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Press Release:
Short North Business Association Welcomes new Senior Director Christina Menges
The Short North Business Association has hired Christina Menges to be the new Senior Director. After an extensive search process, the Short North Business Association has hired Christina Menges to be the new Senior Director.
“We’ve hired someone who can build upon the momentum created over the last several years” said incoming Board President Maria Galloway. “Christina can help keep the spotlight on the Short North. She brings a unique set of skills that will help grow Gallery Hop, the Short North Gala and HighBall Halloween. She has a great sense of humor – we can all use that.
Christina has nearly 20 years of relevant experience. She has experience in a variety of roles including public relations, fundraising, sales and marketing. She’s worked at the Ohio House of Representatives, the College of the Arts at Ohio State University, Fitch, Eli Lilly, and Ohio Wesleyan University. She worked as an actor and model for 6 years in New York City.
“The Short North is a terrific example of the diversity in Columbus featuring some of the nation’s most unique galleries, restaurants and boutiques. It’s important that these very special places in this multi-dimensional community are given every opportunity to thrive. My task is to ensure that we as an Association are doing everything possible to further this effort and to make the Short North the first thing on people’s minds when they think of Columbus and of Ohio,” said Menges.
“The infrastructure of the Short North Arts District is in place and we have tremendous momentum. The staff is highly talented, hard working and dedicated. I’m looking forward to working with these very capable individuals as well as the Board, the area businesses and other community leaders. There are great opportunities here and I can’t wait to get started.”
I think this is great news and I truly look forward to this change and addition to the neighborhood.
Hope she can help fill those vacant storefronts, which seem to be multiplying on a monthly basis.
Angelo at one point had a monthly plan to fill those voids with artists similar to what they did with the Arts Alley and that plan fell through after a good portion of planning. It would be very nice to see artists and the SNBA partner to offer the independents a crack at showcasing art in these spaces at least for gallery hop rather than let them sit empty. The nice thing with that is that potential renters can have open access to the spaces without a real estate agent following them around.
Look forward to the new administration, though I did like having a guy with an Italian name running the neighborhood- made it sound more Hard.
“This is Angelo’s turf!” :)
Sounds good to me. Notice she said “nation’s most unique galleries, restaurants and boutiques”, not “Ohio’s” (though it’s that too) . I’m glad to see the focus on national exposure continue.
@jpizzow – Yes, there have been a number of businesses that closed, but some new ones have opened and even if they didn’t the Short North would still dwarf other urban business districts, which you seem to have forgotten. Maybe you’d prefer going down E Main since it hasn’t lost as many businesses as the Short North has in recent times.
Remember, the Short North has been gaining more exposure and with more that can only help. It would be nice if other neighborhoods were promoting themselves at a higher level like the SN does. The priority of the Old North Columbus neighborhood association is to add a cutesy “e” on the end of the word “Old” in their arch.
I’m hoping she does a better job at combating panhandling. It seems every time I have an out of town, non-urban dweller visiting some worthless bum drops an “F” bomb or some other inappropriate comment towards one of us when we don’t give them money. All it takes is one negative incident to tarnish a visitor’s perception of the area. People can always spend their money elsewhere.
@mstimple – I don’t necessarily disagree with your observation that negative perceptions can form from dealing with an aggressive panhandler in the Short North.
That said, I don’t see dealing with aggressive panhandling as the “job’ or part of the scope of work of the director of a business association. They can simply draw attention to it and it’s up to the city (city council, mayor and police) to deal with it and do the “job”.
mstimple, are you kidding? John Angelo was a leader and key partner in the creation of the new laws police promised would allow them more enforcement tools.
Mr. Angelo did more to impact QOL public policy and legislation than any other single citizen.
I’m hoping she does a better job at combating panhandling.
What do you have in mind?
It seems every time I have an out of town, non-urban dweller visiting some worthless bum drops an “F†bomb or some other inappropriate comment towards one of us when we don’t give them money. All it takes is one negative incident to tarnish a visitor’s perception of the area. People can always spend their money elsewhere.
Don’t get me wrong, such incidents are not welcome by anyone. That said, I think your friends need to prepare to occasionally experience some unpleasantries when walking the streets of a large American city.
@mstimple – Really now? God forbid they ever have to go to an even larger city. I’ll take an “F” bomb from a bum in the city vs. being in one of the hundreds of violent crashes out on the deadly roads in the burbs. Just my personal preference.
Anyway, what I would like to see her do is bring more infill, particularly to the NE corner of E 2nd.
I’ll take an “F†bomb from a bum in the city vs. being in one of the hundreds of violent crashes out on the deadly roads in the burbs.
What?? Seriously, that’s a rediculous comment.
I have to agree with Columbusite, to be a district whose occupancy rate has actually increased in the last couple of years (going from Goodale to 5th) is remarkable. Some big names with a lot of gravity haven’t made it but Planet Smoothie is already being built out for a new restaurant, 5th and High is more occupied than any time I can remember, it is rumored that the Mojoe space is spoken for already, and I have seen a familiar face poking around the Norka space with a team and clipboard on more than one occasion in the last couple of weeks.
As far as Christina goes, I met her the other day, she seems eager to work with the retailers and figure out how to better blend our day time retail neighborhood with the night time dining neighborhood. She seems bright and enthusiastic and I look forward to working with her.
<”…Planet Smoothie is already being built out for a new restaurant…”>
Anybody know what kind of restaurant is going into the Planet Smootie location?
@JonMyers You shared my sentiments perfectly. But I’ll add:
1.) Where would we like panhandlers and the homeless to go? With social programs continuing to be cut there aren’t as many options as we like to think. Perhaps Dublin or New Albany will take a few.
2.) It’s an urban neighborhood. Just like we can’t be floored about break-ins (even though they suck), no one should be surprised by eclectic, and okay, sometimes a little scary or annoying characters. That’s what makes urban living, visiting and shopping so great – the differences.
I just hope that she supports EVERYONE and ALL businesses in the district and does not play favorites as the previous administration did. That would be a great change.