Kris Larson, LPM, AICP

Chair

Kris Larson is the President & CEO of Central Houston, Inc. He’s held positions on the public and private sides of community leadership and served as the President & CEO for the downtown organizations in Raleigh, NC, and Grand Rapids, MI, where he led TIF and special-assessment districts. He earned an MPA from NC State University, was a Daniel Rose Fellow through the Rose Center for Public Leadership, and was a Vice Chair of the IDA’s Executive Committee. The IDA has awarded four Pinnacle Awards to his projects in the fields and Leadership, Planning, Advocacy, and Marketing.

Nicole J. Thompson

Chair Elect

Nicole J. Thompson joined Downtown Durham, Inc. as its President & CEO in 2017. Prior to arriving in Durham, Nicole was in Leadville, CO as the Executive Director of the Lake County Economic Development Corporation. However the majority of her economic development career has been in Virginia, her home state, working for the Commonwealth of Virginia and the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth and King George and Fairfax counties. Nicole began her economic development career almost 25 years ago in Durham, NC working for the North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development. She earned an M.A. in City and Regional Planning from UNC-Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies and Political Science from the University of Richmond in Virginia.

Kate Borders, LPM

Past Chair

Kate Borders has recently relocated to Cleveland to assume the role of President of University Circle, Inc. (UCI). However, Kate has been in the Place Management industry for almost twenty years. She began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the Executive Director of East Town Association, then assumed the role as the first CEO of the newly formed Downtown Fresno Partnership, and most recently was the President & CEO for the Downtown Tempe Authority in Tempe, Arizona. In addition, Kate is currently serving as the Board Chair for the International Downtowns Association (IDA). Kate grew up in South Carolina, received her BA in Music from The University of Arizona and a master’s degree in non-profit Arts Management from Columbia College in Downtown Chicago.

Jon Scholes

Treasurer

Jon Scholes is president & CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association, where he is responsible for the operations and programs of the DSA, a 650-member association formed in 1958 to create a healthy, vibrant downtown. In this capacity, Jon is also responsible for the management of the Metropolitan Improvement District (MID), which was established by property owners and the City of Seattle in 1999 to provide cleaning, safety, transportation, marketing and public-realm management services across 285 square blocks in downtown. He was appointed president and CEO of DSA in November of 2014 following six years as DSA’s vice president of advocacy and economic development. He has led the growth and expansion of the organization’s services, advocacy agenda and response to the impacts of the pandemic on downtown Seattle.

Davon Barbour

Secretary

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.

Kate Fenske

Vice Chair

Kate Fenske is the CEO of Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, providing strategic direction and a voice for downtown, working with her team to create a neighbourhood where everyone feels welcome. 

Kate currently serves on the Executive of the International Downtown Association (IDA) Board of Directors and chairs IDA Canada. She is also on the Board of the Downtown Community Safety Partnership (DCSP) and previously served on the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Board. 

Before joining the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ team in 2018, Kate worked as a journalist at major local and national media outlets and then as a communications and public relations advisor for various charities, government and private and public agencies. 

Derreck Hughes

Vice Chair

Derreck Hughes is the Vice President of Operations for Block by Block, the leader in street level services for Improvement Districts across the United States. Derreck believes the key to successful programming hinges upon having a deep understanding of an area’s needs, cultivating engaged teams, and evolving processes to keep step with ever-changing public realms. With a “streets to suites” mentality, Derreck demonstrates the ability to relate to the many diverse groups making cities great.

Jordan Polon, LPM

Vice Chair

Jordan Polon is the Executive Director of the Hartford Business Improvement District (HBID) in Hartford, Connecticut. Her professional career spans over two decades in theater and event management, pyrotechnics, marketing, and urban place management. Her marketing background has a strong influence on every project her organization undertakes. Jordan is an alumni of the IDA Emerging Leader Fellowship’s inaugural 2016 cohort, a member of the IDA Board of Directors and serves as the Awards Committee Chair.

David Downey, IOM, CAE, ASSOC. AIA

IDA President

As President & CEO, David is responsible for the overall strategic positioning of IDA as a world leader and champion for vital and livable urban centers. Prior to joining IDA, David served as the Managing Director for the American Institute of Architects’ Urban Design Center and as Executive Director for the Michigan Chapter of the American Planning Association. David has been a city advocate since the 1980s having received his degree in Architecture and Design with a focus on Urban Design. He speaks frequently throughout North America and has delivered talks in the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, El Salvador and Japan. David has served on numerous not for profit boards over his career including recently for the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District in Washington, DC and the Responsible Hospitality Institute in California. David is currently on the Mobility Innovation District Advisory Board in Southwest Washington, DC.