DPO Announces New Director Joy Severa

The Downtown Painesville Organization (DPO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Joy Severa to Executive Director of the DPO, starting January 1, 2020. The DPO board of directors and Stephanie Evans, who was recently announced as director, have amicably agreed to different paths.

 

Severa, a passionate member of the Painesville community, comes to the DPO with a strong background in program management, marketing and organizational leadership, most recently volunteering on the DPO Economic Vitality Committee. She has held various positions at Morley Library, Lakeland Community College, Lake County Development Council and Direct Blaze Industries. Severa and her family live in a century home near the downtown area for the last 15 years and has been active in numerous community events like Painesville’s Art in the Park.

 

"Painesville has had my heart for more than a decade and I am excited to be an intricate part of the many impressive things that are happening,” said Severa. “I look forward to working with the community; to preserve the past and to grow our downtown area for a vibrant future.".

 

The DPO is a nonprofit community organization that serves the downtown Painesville area and is an accredited Ohio Main Street Program administered by Heritage Ohio. The DPO’s mission is to build a strong future in a diverse city where everyone is welcome. This mission in enacted through the Main Street America four point approach that builds on existing resources and fosters improved community leadership for long term benefits. The four points include: Organization or building of consensus and cooperation between the groups that play a role in the downtown, Design which involves improving the downtown’s image by improving its physical appearance, Promotion like highlighting the downtown’s unique characteristics to shoppers, investors, new businesses, tourists, and Economic Vitality which is meant to strengthen and diversify the existing economic base of the downtown. To learn more about the DPO, visit their website at www.mainstreetpainesville.org.