GREENFIELD — Debra Cochran has been preparing for her new role as the leader of an organization that champions Greenfield’s downtown for much of her life.
She comes from a family of entrepreneurs. Her mother, father, stepfather and herself are all small-business owners. She has fond memories of growing up visiting her mother’s veterinary clinic in her small northern Indiana hometown’s downtown.
The Greenfield Main Street Board of Directors unanimously chose her as the new executive director of the organization starting March 30.
Founded in 2008, Greenfield Main Street is a member of the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs Main Street Program and the National Main Street program. Greenfield Main Street aims to bring about positive change in the city’s downtown for business owners and residents.
The Greenfield resident said on top of wanting a shorter commute than the one required for her former job in Fishers, she wants to give back to the community in which she lives. Cochran also owns Spade Events Co., an event-planning company.
“This just sounded like something perfect for me, as a small-business owner and lover of small hometowns,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure we kept that in Greenfield. I thought Main Street was a great way to do that.”
Cochran has a background in event planning for Purdue University and in St. Louis, Missouri, where she also did marketing. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication from Purdue University with a concentration in public relations and advertising. Cochran is also a certified meeting planner.
She said she’s looking forward to meeting Greenfield Main Street members’ needs along with being an ear for them and letting them know they have an advocate in their corner.
“As a small-business owner, money is tight, especially right now, and I want to make sure they’re getting the most bang for their buck,” she said.
Renee Oldham, president of Greenfield Main Street, said in a news release that Cochran brings extensive corporate and nonprofit management experience to the organization.
“I especially value that she is an experienced event and marketing professional coupled with an entrepreneurial spirit, and is skilled in relationship building,” Oldham said.
Cochran is the organization’s first full-time executive director.
Oldham told the Daily Reporter that the organization has grown greatly since its inception more than a decade ago and demands a full-time leader.
Cochran succeeds Shelley Swift, now a reporter for the Greenfield Daily Reporter.
