Jennifer Borcherding resigns from The District: Czech Village and New Bohemia

CEDAR RAPIDS — For the third time in two years, The District: Czech Village and New Bohemia is looking for a new executive director.

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Former director Jennifer Borcherding resigned this week, citing an organizational shift that fell out of alignment with her professional goals. She was first selected in November of 2024 to replace Jim Miller, who resigned after eight months as executive director.

“It was a personal, professional decision,” Borcherding told The Gazette. “The scope of the organization was changing … and the time required toward fundraising and events was incompatible with the amount of time I wanted to spend on programming.”

The District is a nonprofit, accredited Iowa Main Street program that covers 40 blocks within Cedar Rapids’ New Bohemia and Czech Village neighborhoods. It is responsible for programming and promotions within the district.

It works closely with several other organizations including the Czech Village-New Bohemia Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District Commission, the city of Cedar Rapids and the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance.

The District website lists three staff members, including Borcherding, Director of Strategic Investment Haley Rosendahl and Marketing Manager Barb Thompson.

Board President David Ernst said the district’s executive board has already begun the search for Borcherding’s replacement. In the meantime, he will be acting as The District’s main point of contact.

“In the nonprofit world and with limited resources, it can be tough,” Ernst said of turnover within the executive director position. “I think it’s just about … finding the right fit, more than anything, and focusing on finding the right person to lead the organization forward.”

Ernst said that fundraising, programming and events remain “equally important” in the eyes of the board, but that fundraising has become increasingly competitive in recent months for both grant funds and private dollars.

But despite the challenges, both Ernst and Borcherding expressed appreciation for the Czech Village and New Bohemia districts and continued hope for their future success.

Area businesses have been working together to collaborate on how to pull in more locals to complement tourist traffic, Borcherding noted, and one of The District’s largest events is coming up on Sept. 11 with the return of the popular Dinner on the Bridge on the 16th Avenue Bridge of Lions.

“The District is an amazing place, and I was really happy to be able to help existing businesses build collaborative relationships,” Borcherding said. “Still, I think the area is on the verge of blossoming into something even bigger.”

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