116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Betsy Potter named executive director of the Iowa City Downtown District
Potter has been with the Downtown District for a decade
IOWA CITY — Betsy Potter has had the “unique opportunity” to start or grow most of the programs and initiatives at the Iowa City Downtown District over the last decade.
Potter, who joined the district in 2013 shortly after it was established the year before, has played a role in growing events and programs, marketing and building trust. The nonprofit organization represents property owners and stakeholders in the downtown and northside neighborhoods of Iowa City.
“Things have changed quite a bit over the last 10 years, but I've had the opportunity to be involved one way or another,” said Potter, 37.
Now, as the new executive director, Potter will shift her focus to some of the “behind the scenes work” as the district looks at what’s to come and future opportunities.
She stepped into the role in late May. Former executive director Nancy Bird is now leading the newly merged Iowa City Area Development and Iowa City Business Partnership.
“Creating those relationships takes a lot of time, but it pays off because I think we're in a place where our organization is trusted not just by the community but by our members, too, which is a great place to be because then you can make some big moves,” Potter said. “You can accomplish a lot when people trust that you're going to do what you say you're going to do.”
Joining the Downtown District at the start
The Iowa City Downtown District was established in 2012 after a successful petition to create a self-imposed tax levy, referred to as a self-supported municipal improvement district, or SSMID. Revenue raised from the tax is reinvested in the area.
Potter joined the downtown district first as part of an internship as she was finishing up her master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Eastern Michigan University. She joined full time later that year as the director of operations. She has also held the title of director of creative services.
Potter, who lives in Iowa City with her husband and two young kids, grew up in Northern Iowa and went to the University of Iowa as an undergraduate. Before later moving back to Iowa, Potter lived in Toledo, Ohio, with her now-husband while getting her master’s.
The first few years after the SSMID was approved were figuring out what the district’s role should be, Potter said. The landscape of downtown was changing at the time and there were a lot of entrepreneurs opening up businesses.
“There was just so much opportunity whenever it came to marketing, special events, and that’s where my role landed,” Potter said.
Over time, the programs and initiatives evolved as the Downtown District’s role became clearer. Initiatives that Potter brought up included the Downtown Block Party, hiring a “nighttime mayor” and implementing downtown delivery and rewards programs.
The downtown delivery program is a free service that delivers items purchased online from downtown retailers to the Iowa City area and Cedar Rapids. The loyalty rewards program allows customers to gain points when they shop locally downtown, which they can redeem for discounts, free products or other rewards.
Potter said there’s not many business improvement districts that run delivery and rewards programs, which makes the Iowa City organization unique in its focus on retail.
“The reason why we do that is because we've heard from our members this is what they need, this is what the services are that they're asking for,” Potter said.
The district has also taken a more involved role and investment in public art for downtown, she added.
What’s to come?
There’s exciting opportunities coming up for the organization, including updating its strategic plan and organizing for the SSMID’s renewal, Potter said. The SSMID will need to be renewed in 2026, and the process will begin in 2025.
“It (strategic planning and organizing for renewal) gives us an opportunity to connect and make deeper connections with our property owners and our business owners and our stakeholders and make sure that the organization is on track,” Potter said.
Retail will continue to be a focus of the organization, and “we’re not letting our foot off of that pedal anytime soon,” Potter said.
Potter said a staff restructuring at the Downtown District will allow the organization to “launch into things that we haven't been able to in the past.” The district hired Katie Carpenter as the new director of special events. Christopher Hunter, who previously was the director of special events, is now the director of marketing.
Working with developers on new upcoming projects is also another opportunity, Potter said. The city of Iowa City will move forward with purchasing the vacant land at 21 S. Linn St., which Potter said is an important space central to downtown.
“There's a really low vacancy rate downtown, which is really, really wonderful, but it also limits the options for new tenants that are excited and want to be part of the downtown landscape,” Potter said. “ … New developments coming online here in the next few years will be really, really great to offering more retail (and) more opportunities for people that might be looking to locate in downtown.”
Comments: (319) 339-3155; izabela.zaluska@thegazette.com
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