About 50 persons, most of them Jefferson Matters Main Street volunteers, gathered on the south lawn of the courthouse Monday to celebrate Jefferson receiving a Great America Main Street Award (GAMSA). The award was first presented in Philadelphia April 7. Several of those on the courthouse lawn were also at the earlier presentation.
Jefferson Matters director Matt Wetrich served as emcee. He noted that Jefferson was the smallest of the eight semi-finalists for GAMSA. Jefferson Matters was notified last September it had been selected for one of three awards. Wetrich called it “a very closely guarded secret.”
As an award winner, Jefferson Matters was asked to prepare a five-minute video of Jefferson and Jefferson Matters’ efforts. The video was shown at the awards event in Philadelphia. Wetrich told of a collective gasp by the audience when the video showed drone footage of the rooftop art. That was the most audible response to any of the three GAMSA winners’ videos.
He acknowledged Jefferson Matters board president Jamie Daubendiek, who served as president for 10 years, and current president Amy Milligan (three years), vice president Kristin Russell, and treasurer Danille Curtis. He thanked Deb and Mark McGinn for their work to make public art part of Jefferson Matters, calling that art “a pride and joy” of Jefferson.
He spoke of the power of connection in Jefferson. “In a community as small as ours, if we want to see success we have no choice but to foster successful connections,” he said, explaining that Jefferson Matters connects the past to the present; government entities to their constituents, private businesses to other business. He called the community’s most valuable asset the people who live here.
Wetrich introduced Jefferson mayor Craig Berry, who gave a brief history of Jefferson Matters Main Street. Work to be accepted into the Iowa Main Street program began in 2010, spearheaded by Berry, Reagan Osborne, Chris Henning, Jamie Daubendiek, Nancy Teusch and the late Kathy Hankel. The application process required completing a 75-oage application and demonstrated ability to raise funds for downtown preservation. Jefferson Telecom was an important early contributor.
Board president Milligan commended Emily Rohner, Jefferson Matters community engagement coordinator, and read from a social media post Rohner sent out from Philadelphia. “Every volunteer, every hour, every idea, every ounce of love – it all mattered. This isn’t just a win for our organization — it’s a win for every single person who has poured their heart into this community. The dreamers, the doers, the volunteers, the small business owners, the community who show up time and time again… this happened because of you. We are honored, overwhelmed, and so incredibly proud to bring this national recognition home. Because Jefferson Matters. And so do all of you.”
Carol Lilly, Iowa Main Street coordinator, also spoke and shares statistics from Jefferson Matters’ annual reports. Between 2012 and Dec. 2024, Jefferson Matters completed 115 projects using $6 million in public funds and $18 million in private funds. Forty-five businesses started or expanded, creating 101 new jobs. Volunteers provided more than 57, 000 hours of unpaid work with a value of $1,650,000.
Another family-friendly celebration of the GAMSA is slated for Friday, May 9, from 5 to 8 pm, to go along with registration for the Market-to-Market Relay. The event will feature inflatables, food trucks, music, and give-aways.
