's new parking committee.

For more information about Summit Downtown, Inc. and the events they sponsored visit www.summitdowntown.org.