Nominated for the board are:

Please Note: You must be a qualified voter to cast a ballot in Portland Downtown elections. Voting is performed via a platform called Election Runner. If you are a qualified voter and did not receive information on how to vote, please email us here.

PROPERTY OWNER

Dawn Homa, Manager, Cooper Properties

Dawn represents Cooper Properties, a local property development company with several properties in the downtown district.
She joined Portland Downtown in 2018, and has contributed to the Board by assisting with their 5-year Strategic Plan, and working on the current mural program. Dawn held the Treasurer position for two years and has recently been elected to serve as Vice-Chair. She enjoys Governance and any ad-hoc committees she can be a part of. Dawn is passionate about creating a vibrant, thriving, and sustainable community in our downtown.

Gillian West, Director of Operations, JB Brown & Sons

Gillian joined J.B. Brown & Sons as a Property Manager in 2015 and was promoted to Director of Operations in 2020. In addition to overseeing the company’s operations, she assists with the design & planning of spaces in our portfolio. Prior to joining J.B.B. she worked for Katina’s Bruck wick Architecture in Washington DC. She’s in love with Maine and with Portland and is excited to be contributing to the changing fabric of the Downtown.

Maggie Roudsari, Chief Development Officer, Gulf of Maine Research Institute

Maggie represents the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, a nonprofit in Portland seeking solutions to ocean challenges that impact the Gulf of Maine’s ecosystem and regional economy. Maggie is committed to improving Portland for those who live and work here across all neighborhoods and sectors. She has a cultural arts background and values Portland’s unique character and history. She previously led an arts council, revitalizing part of a rural downtown community in coastal South Carolina and worked for an aquarium that served as a gathering place, anchored in a growing neighborhood in Charleston, SC.

CULTURAL/EDUCATIONAL/NON-PROFIT

Maria Wolff

A connector, mover & shaker, Maria is passionate about the Portland arts community.

RESTAURANT

Krista Cole

Krista Cole is a current board member, chair of the Downtown Experience Committee, and serves on the Advocacy Committee, and several other subcommittees. She is the owner of Sur Lie on Free Street and Gather in Yarmouth where she focuses on operations, events and is responsible for marketing and branding. Krista also sits on the board of the Portland Development Corporation for the city of Portland.

RETAIL

Tom Mourmouras, Managing Partner, Fire on Fore

Tom owns and operates Fire on Fore, in the heart of the Old Port. His business & tax consulting office is also located at 1 Dana Street. He’s born & raised in Maine, attended Cheverus High School in Portland. He’s been around the Old Port for over 12 years and had at least 1 business there for 5 of them. He loves Downtown Portland and would be honored to serve on a board guiding its future.

BOARD NOMINATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

This is your downtown. Make an impact!

Portland Downtown – a 501c4 nonprofit Downtown Improvement District – stimulates a thriving, vibrant, and sustainable downtown community. Our organization is led by a volunteer Board of Directors and four full-time staff – and we are funded through a supplemental tax paid by property owners within the downtown district. To learn more about Portland Downtown’s work and impact, please review our 5-Year Strategic Plan and our most recent Annual Report.

If you or someone you know would make a great Board representative for Portland Downtown, please consider submitting a nomination for one of our open positions:

At-Large Property Owner (3 seats; Two (2) 3-year terms; One (1) 1-year term)
Accommodations Representative (1 seat; 2-year term)
Cultural/Nonprofit/Education Representative (1 seat; 3-year term)
Restaurant Representative (1 seat; 3-year term)
Retail Representative (1 seat; 3-year term)

Deadline for nominations: April 15, 2022

Be in the know. Join our email list for news & updates.

NOMINATION FORMS ARE CLOSED FOR FY23

Frequently Asked Questions

Who gets to nominate and vote in the election? While some of our Board candidates are elected by Property Owners, others are elected by Industry Stakeholders. Review the “2022 Open Seats” section below to learn how the nomination & election process works for each category. If you still have questions – we know it’s a lot! – contact us at elections@portlandmaine.com.

Can you nominate yourself? Yes!

How long is a Board term? Most of our elected candidates will serve a three-year term (with the exception of one of the At-Large Representatives, who will serve a one-year term, and the Accommodations Representative who will serve a two-year term).

When does the Board term begin? July 1, 2022.

How often are Board meetings? Monthly.

What is expected of Board members? All candidates must:

Be current on Downtown Improvement District assessment as applicable;
Attend monthly Board meetings, currently held on the third Thursday of each month via Zoom;
Co-chair or actively participate in Portland Downtown committees such as Experience, Governance, Marketing & Events, Downtown Business, and Multimodal Transportation.

What else is expected of Board members? Please read our Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest documents to learn more.

What are the benefits of being a Board member? First and foremost, the greatest benefit is knowing that your volunteer service directly contributes to making our downtown clean, safe, and vibrant year-round. Our organization advocates for a wide range of issues that are important to downtown property owners, residents, and businesses. As such, you’ll be able to weigh in on those topics and be part of creating impactful solutions. We also have a lot of fun and being a member of the Portland Downtown Board is a great way to build professional and social connections.

What happens after I complete the online nomination form? A member of the Portland Downtown Elections Committee will make a personal phone call to the candidate to confirm his or her nomination. Once the nomination is confirmed, the nomination slate will go to the Board of Directors for final approval.

What is the voting / elections process?
Our Board Elections will take place online via a platform called Election Runner. Property Owners & Industry Stakeholders within the district will receive unique voting credentials and instructions by mail in June – and then you’ll cast your votes through the online portal.

How are election results communicated? After the online ballots are tabulated through Election Runner, all candidates will be notified via a personal phone call as to whether or not they were elected to the Board. Portland Downtown will also publicly announce the newly elected Board members via a press release. Candidates who are not elected to the Board are welcome to participate in our committees or volunteer.

Questions? Contact us at elections@portlandmaine.com

2022 Open Seats & Criteria for Nominating and Voting
Board nominations are open April 1-15, 2022

For all categories: the property owned, apartment rented, or business represented must be in the downtown district. View a map of the district here to see what’s included.

At-Large Property Owner (3 seats available; Two (2) 3-year terms; One (1) 1-year term)
Only Property Owners in the downtown district may nominate, vote for, and elect candidates in this category. Candidates nominated in this category must own multi-unit (4+) residential or non-residential property in the district (or be an authorized representative of such an owner).

Accommodations Representative (1 seat available; 2-year term)
Only Accommodations Stakeholders in the downtown district may nominate, vote for, and elect candidates in this category. Candidates nominated in this category must represent an Accommodations establishment in the district such as a hotel or inn.

Cultural/Nonprofit/Education Representative (1 seat available; 3-year term)

Only Cultural/Nonprofit and/or Educational institutions in the downtown district may nominate, vote for, and elect candidates in this category. This is defined as: “educational, tax-exempt/non-profit” in our bylaws. Candidates must represent a downtown improvement district located educational, tax-exempt non-profit organization.

Restaurant Representative (1 seat available; 3-year term)

Only Restaurant stakeholders in the downtown district may nominate, vote for, and elect candidates in this category. This is defined as: “FSE w/Prep, Class 1 FSE, Class II, Class III, Class IV, Class XI Rest/Lounge” in our bylaws. Candidates must represent a downtown improvement district located restaurant as defined above.

Retail Representative (1 seat available; 3-year term)

Only Retail stakeholders in the downtown district may nominate, vote for, and elect candidates in this category. Candidates must represent a downtown improvement district located retail business.