Welcome to the first Virtual Institute of the Maine Downtown Center.  The snow and ice forecast for January 21 provided the impetus for this online version of the Downtown Institute.  Advocacy is an essential component of being effective in your downtown revitalization efforts.  From communicating with your Town Council, meeting with your elected officials, following a bill through the process or testifying before a Joint Standing Committee of the Legislature at the State House, the documents and links provided here are the tools you need to help boost your confidence and effectiveness as an advocate.  So, pour yourself a second cup of coffee and take the time you would have spent navigating around snowplows right here online, reading through the Virtual Institute.  Advocates are standing by (OK, sitting by) to answer your questions this morning (January 21, 2011) from 9:00 a.m. – noon.  We invite your questions and feedback.  We also invite you to complete and submit to us the Advocacy Survey we have provided as a pdf document.

VIRTUAL Institute Links:

• A Brief History of the Maine State House
• The Maine Downtown Coalition is free to join and is a great resource for staying informed and involved about downtown legislative issues across Maine.
• Link to the Maine Association of Nonprofits website on Public Policy and Advocacy: Rules and Regulations
• The Advocacy Center for the National Trust for Historic Preservation is very informative on a number of downtown and preservation issues
• Preservation Action is the national grassroots lobby organization (nonprofit membership-based) for historic preservation.
• One Click Searching for your elected officials!

Available by phone:

• Roxanne Eflin, Program Director, Maine Downtown Center/Steering Committee, Maine Downtown Coalition:  207.626.3117
• Lock Kiermaier, GrowSmart Maine Legislative Coordinator/Chair, Maine Downtown Center Advocacy Committee/Coordinator, Maine Downtown Coalition:   207.446.0651
• Greg Paxton, Executive Director, Maine Preservation/Convener, Maine Downtown Coalition:  207.775.3652