It’s only been a few months, but Katie Zimmer’s new office is filled with plans for upcoming events such as Dog Days of August and Main Street Mingle in September.
Zimmer was hired as Lake Orion’s Downtown Development Authority director in April. Her new job includes bringing new businesses to the village, community and event planning, marketing and public relations — in other words selling the village as a great place to live, work and play
Her first impressions of the Village of Lake Orion have been nothing but positive. ‘This is a great little community. It has lots of potential and it’s moving in the right direction,? she said. ‘We just need to create our own identity. What’s our focus going to be??
Zimmer sees the nearby trail systems, the lake, sporting goods stores, yoga studios and numerous restaurants as a reflection of a community that has an active lifestyle.
She believes the key to her first year in the village is educating herself and the Main Street committees. She would like to see one of the inactive Main Street committees, the economics committee, be reestablished
‘We’ve got to get everyone going in the same direction,? Zimmer said. ‘The health of the downtown is a reflection of the health of the whole community.?
Zimmer described last spring’s Flower Fair as very successful. Although not involved in this year’s planning, she’s already looking at next year’s event.
‘I think it can be a little bigger, redefined. That doesn’t necessarily mean in size; it’s more about quality,? she said.
In the immediate future, Zimmer would like to put together a downtown brochure that would include a map and a list of the businesses. She sees this brochure as a good connection to upcoming Super Bowl that takes place in Detroit.
Looking at the village as an outsider, Zimmer said it needs help to make it a walkable community. Better directions should be provided to get people to parking areas.
‘We need to improve the appeal and connect the trails (Paint Creek/Polly Ann) The DDA has so many projects, great ideas, but just so much money. There needs to be a priority list,? she added.
According to Zimmer, there’s been some interest in the vacant buildings downtown. ‘I want to do a business analysis and find out what do we want to have here, what should we try to recruit.
‘My long range goal is to have a good building inventory on the website,? she said.
Zimmer lives in Harrison Township. She is currently locked into a year’s lease and will decide if she wants to move closer to Lake Orion when the lease expires.
Zimmer’s bringing to Lake Orion a diverse and well-balanced background. She has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Kalamazoo College, a master of Science in Management degree from Walsh College.
Previously, Zimmer was a director of corporate services for Baker College, the executive director of the Paint Creek Center for the Arts, the producer of Rochester’s Arts and Apples Festival,
Before applying for the village position, she was the executive director of the Marine City Chamber of Commerce.
Zimmer is an active Rotarian, a member of a number of Chambers of Commerce throughout southeastern Michigan, a volunteer for the St. Clair Chamber of Commerce.
Until 2004, she served on the Downtown Redevelopment Committee for the City of St. Clair, which was instrumental in the establishment of a Downtown Development Authority for the city.
Zimmer said she had applied for the same job that former village manager Becky Goodman was hired for in Petosky.
‘I interviewed a lot. Then I got stuck in a snowstorm (coming home from Petosky), decided this wasn’t for me and withdrew my name,? she said.
Zimmer heard from Goodman that Lake Orion was looking for a DDA director and applied for the job without seeing any advertising for the position.
‘I like a challenge and I’m used to working with small communities,? she said.
Zimmer invites anyone to stop by and have a chat at her office at 22 West Flint Street. ‘I love talking to people.?