Stonington Planning and Development Fellow Placement Opportunity

The Town of Stonington and Opera House Arts (OHA) are jointly requesting an Island Institute Fellow to act as a Planning and Development Fellow for both the town and the Opera House; with an emphasis on using digital communications and planning skills (including but not limited to technology-driven tools such as websites and video) to enhance shared economic development, funding, and communications goals. The Planning and Development Fellow will report jointly to the Town Manager; and to the Executive Director at the historic Stonington Opera House. 

The Town and Opera House Arts first collaborated in 2006, and had a Fellow from September 2006 - 2007. Former Island Fellow, Annie Tselikis, worked as Economic Development Coordinator for the Town's Economic Development Committee and for the Opera House's Imagination Project Public Digital media Studio. The original intent of that first application was to build demand for a Town Economic Development staff position (this goal remains the same, due to staff changes in the town office during Annie's tenure); as well as to demonstrate the need for a Studio Manager at OHA's community access digital media studio, which is an economic development engine, working to create jobs on Stonington's Main Street and build 21^st-century workforce skills through lifelong learning opportunities for all community members. Before her departure, Annie successfully built a working design model of an economic development website for the Town, www.stoningtonrocks.com; and helped to launch a Buy Local campaign. She also completed writing a business plan and job descriptions for OHA's Imagination Project.

Stonington's Planning and Development Fellow will be asked to perform tasks that include but are not limited to the following: 

Create and sustain a supportive and positive climate for year round business, including but not limited to:

• Research, create, and maintain a local business inventory;
• Research and document demographic and other statistics for use in business and resource development (both Town and Opera House);
• Create and publicize an online resources guide for the Town on how to do business;
• Create and publicize online resources for the Opera House on how to participate in all programs (marketing and audience development);
• Market Stonington Rocks: Business with a View (Stonington as a good place to do business) via websites, emails, videos, and publications
• Expand and measure a "Buy Local" campaign

Write a business plan and implement tasks for a potential industrial park concept, including but not limited to town-owned property on the waterfront (Fire Dept.) and at the Municipal Garage on Airport Road; 

Act as a small business consultant for the Town's microloan program, helping individuals to draft business plans, grant applications, and permit applications; 

Continue to expand and coordinate public digital communications for both Town and Opera House, templating and refining websites; 

Research and coordinate project funding opportunities for both institutions; 

Investigate potential relationships and/or partnerships, for both entities, with the Washington-Hancock County Agency; the Community Development Block Grant office; HUD; the Maine Downtown Center of the Maine Development Foundation; other regional nonprofit arts organizations; etc.