recalibrating A CAREER

Never say never. Shortly after her ten-year class reunion, Rademacher moved back to Fargo, got married and jumped right back into her career track.

By now Rademacher possessed a solid resume of retail experiences. She had turned around struggling stores, whether by hiring, firing or motivating staff. She had opened a new store in a new market. And she took on many challenging opportunities along the way.

She credits her mentors for challenging her again and again. “I may not have been perfectly qualified for every position I had, but for some reason, they saw something in me which spurred me to learn how to infuse positive change into each challenge.”

Locally she found work with Scheels and Vanity. She bought clothing lines, implemented marketing strategies, and planned promotional events.

Then Rademacher plunged into the challenge of managing the Moorhead Center Mall (MCM). Along with familiar marketing and event responsibilities, she handled leasing and tenant relations. But she realized something was missing. Thinking back to high school sports, she missed working with a larger team.

During that time she discussed business development with the Kilbourne Group and became interested in downtown development. Then she began working with the Kilbourne Group where team collaboration was amazing. It was a perfect fit. She worked with leasing and design teams and honed skills to attract and retain businesses for downtown Fargo. Naturally her position placed her on projects with the Downtown Community Partnership. Things were going great.

And, of course, that’s precisely when things were about to change.

Several people suggested Rademacher apply for the DCP’s president/CEO position. She’s not even sure who they were. More than a little surprised, Rademacher weighed her abilities and interest.

She says, “I enjoyed what I was doing at Kilbourne, but this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

She had been readying herself for this position for years. She just didn’t know it. But after completing the national search, the DCP did. They hired Rademacher.

downtown fargo: THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY

The DCP began addressing retail community issues in 1969. Today the DCP’s vision is “to promote and expand the downtown as the preferred destination with a strong sense of place filled with vibrant culture, art and commerce.“ The group is comprised of over 150 partners, mostly business representatives, but also some downtown residents.

Because Rademacher embraces teamwork and creative networking, it motivates her to work with such a large group. “I’m a people pleaser. I know there’s no such thing as a silver bullet, so making everybody happy will be a challenge. But I really look forward to finding solutions and trying out new ideas.”

DCP board member and past co-worker

Adrienne Olson of the Kilbourne Group appreciates Rademacher’s positive approach to growing and changing downtown Fargo.

Olson says, “Melissa is driven to see small businesses succeed. I accompanied Melissa on a scouting expedition to downtown Sioux Falls. We visited with storeowners and learned how their downtown organization helps drive traffic to businesses. I appreciate her approach to continuous learning and benchmarking to keep our DCP growing in the right direction.”

Of course the street fair is downtown’s largest event. Rademacher says, “We expect about 275 vendors and up to 150,000 visitors. We’re highlighting local artisans, makers and artists to exhibit together in what we call the Local Block. Our hope is that this concept continues to expand, spilling over into additional blocks.”

At the end of 2017, the DCP began a downtown gift card program. Almost 60 retailers already are signed up to accept the cards. The overall purpose is to support downtown businesses.

Olson also says, “Melissa has approached the recent Fargo InFocus downtown comprehensive plan with enthusiasm and ownership. One action item it outlines is the need to encourage outdoor dining, food trucks and pop-up uses to activate downtown streets and support local businesses. Also we need to encourage more people to live downtown so we grow in a healthy manner. Melissa is partnering with city leaders, residents and business owners to ensure this plan is executed properly.”

A list of the other good things happening downtown is so long it would fill this entire issue.