Link: http://www.mainstreetlansing.com

The new Main Street Lansing program in Lansing, Iowa is kicking into high gear. Now, the search is on for Main Street Lansing's first-ever Executive Director.

If you're a self motivated leader, organized, an excellent communicator with great people skills, capable of being passionate about your job and yearning for a challenge, this opportunity in beautiful and historic Lansing, Iowa could be ideal for you.

Visit our special web feature at www.mainstreetlansing.com to learn more and download the Executive Director Position Profile.

Forbes' just-published list of The Best Small Cities to Raise a Family does Wisconsin proud, with three communities ranked in the top ten (#2 Manitowoc; #5 Marshfield; and #6 Stevens Point). So, aside from sharing a Wisconsin address, what do these three communities share in common? Use the comment link to enter your guess.

We just posted a new project feature highlighting our work on the Iowa Green Streets Pilot initiatives in West Union and Woodbine, Iowa. As pilots, the communities of West Union and Woodbine will experiment with measures to achieve sustainable communities and serve as models for their colleagues in Iowa and others throughout the nation. Click here to learn more.

Link: http://www.downtownpros.com/tools.html

Lisa originally created a wholly unscientific, but not entirely arbitrary Main Street Committee Placement Exam as a fun committee training exercise for our work with the Louisiana Economic Development Committee in Louisiana, Missouri.  Turns out, our friends there are still using it as a first step in their volunteer intake process and report great results.

The exam is now online and can be accessed from the new "Tools & Resources" section of our website. Give it a whirl and let us know where you got "plugged in."

Link: http://www.marketplacemagazine.com/content/556_1.php

Our friend Craig Tebon sent us an email and the link to a Marketplace Magazine story about the tremendous transformation taking place in downtown Ripon, Wisconsin. Click here to check out the article about Boca Grande Capital's plans and investment in downtown Ripon.