Bruce Fitzgerald has joined the City of Washington in a contract capacity working on a wide array of projects with a primary focus of working with businesses and commercial property owners in the downtown area within the Main Street Program.

The underlying premise of the Main Street approach is "to encourage economic development within the context of historic preservation in ways appropriate to today's marketplace," according to Fitzgerald.

The Main Street Approach advocates a return to community self-reliance, local empowerment, and the rebuilding of traditional commercial districts based on their unique assets: distinctive architecture, a pedestrian-friendly environment, personal service, local ownership, and a sense of community.

The Main Street "Four-Point Approach" is a comprehensive strategy that is tailored to meet local needs and opportunities. It encompasses work in four distinct areas - design, economic restructuring, promotion, and organization - that are combined to address all of the commercial district's needs.

Fitzgerald holds a BBA magna cum laude in accounting and a Master of Professional Accountancy from Georgia State University. He has 40 years of corporate experience in the field of business management including hotel/motel management, real estate and consumer products marketing, and most recently served as vice president of a university in Atlanta.

Fitzgerald has also been an adjunct instructor at several Atlanta area colleges and universities over the last 30 years. He recently attended a webinar entitled "Thriving in a Slow Economy" which covered many ways that local businesses can adjust the way they do business to insure they give themselves the best opportunity for survival in these tough economic times.

"If you are a downtown business or commercial property owner," Fitzgerald said, "I would like to encourage you to let me be a resource to help you be as successful as you can possibly be."

Fitzgerald can be reached at mainstreet@ washingtonwilkes.org.