The Main Street Cultural District will see a new face as its director. The current executive director of the Cultural District, Tom Drenthe, will be resigning Dec. 15. 

He announced his leave in an email two weeks ago, and as of publication, he has not  responded to the Daily on his resignation.

In a statement made in his email, he said he is leaving with the belief the group will still be able to carry out its goals. 

“I am leaving the Cultural District with a feeling of enthusiasm and confidence that the district will continue as a model of success for downtown revitalization,” he wrote.

The Cultural District’s board of directors discussed the process that would be taken to hire Drenthe’s replacement in the time he had given the board.

Bill Malone, president of the Cultural District board, believes the position will be easy to fill with a qualified candidate.

 “The Main Street Cultural District has always had great candidates apply and Ames is a magnet community for talented people,” he said.

Hiring for a director is not a new concept. The organization has had to fill the director’s position several times in the recent years.

But since the organization, it is hard to hire anyone for a long-term position with such a limited budget. Drenthe decided to give the board plenty of time to make a decision on finding a new director.

Drenthe was hired in September 2011 by the Ames Chamber of Commerce. 

He has previously worked as the events coordinator for the Cultural District and as the Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market manager since the beginning of 2011.

Drenthe said he does plan to stay working with the community and with the Cultural District by volunteering in the future.

The Main Street Cultural District was established in 2004 as a two-year local initiative to create an identity and to focus on downtown development. 

Its mission is to promote downtown as a tourist destination.

In November 2005, the Cultural District became an official organization by the state of Iowa Certified Cultural and Entertainment District.

The district and its ideas have been embraced by many businesses as well as individuals.