Events
Overview: Every day, policymakers from city hall to Capitol Hill make choices that impact downtowns. From economic development to housing to public safety, place management professionals have a strong interest in government actions – and a powerful voice in setting the agenda. IDA is launching a new U.S. Advocacy Network to mobilize downtown professionals and give them the tools to advocate effectively. Join your fellow place management leaders on this special webinar to learn how you can advocate for downtowns at all levels of government: how you build and maintain relationships with key policymakers, enlist the support of allies and coalitions, developing messaging that strengthens your case and more. If you want to play a role in the policy decisions affecting downtowns, this session is for you!
Friday, March 8, 2024 | 12:00pm ET (9:00am PT)
Domain: Policy and Advocacy
Pricing: IDA Members: Free | Nonmembers: $40
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will better understand why advocacy before government policymakers is essential for place management professionals.
- Participants will learn how to begin and maintain advocacy efforts before local, state and federal policymakers.
- Participants will learn about the resources and tools IDA provides to help them be effective advocates.
LPM | 1 IDA LPM professionals can earn credit hours for this webinar. More information about IDA’s Leadership in Place Management certification program can be found here.
CM | 1 AICP members can earn Certification Maintenance (CM) credits for this webinar. More information about AICP’s CM program can be found at www.planning.org/cm
Advancing Places is an online series aimed at empowering IDA members with the solutions needed to address the most critical urban issues of the day. This session will include a moderated Q&A and will be recorded for member and nonmember use in the future.
Moderator & Speakers
Zack Matheny
President and Chief Executive Officer, Downtown Greensboro, Inc. 
Betsy Brennan
President & CEO, Downtown San Diego PartnershipBetsy Brennan is the President & CEO of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the economic prosperity and cultural vitality of Downtown’s urban neighborhoods. Brennan leads the organization’s staff of more than 100 to provide a broad spectrum of services to benefit Downtown. These include providing a quality membership program to more than 300 individuals and stakeholder organizations, conducting successful advocacy in service of the organization’s mission, telling the story of the market as the voice of Downtown, and providing excellent public services to keep 275 blocks of Downtown clean, safe and thriving.
Davon Barbour
President & CEO, Downtown Development District for the City of New Orleans
In December 2021, Davon Barbour was appointed President & CEO of the Downtown Development District for the City of New Orleans. He is a passionate urban advocate, possessing more than twenty years of progressive leadership in inclusive economic and community development. His areas of expertise include, public/private partnerships, business attraction, retail revitalization, and community development. Davon currently serves on the Board of Trustees of ICSC. He has worked for private sector, public sector, and non-profit organizations revitalizing urban communities across the nation in cities such as Baltimore, Miami, Orlando, and Los Angeles. Additionally, he has authored works for IDA, ICSC and ULI.
Jason Ilstrup
President, Downtown Madison Inc., Madison, Wisconsin
Jason Ilstrup is the president of Downtown Madison, Inc. (DMI), a member-based non-profit working to create a vibrant and equitable downtown where everyone feels welcome. Along with his role at DMI, he currently serves on several local boards including the Madison Area Sports Commission, the Dane County Airport Commission, the City/County Homeless Issues Committee, the Neighborhood House, the Friends of the Lake Monona Waterfront, the Wisconsin Innovation Awards and the University of Wisconsin Student Union Advisory Board.
More Information
Registration information: When registering for a webinar, please complete the sign-up as yourself and not your organization. If additional staff would like to attend the same webinar, each individual must register as themselves to receive their unique login link. Questions? Email registration@downtown.org.
By registering for this webinar, you are agreeing to IDA Event Agreement and Code of Conduct.
IDA is committed to making our educational sessions accessible to everyone, regardless of ability, and to reasonably accommodating the assistive needs of our members, attendees and partners. We are actively working to increase the accessibility of our offerings. In so doing, we strive to comply with the available standards and guidelines under the Americans with Disabilities Act and related laws to the greatest extent possible. If you are having trouble accessing an IDA offering, or have a question regarding session accessibility features, please contact IDA at registration@downtown.org for assistance.
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For registration assistance or further information, please contact IDA’s registration team.
