Kendall Whittier Main Street’s team is expanding after hiring a full-time Community Engagement Coordinator and a part time groundskeeper in an effort to further increase the organization’s impact.
While updating the strategic vision in the wake of the 2020 Great American Main Street Award, the KWMS Board of Directors saw a need to develop new positions in order to better meet the community’s needs now and well into the future.
“The addition of these positions will allow us to expand our focus area and programming,” said Jessica Jackson Seay, executive director of KWMS. “We will be able to serve more businesses and otherwise continue to encourage and promote the ongoing revitalization efforts.”
Sydney Alison
Sydney Alison started on March 1 as the Community Engagement Coordinator. She is a 2020 graduate of the University of Tulsa, where she received her BA in Film Studies/Production with a minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Alison will manage social media pages, designs marketing pieces for print and digital, and works closely with business owners in the area to promote their establishments. She also will support Kendall Whittier’s slate of events.
“I grew up a few miles from Kendall Whittier and spent a lot of time here in undergrad. I’m really eager to meet all of the business owners and to try new restaurants and activities that I haven’t tried before,” Alison said. “I have a lot of Tulsa pride, so having the opportunity to support and promote local businesses through KWMS means a lot to me!”
As a Tulsa native, her favorite things to do around town are soaking up sunshine at The Gathering Place, catching flicks at Circle Cinema, and enjoying delicious local cuisine. Alison lives in Tulsa with her family, including her feisty French Bulldog, Frazier.
The position was made possible through the Cherokee Nation RESTORE Grant Program, which seeks to support local employment and career development as a COVID relief tactic.
Jamie Barnes
In addition, KWMS has hired Jamie Barnes as a part-time groundskeeper to maintain and landscape the Whittier Square Improvement District (WSID) area, through the funds collected by the City of Tulsa for WSID #2, which expired June 30, 2020.
He will provide designs for landscaping and flower beds in the district, as well as mow, trim and prune trees, bushes and grass. He will also sweep sidewalks and remove litter and weeds. Barnes is a landscape designer and licensed realtor with McGraw Realtors.
“We are thrilled to have Sydney and Jamie on our team,” Jackson Seay said. “They both bring their own expertise to the job as well as a passion for the neighborhood and a desire to improve their community. Big things are definitely coming to Kendall Whittier.”
Kendall Whittier Main Street is a nonprofit organization that inspires the ongoing revitalization and growth of a historic and cultural neighborhood in Tulsa, striving to transform it back to a thriving, walkable commercial district. KWMS is a 2020 Oklahoma Community of the Year and an Oklahoma Certified Cultural District.
For more information about the Kendall Whittier Main Street, please call or text 918-633-1934 or email info@visitkendallwhittier.com.
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