BRATTLEBORO — Downtown Brattleboro Alliance (DBA) has named Brattleboro resident Kate Trzaskos as its executive director, beginning this week.
Trzaskos succeeds Stephanie Bonin, who stepped down from the post in July after serving as DBA's executive director since 2018.
According to a news release, Trzaskos “has nearly 20 years of mission-driven programming expertise and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Downtown Brattleboro.”
Most recently, Trzaskos was assistant director of employer relations at Smith College in Northampton, Mass., where she was responsible for cultivating and maintaining relationships with diverse employers and industry professionals. She was also responsible for planning, moderating, and coordinating industry panels each year featuring Smith alumni and employer partners.
Prior to Smith College, she worked at Marlboro College in a variety of director and assistant dean positions, and at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania as the school and youth programs coordinator.
“We are very pleased to have Kate step into the leadership role at DBA,” said Eleanor Thomas, president of the DBA board of directors. “She joined our board last year because she wanted to give back to her community. I am excited to be working with her in her new role as we begin the next chapter for DBA.”
“Brattleboro has been my home for over 10 years and I can't imagine living anywhere else, due in part to our wonderful downtown,” Trzaskos said. “I view the work of the DBA as essential to elevate programming that supports our businesses and raises awareness of Brattleboro as a growing and thriving destination in southern Vermont.”
The Downtown Brattleboro Alliance is the official nonprofit Designated Downtown Organization for the town of Brattleboro, providing access to grants, technical assistance, and networking opportunities. Its membership is made up of downtown property owners, business owners, downtown residents, and friends of the organization.
As part of its mission “to nurture and support the vitality of downtown Brattleboro through art, commerce, recreation, and education,” DBA is responsible for programs and activities that include Gallery Walk, Brattleboo, Everyone Eats, The Bloom program, Community Marketing Initiative (collaboration with the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce), and BrattLuvCrawl.
For more information on DBA, visit their website at brattleboro.com.