About Us
Our mission is to celebrate Downtown Fayetteville as an epicenter of culture, cuisine, entertainment, and the arts and to connect downtown stakeholders and community with a common voice.
Downtown Fayetteville Coalition Board of Directors
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Brian Crowne, PRESIDENT
Brian has been the co-owner of George’s Majestic Lounge with wife Day Crowne since 2004.
“I feel a responsibility as a patron and business owner of our downtown to participate in planning for the future of downtown Fayetteville. DFC is positioned to be a strong and diverse voice for our downtown to the city and beyond and that encourages me. I'm proud to help.”
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Richard Gathright, SECRETARY
Richard is a realtor with Colliers & Associates, the Chair of NWA Equality’s PRIDE Festival, and a downtown resident.
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Morgan Scholz, MEMBER AT LARGE
Morgan works at AcreTrader, a local business located in downtown Fayetteville.
“I work, live, and recreate downtown! I serve on the DFC board because I'm passionate about place-keeping and community building. I feel lucky to live in Fayetteville and want to be an active part of protecting and enhancing the people, places, and institutions that make this community so special.”
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Justin Clay, MEMBER AT LARGE
Justin is the Parking Manager for the City of Fayetteville.
“My desire for DFC is to add to Fayetteville’s quality of life by highlighting and enhancing the vibrancy of our amazing downtown through partnership, collaboration, and advocacy for all who make it thrive.”
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Jennifer Wilson, MEMBER AT LARGE
Jennifer is the Senior Director of Public Relations at Walton Arts Center.
“There is so much opportunity in Downtown Fayetteville especially when we all work together toward common goals. I was excited to join DFC because I think it can be a consensus builder among the various downtown stakeholders and an organization that can plan for and help us move toward a shared vision.”
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Rachel Pendergraft, MEMBER AT LARGE
Rachel is a downtown resident and works with High Street Real Estate and Development and Drake Farms.
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Bill Waite, MEMBER AT LARGE
Bill is the owner of a legacy Dickson Street business, Dickson Street Liquor.
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Bo Counts, MEMBER AT LARGE
Bo is the owner of the beloved downtown business, Pinpoint.
“As a long time resident and lover of Fayetteville's downtown, I've always been passionate about making it the best it can be. After opening up Pinpoint in 2018, my investment and passion in downtown Fayetteville is more important to me than ever. Making sure my fellow community members' voices are heard in the avenues they need to be has always been a priority for me.”
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Leah Jordan, MEMBER AT LARGE
Leah is a co-owner of Pearl's Books downtown.
“The warmth and charm of Fayetteville is so beautifully concentrated downtown. I am thrilled (thrilled!) that I get to be a part of the downtown community of businesses and creatives, and am grateful to call Fayetteville home.”
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Jeremy Hudson, MEMBER AT LARGE
Jeremy is the CEO of Specialized Real Estate Group.
“I've lived and worked in DTF for many years and truly believe it is one of the best places in the world. DFC has an opportunity to play a significant role in ensuring the quality of life in Fayetteville is not only preserved but enhanced as the city and region grow. Simply put, I want to be involved in the leadership of DFC because it’s my home.”
Downtown Fayetteville Coalition Staff
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Kelly Rich, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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Ellen Carroll, MARKETING & EVENTS COORDINATOR
FACADE GRANT APPLICATION
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FACADE GRANT APPLICATION •
email your application to Kelly Rich at krich@experiencefayetteville.com
Downtown Fayetteville Coalition Strategic Framework
In the fall of 2023, DFC went through a 3-month process with Public Sphere Project (PSP) to adopt a strategic framework for the organization. Using results from a variety of stakeholder interviews and surveys and with the guidance of PSP, DFC adopted four pillars of focus and priority for the organization. These four pillars included themes on Common Voice, Welcoming, Place-Keeping, and Capacity. DFC adopted these strategic guidelines to implement into their projects and events to continue their efforts to strengthen and support downtown Fayetteville.
DFC wouldn’t have been able to complete this invaluable process without the financial support from the Tyson Family Foundation.
COMMON VOICE
Common voice positions us as a proactive champion of downtown interests, providing trusted thought leadership and insight to elected officials.
WELCOMING
Welcoming describes a robust portfolio of events and public realm initiatives that make downtown more attractive, vibrant, and safe for visitors.
PLACEMAKING
Placekeeping recognizes that we can intentionally curate the mix of commercial and cultural activities within our district, incentivizing creative entrepreneurs and sustaining long-time anchor institutions.
CAPACITY
Capacity invites us to thoughtfully invest in our own organizational infrastructure as it pursues new partnerships, recruits talent, and participates in a regional and national community of practice.
